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Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra provides your body with 410 mg of an HSO Probiotic Blend, containing 13 strains of probiotic bacteria. Every capsule has a potency of 5 billion CFU at time of manufacture, and it’s currently a bestseller on Amazon, with over 1,400 highly rated reviews.
But what are the limits on a recommended safe dosage, and why include 250 mg of Ionic Plant Based Minerals per serving?
In this review we’ll walk you through the potential side effects, recommended dosage levels, how to maintain high potency, and the best time of day to take it. There’s even a breakdown of the 13 strains of probiotic bacteria, so you know exactly what’s in each capsule.
We also compared Primal Defense Ultra to two other top-rated probiotic supplements; Hyperbiotics PRO-15 and NatureWise Daily Care.
Comparisons include the CFU potency, probiotic bacteria blend, ingredients, price, capsule size, and customer feedback. This is to guarantee you only buy the best probiotic for your current diet.
Garden of Life Primal Defense Ingredients
Garden of Life Primal Defense is one of the few probiotic supplements to include iron in its ingredient list. Following the recommendation of 3 capsules per day will see you consume 6 mg of iron. The DV for iron is 18 mg for anyone aged 4 years or older, with the Office of Dietary Supplements considering any food containing 20% or more of your DV to be high in iron.
Dietary iron supports growth, development, and a healthy metabolism, but it’s important not to consume excessive amounts. If you’re taking a multivitamin that contains iron, alongside the Primal Defense probiotic and the iron intake from your natural food diet, you may exceed your DV. However, if you have normal intestinal function, only acute intakes of more than 20 mg/kg are likely to lead to noticeable side effects, including gastric upset or faintness.
Bifidobacterium breve (B. breve) is a common strain of probiotic found in supplements, which helps support a healthy immune system, and promote respiratory health. In one study, the oral administration of the A1 strain of B. breve helped to prevent cognitive dysfunction, indicating its therapeutic potential for preventing cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In a separate study, the B-3 strain of B. breve showed potential for improving metabolic disorders by exhibiting an anti-obesity effect (significant fat reduction observed after 12 weeks).
For more information on any of the other probiotic strains found in Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra, please consult our probiotic supplement guide.
What’s in Primal Defense Ultra?
| Ingredient | Amount per Serving |
|---|---|
| Iron (from Ionic Plant Based Minerals) | 2 mg |
| HSO Probiotic Blend (5 Billion CFU) | 410 mg |
| Ionic Plant Based Minerals | 290 mg |
HSO Probiotic Blend
Organic Barley Grass, Organic Oat Grass, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus salivarius, Saccharomyces boulardii
Garden of Life Primal Defense – Summary
- Primal Defense 15 billion CFU probiotic supplement contains Lactobaccilus acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, and other strains to maximize the benefits of a healthy diet
- Boosts nutrient absorption and support digestive health
- The only shelf stable probiotic powder formula containing a unique whole food blend with Homeostatic Soil Organisms (HSO)
- 15 billion CFU and 13 hardy beneficial strains for immune system health
- These probiotics help promote healthy and comfortable bowel movements
- Gluten free, vegetarian probiotic supplement for a balanced, health internal environment
- Serving size: 1 capsule
- Servings per container: 90, 180, or 216
Health benefits of Primal Defense Ultra
Please consult our expert guide to the best probiotic supplements. This contains a complete list of the health benefits for the probiotics found in Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra.
When is the best time to take it?
Recommended use
Adults begin with 1 capsule per day with 8 oz. of water and gradually increase to 1 capsule 3 times per day. Best taken on an empty stomach. Not intended for children.
Primal Defense vs. Hyperbiotics PRO-15
Primal Defense vs. NatureWise Daily Care
What sizes are available?
With a serving size of 1 capsule, each bottle provides you with either 90, 180 or 216 servings (1 month, 2 month, and 72 day supply).
At the time of writing this review, all 3 sizes have the same price per serving ($0.26). The recommended dose for adults is 3 capsules per day, which works out about $0.78. This is in-line with most daily probiotic supplements, but provides you with more strains compared to something like Nutrition Now PB8.
Save money with Amazon
If you’re looking to save money on your monthly supplement order, you might want to consider the Amazon Subscribe & Save program.
Subscribe & Save allows you to unlock savings of up to 15% on a wide range of sports nutrition products, including Garden of Life Primal Defense.
You can save 5% with a subscription to 1 product, or save the full 15% by subscribing to 5 products, provided they’re all delivered to the same address. The delivery schedule can be set from monthly, up to once every 6 months.
Although 5 products might sound a lot, if you already supplement with a protein powder, multivitamin, creatine, BCAA, and glutamine, the savings can soon add up. But it’s best to order before you run out of your current supplements, because Amazon set the day of the month each order is sent (same day each month e.g. 14th.).
Who are Garden of Life?
Garden of Life are a company who specialize in health products based on whole food formulas. Many of the ingredients you’ll find in their supplements are Certified USDA Organic, ensuring that the entire product contains 95 percent or more organic content.
They’re a well-established company, with a wide range of products, sold both online and in stores across the U.S.. This includes probiotics, organic protein powders and meal replacements, and omega-3 fish oils.
Garden of Life have a corporate address based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Their website provides you with a customer service contact number in addition to the standard email contact form.
Review Summary
Overall Review Rating
4.5 / 5
So, is Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra worth buying?
As a company, Garden of Life is everything you could want from a supplement company. They're easily contactable, have a proven track record of high quality supplements, and have an ethical focus built around organic ingredients and natural products.
Primal Defense Ultra doesn't have as many probiotic strains as the NatureWise probiotics (30 strains per serving), but it includes those which are most scientifically proven to benefit your health. This includes S. boulardi and L. rhamnosus, one of the most effective probiotic combinations on the market.
Overall, the price is about average for a probiotic supplement with this many strains and CFU per serving, but the combination of probiotic strains is most likely to deliver the best results.
If you need more CFU and probiotic strains per serving, Garden of Life also produce a large number of probiotic supplements under their 'Dr. Formulated' product line. One example is called Mood+, with 50 billion CFU and 16 strains, with another being OnceDaily, with 30 billion CFU and 14 probiotic strains per serving.
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