Provitalize is easily one of the most popular probiotic supplements in the world right now. Marketed specifically to women going through the menopause, Provitalize claims to be a specialist probiotic designed to promote weight loss and better weight management as well as improved gut health. As we have already made clear in our review of Provitalize, this makes Provitalize probiotic quite unique among gut health supplements.
Most probiotics and prebiotics simply promise to help rebalance your gut microbiome and improve digestion. Of course, this is no small feat; having better gut microbiome health invariably leads to better cognitive function, enhance immune system function, higher energy levels, reduced fatigue, and more. But few probiotics or prebiotics go beyond focusing on improving gut microbiome composition to be more conducive to good health and performance. Provitalize is therefore unusual in that it targets a very specific demographic – menopausal women – and one very specific benefit: weight loss.
In order to provide such targeted benefits, Provitalize must have a very interesting, intelligently put-together, powerful formula!
So what ingredients are in Provitalize? Are the ingredients safe? Can this probiotic really promote weight loss? Is Provitalize perfect for menopausal women? What is the best probiotic for weight loss? Is Provitalize worth the money?
Let’s find out together. Below is an in-depth look at the Provitalize ingredients and their doses. I will take a close look at each ingredient in Provitalize. In each case, I will explain what it is, what it is supposed to do, and whetehr or not the scientific literature says it really works!
Provitalize Ingredients List
What ingredients are in Provitalize exactly?
Here is the Provitalize ingredients list in full:
- Probiotic Blend – 68.2 Billion CFU
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Lactobacillus gasseri
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Turmeric Root Extract – 350mg
- Moringa Leaf -350mg
- Curry Leaf – 150mg
- Lecithin (from Sunflower) – 50mg
- Black Pepper Fruit Extract (BioPerine) – 3mg
For those of you who want to see the label itself, here is the Provitalize ingredients list as it is shown on the bottle:
This is certainly an unusual formula for a probiotic. I expected as much from Provitalize since this probiotic promises very unusual and specific benefits. However, you are probably as surprised as I am to see these exact ingredients in Provitalize. Many of you will already know what these ingredients are, apart from the probiotic bacteria. Even so, I will now go through them one by one and explain what they are, how they supposedly work, and why they have been added to Provitalize.
Probiotic Blend – 68.2 Billion CFU
The Provitalize probiotic blend contains three bacteria strains: B. breve, L. grasseri, and B. lactis. These are all fine bacteria strains to include in a probiotic supplement; all of them promote a healthy gut microbiome, better digestion, and all of the benefits associated with enhanced microbiome health. However, these strains are not the best possible strains to include in a supplement sold as a specialist product for menopausal women suffering with weight management!
While the optimally healthy human gut is full of Bifidobacterium bacteria strains, B. breve is an unusual choice for a probiotic with just a few strains like Provitalize. The adult gut isn’t packed with B. breve. It is more prevalent in infants since it is prevalent in breast milk. Similarly, L. grasseri is isolated from human breast milk; while this bacteria may be great or young babies, adult eating habits and gut microbiome composition make this probiotic less healty in grown adults.
However, it needs to be said that the probiotic bacteria in Provitalize will promote healthy digestion, support a healthy gut microbiome, and bring about all the benefits that come with better digestive health.
Turmeric Root Extract – 350mg
One of the main ingredients in Provitalize, other than the probiotic bacteria, is Turmeric Root Extract. I did not expect to see this ingredient in Provitalize. Turmeric does have some fantastic properties. High quality turmeric extracts – those rich in curcumin – have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation, ease joint pain, improve immune system function, and more. But improving gut health, helping wth weight loss, and promoting fat loss are not benefits associated with Turmeric Root Extract.
I think Provitalize uses turmeric as an ingredient simply for the sake of having turmeric on the ingredients list. It makes Provitalize more than just a probiotic; it makes it seem vaguely more healthful.
Moringa Leaf – 350mg
Moringa Leaf is a herb, and it is widely used in traditional medicine. According to practitioners of so-called “traditional medicine”, Moringa Leaf can do just about anything, from boosting the immune system to preventing liver damage! Of course, there is scant evidence that Moringa Leaf does these things, and there is no evidence at all that it improves weight control or accelerates weight loss! Considering that Provitalize is sold as a specialist weight loss probiotic for menopausal women, it is strange to see an ingredient like Moringa Leaf, which neither improves gut health nor promotes weight loss. Another dud Provitalize ingredient!
Curry Leaf – 150mg
Just like with Moringa Leaf, there is absolutely no clinical evidence showing that curry leaf supplementation promotes weight loss. Nor is there any evidence showing that curry leaf promtes better gut microbiome health, or that it helps with the weight gain associated with menopause. Of course, you will find studies supposedly showing that curry leaf promotes overall health. It may have a slight antioxidant effect. But the health benefits of curry leaf are small – barely noticeable in fact – and the studies looking at it have never returned spectacular results. So once again we have a Provitalize ingredient which does not improve gut microbiome health or promote weight loss. So why is it in Provitalize?!
Lecithin – 50mg
Lecithin is a general term we give to fats which are amphiphilic; that is, they attract both fat and water. Lecithin is a vital substance in the human body; it is a central component of your cells, where is acts as structural scaffholding of the cell membrane. It is found in every cell in the body.
While lecithin (and related fats) is often supplemented for cognitive enhancement (as it is used to create new brain cells), I don’t see any reason to include it in a probiotic like Provitalize which is designed to promote weigth loss or gut health. In any case, the best brain supplements use phosphatidylserine – a specific phospholipid – to promote cognition and reduce anxiety. Lecithin is a generic phospholipid which is widely used in food processing; it is a common emulsifier and lubricant. You probbaly consume a lot of lecithin every day, so an extra 50mg from Provitalize isn’t going to do much of anything!
Black Pepper Extract – 3mg
Black pepper is a very effective, safe, and reliable way to promote healthy digeston. Black pepper has been used as a digestive aid for as long as humans have known of its existence. Modern supplements tend to use a specific black pepper extract called piperine; we get a branded form of piperine (BioPerine) in Provitalize. This compound significantly improves nutrient absorption and supports healthy digstion, reduces bloating, and eases cramping.
Does Provitalize Have Estrogen?
This is one of the most common questions I see getting asked about the Provitalize ingredients list. The answer is that Provitalize does not contain estrogen and doesn’t target your hormones. Neither probiotics nor weight loss supplements sold over the counter can contain any estrogen by law.
If you are struggling with weight loss associated with the menopause, then taking estrogen is not necessarily the answer. Consuming estrogen orally without a prescription and medical supervision is certainly never the answer to any problem. Taking estrogen in this way can have serious consequences for your health. It is dangerous to consume any hormones orally, and you shluld never seek to increase hormone levels without medical supervision.
Does Provitalize Have Magnesium?
No, Provitalize does not contain any magnesium. It does not contain any minerals or vitamins of any kind. The probiotic bacteria in Provitalize may make it easier for your gut to absorb minerals like magnesium. But the probiotic blend in Provitalize is far from ideal for optimizing nutrient absorption, and other probiotic supplements are much better suited to promoting mineral absorption.
I am not sure why so many people are interested in whether or not Provitalize uses magnesium as an ingredient. Magnesium is a fantastic supplement for promoting sleep and reducing anxiety, but I could not find any clinical evidence supporting the idea that it helps with gut microbiome health, weight management, or the symptoms of menopause.
Conclusion: Is Provitalize the best probiotic for weight loss?
Is Provitalize really the best probiotic for women looking to lose weight during or after the menopause?
Unfortunately, my answer has to be a strong “no”. I don’t think Provitalize is the best probiotic out there for women looking to lose weight. I don’t even think it is a very good probiotic for promoting good digestive health.
Several ingredients in Provitalize are completely useless. None of the herbs or extracts in Provitalize deliver any of the benefits claimed on the Provitalize website. Turmeric, Moringa Leaf, Curry Leaf, and Lecithin may have their uses, but weight loss is not one of them. None of these ingredients help balance the gut microbiome. I therefore have no idea why these ingredients have been added to Provitalize; a probiotic which explicitly promises weight loss support and better digestive health.
If you are struggling to prevent weight gain or you are looking for help losing weight, then a good probiotic can definitely help.
Even better would be a high quality prebiotic supplement. Increasing your intake of prebiotic fiber encourages the growth of the healthy bacteria already in your gut. This makes prebiotics more effective, safer, and better for long-term gut health support than probiotics. Prebiotics give you daily digestive health support without the bloating, cramps, and diarrhea associated with the use of probiotics like Provitalize.