Align is a brand that makes digestive health supplements, and their most popular product is a probiotic for digestive support. The brand claims to have millions of customers, and to be the "#1 Doctor Recommended Brand."
But does Align contain ingredients proven in research studies to support optimal gut function? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Why was the company sued? And is Align better or worse than popular probiotics like Spring Valley Probiotic?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Align probiotic to give our take on whether or not it's likely to support optimal gut function, and whether or not it's healthy overall.
We'll also explain why Align was successfully sued over some of their health claims, and compare Align to other popular probiotic supplements to pick our winners.
Key takeaways:
- Contains a probiotic strain clinically shown to relieve IBS symptoms
- Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Align Probiotic
Ingredient Analysis
Bifidobacterium longum 35624TM is the sole active ingredient in Align:
This probiotic strain has been studied in several clinical trials.
A clinical trial published in the Sports journal found that this probiotic strain improved exercise recovery.
A 2022 clinical trial found that this probiotic strain improved symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The number of patients experiencing IBS symptoms while taking this probiotic decreased by 50%.
Given that probiotics generally improve gut health, and that Align provides an effective probiotic dose, we believe that this supplement is likely to support optimal gut health in healthy adults, and may be especially useful in those with IBS.
But Align also has some questionable additive ingredients. The inactive ingredients in this formulation are shown below:
Titanium dioxide is colorant that was recently banned in the EU for use as a food additive over genotoxicity (DNA-damaging) concerns.
Propyl gallate is another preservative, and a medical review on its safety described this compound as “slightly toxic when ingested.”
Sucrose is also known as table sugar, and as we referenced in our review of another probiotic supplement called Bio X4, added sugar can contribute to obesity and cardiovascular disease when consumed in excess.
We do not currently recommend Align due to the inactive ingredients discussed above.
Why Was Align Sued?
In 2011, Align was sued in a class-action lawsuit according to Top Class Actions.
The plaintiff alleged that Procter & Gamble (the manufacturer of Align) was falsely advertising their products as being beneficial for digestive health without any proof.
In 2017, according to the above link, the manufacturer chose to settle the lawsuit for $30 million.
We don't consider this to be a red flag or something consumers need to concern themselves with moving forward, given that it doesn't pertain to the ingredients or potential efficacy of the product; just the claims made by the manufacturer.
Does Align Cause Side Effects?
Align's probiotic supplement doesn't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it challenging to say for certain whether or not it causes side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
Side effects caused by the probiotic strain in Align were not reported in the clinical trial in healthy adults we cited in the Ingredient Analysis section of this article.
In the trial with IBS patients, 4.1% of participants reported side effects. These side effects were minor and not life-threatening, including gas and bloating.
Align's FAQ page states that their supplement is unlikely to cause side effects.
As we documented in our review of probiotic supplement Synogut, high doses of probiotics can cause minor digestive distress in those with a poor diet who are not used to ingesting natural probiotics.
Overall, we consider Align unlikely to cause side effects in healthy adults, but individuals with IBS may be at a slightly increased risk of minor side effects like gas and bloating.
Align vs. Popular Probiotics
Here's how Align compares to other popular probiotic supplements in terms of potential efficacy and healthiness, in our opinion:
Garden of Life
Contains an active ingredient clinically shown to have an anti-obesity and anti-allergy effect, and is free from unhealthy additives.
Winner: Garden of Life
Spring Valley Probiotic
Contains two active ingredients we consider questionable from a health perspective, as we documented in our Spring Valley Probiotic review article.
We generally prefer a supplement with questionable inactive ingredients to questionable active ingredients (though we don't currently recommend either).
Winner: Align
Seed
One of the best probiotic supplements on the market, Seed contains research-backed active ingredient strains and is free from unhealthy additives.
Seed is also clinically tested.
Winner: Seed
Our Clean Probiotic Picks
Ritual Synbiotic+ is our top probiotic pick.
It contains prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, and costs under $1.50 per serving at the time of updating this article.
Probiotics "can improve in the immune, gastrointestinal...health systems in healthy adults" according to a 2019 medical review.
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top prebiotic fiber pick.
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.
Align Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Effective probiotic strain
- Effective dose
- Should support optimal gut health
- May improve symptoms in patients with IBS
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Reasonably priced
- Highly positive Amazon reviews
Cons:
- Contains refined, added sugar
- Contains titanium dioxide
- Contains propyl gallate
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
