Benefiber is one of the most popular fiber supplements on the market. It’s available in-store at a wide variety of retailers like Target and CVS, and also available online. The brand claims that their supplement is “taste-free” and “nourishes good bacteria.”
But what’s actually in Benefiber? Is the brand's fiber powder or fiber gummies a healthier choice? Is Benefiber healthier than Metamucil? And what was our experience trying this supplement for a month?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Benefiber Original (powder) and Benefiber Gummies to give our take on whether or not they're likely to enhance gut function, and whether or not they're healthy overall.
We'll also explain why Benefiber was sued, share our honest experience taking Benefiber for a month, and compare Benefiber to Metamucil to pick which brand is healthier.
Key takeaways:
- Fiber supplementation can support optimal gut health
- Benefiber contains no unhealthy additives
- We currently recommend Benefiber Original
Benefiber Original Ingredient Review
Wheat dextrin is the only ingredient in Benefiber Original:
This ingredient is a soluble fiber that’s produced from wheat starch, and we consider it to be a healthy option.
A medical review published in the Journal of International Medical Research reviewed data from clinical trials and concluded that soluble fiber supplementation could help improve digestive regularity, increase nutrient absorption from other foods, and help to naturally lower cholesterol.
The study authors highlighted wheat dextrin as a particularly effective type of soluble fiber.
Wheat dextrin is a prebiotic, which means that it helps to support the growth of healthy strains of gut bacteria.
In light of this information, we consider Benefiber’s claims about their supplement improving gut health to be accurate.
One interesting fact about wheat dextrin is that although it’s derived from wheat, it’s actually a gluten-free ingredient as the processing removes gluten. This is why Benefiber can advertise that their product is gluten-free.
We currently recommend Benefiber Original.
We Tested Benefiber for a Month
As one of the authors of this article, I wanted to try Benefiber myself to share my thoughts on its taste and effects.
The great thing about this product is it actually is entirely tasteless. Many products I've tried that claim to be tasteless are not.
I don't have any digestive issues, but I've been on the road more than usual recently for work, and adding Benefiber to my morning water is a really convenient way to ensure adequate fiber intake when I'm not eating as many fruits and vegetables as usual.
One annoying aspect of the product experience is that the brand fails to provide a scooper (like most powdered supplements do), which is inconvenient if you're on the road and don't have spoons handy.
This is one of the few products I've tested during my product reviews that I would actually consider purchasing again in the right circumstance (for me, during extended travel).
Overall, I would rate Benefiber 9/10.
Is Benefiber Healthier Than Metamucil?
Metamucil is arguably the most popular fiber brand, so consumers are often curious about whether Benefiber or Metamucil has a better formulation.
We consider Benefiber Original to be significantly healthier than Metamucil due to the lack of questionable additive ingredients.
As we detailed at length in our Metamucil reviews article, Metamucil fiber powder contains additive ingredients like artificial flavor and artificial sweeteners that we recommend avoiding. It’s also more expensive per-serving than Benefiber Original.
We currently recommend Benefiber Original over any Metamucil product.
Why Was Benefiber Sued?
In 2021, Benefiber settled a class-action lawsuit for $6.5 million over claims that their supplement is not 100% natural as advertised.
In our opinion, this was a relatively frivolous lawsuit, because although wheat dextrin is processed from whole wheat, it’s still an entirely safe and naturally-derived ingredient.
This lawsuit does not change our opinion on Benefiber’s brand or products, but we believe it’s useful information for consumers to be aware of.
The more concerning news about Benefiber is that several lots of its product were recently recalled due to plastic contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As detailed in the linked notice, green plastic pieces or shavings were found in some of the products and presented a choking hazard (and an overall health hazard in our opinion given that plastic should not be consumed).
This recall has been completed and this is not an outstanding risk, however we do consider this a red flag about the brand.
Does Benefiber Cause Side Effects?
While any fiber supplement (or high-fiber food) can cause minor digestive side effects such as bloating and indigestion, we consider this risk to be low with Benefiber Original because its fiber dose is relatively low, and because it’s free of questionable filler ingredients.
One of the keys to avoiding side effects with fiber supplementation, especially for individuals used to an unhealthy diet low in fiber, is to slowly increase fiber intake.
If the goal is to increase daily fiber intake by 20 g, it seems logical to increase by 3 g every day rather than take 20 g of supplemental fiber the first day, which is more likely to cause discomfort and gastrointestinal distress.
Overall we do not believe that Benefiber is likely to cause side effects in healthy adults, especially when its dose is slowly increased over the course of days.
Benefiber Gummies Review
The ingredients in Benefiber Prebiotic Fiber + Probiotics Gummies are shown below:
This supplement contains three additive ingredients we recommend avoiding.
Sucrose is a type of added sugar.
We know from medical research that added sugar is associated with a host of negative health and cognitive outcomes when consumed in excess, and many Americans already consume too much added sugar from diet, which is why we recommend avoiding it in supplements.
Natural flavors is an ingredient that fails to describe the specific flavoring agents used.
While it’s a healthier alternative to artificial flavors, there are still legitimate concerns about the toxicity of some natural flavoring compounds, as we documented in our Colon Broom reviews article (on another fiber product that's naturally-flavored).
Citric acid is a flavor enhancer and preservative ingredient that appears to cause inflammatory reactions in some individuals, as shown in a series of case reports published in the Toxicology Reports journal.
We do not currently recommend Benefiber Gummies due to the additive ingredients highlighted above.
Our Clean Gut Health Picks
Manukora MGO 850+ is our top whole food gut health pick.
A 2024 clinical trial reported that manuka honey ingestion "correlates with beneficial modulation of gut microbiota composition."
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top gut health supplement.
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ contains 100% soluble fiber, which was described as "one of the most important nutrients for the gut microbiota" in a clinical review published in the Molecules journal.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Benefiber Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Benefiber in our opinion:
Pros:
- Benefiber Original has no unhealthy additives
- Benefiber Original should support gut health
- Healthier than Metamucil
- We tested and found it tasteless
- We tested and found it convenient for travel
- Unlikely to cause side effects
Cons:
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Benefiber Gummies have unhealthy additives
- Brand recalled lots of product due to plastic contamination
