IBgard is a gut health supplement that’s used to treat a number of gastrointestinal symptoms. The brand claims that their supplement helps manage cramping, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, gas and more.
But does IBGard contain ingredients shown in clinical studies to improve gut health? Does it contain any questionable additives? How do real users rate and describe the effects of IBgard? And why was the brand's manufacturer sued?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in IBgard to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also discuss the risk of side effects, feature real customer reviews, and explain why the manufacturer of IBGard was sued.
Ingredient Analysis
Peppermint oil is the only active ingredient in IBgard, at a dosage of 180 milligrams (mg) per serving.
This ingredient is a well-studied botanical treatment for stomach and digestive ailments.
A 2018 medical review found that peppermint oil can help heal the gut and relieve digestive symptoms.
Specifically, peppermint oil can relax smooth muscles, has anti-inflammatory activity and is antimicrobial. The study authors concluded that clinical trials “support its use” in treatment of digestive issues.
Peppermint oil is so effective for digestive disorders that it’s even being studied for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
A clinical trial published in the Gastroenterology journal found that peppermint oil which was formulated to release in the intestines rather than in the stomach (like IBgard) caused significant reductions in abdominal pain and overall discomfort in IBS patients.
IBGard also contains three inactive ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
Titanium dioxide is a colorant which is banned in the EU for use as a food additive due to toxicity concerns.
Yellow 5 and Green 3 are artificial food dyes.
As we documented in our Metamucil review, clinical studies have documented toxicity concerns with all food dyes currently approved for use in the US.
Overall, we consider IBgard likely to be effective for digestive symptom relief, but we don't currently recommend the supplement due to the inclusion of the inactive ingredients discussed above.
Does IBgard Cause Side Effects?
Unlike the majority of dietary supplements we review on Illuminate Health, IBgard has been studied in a clinical trial published in a peer-reviewed journal, which makes it easier to assess the risk of side effects than based on ingredients alone.
A clinical trial published in the Digestive Diseases and Sciences journal tested the effects of IBgard in patients with IBS, and reported on side effects.
No serious adverse effects were noted, and the group taking placebo pills actually experienced more side effects than the group taking IBgard capsules.
This suggests that IBgard is unlikely to cause any side effects.
We consider this to be a major benefit of IBgard compared to other over-the-counter (OTC) digestive treatments.
Real People Try IBgard
A YouTube creator named Whitney claims that IBgard significantly improved her gastrointestinal health and quality-of-life:
A TikTok user named Amanda Friedman claims that IBgard improved her bloating and included before-and-after images:
@amandafriedz #fyp #fypシ #fypage #ibs #ibscheck #ibstiktok #ibstips #tummyproblems #ibsproblems #stomachproblems #stomach #medicine #medicinetips #gutproblems #gut ♬ original sound - Amanda Friedman
Why Was IBgard’s Manufacturer Sued?
In 2021, Nestlé Health Sciences (the manufacturer of IBgard) was sued in a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising, according to ClassAction.org.
The subject of the lawsuit was the brand’s claims that their supplement is “clinically proven” to relieve symptoms of IBS.
The plaintiffs claim that there were methodological issues with the clinical studies funded by Nestlé, and that it’s misleading for the brand to make this health claim.
The lawsuit also disputes the description (at the time) of IBgard as a “medical food,” because the FDA had not (at the time of the lawsuit) published any specific nutritional requirements for patients with IBS which are different from nutritional requirements for healthy patients.
At the time of updating this article, it’s unclear if this lawsuit is ongoing or if it’s been settled.
We do not consider this lawsuit to pose any legitimate concerns that should worry consumers.
It’s mostly regarding semantic distinctions and we would actually agree with Nestlés claims in this case, because this supplement has been found to have favorable effects in at least one legitimate clinical trials published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Where to Get the Best Price
IBgard is sold at a variety of online retailers.
Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of updating this article:
CVS: $37.49 (free shipping, link)
Walgreens: $34.99 (free shipping, link)
Target: $30.99 (plus shipping, link)
Amazon: $27.44 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Walmart: $25.42 (free shipping, third-party seller, link)
IBGard is currently almost 40% cheaper at Amazon and Walmart than at CVS.
While Walmart has a slightly better price, the Walmart listing is from a third-party seller, so it may be safer to purchase directly from the brand at Amazon.
Our Clean Gut Health Picks
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top 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.
Ritual Synbiotic+ is our top value 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.
VSL#3 is our top premium probiotic pick.
This probiotic supplement has been studied in 25 clinical trials, and a 2020 meta-study on VSL#3 concluded the following:
"...many studies demonstrated that VSL#3 has a beneficial effect on obesity and diabetes, allergic diseases, nervous systemic diseases, AS, bone diseases, and female reproductive systemic diseases."
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Customers Rate IBgard
Amazon is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
IBgard has been reviewed over 17,000 times on Amazon at the tie of updating this article, with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Matteo” who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
“I recently purchased this product to help with my IBS and I am blown away by the results! After just a few days of use, I noticed a significant improvement in my symptoms. The bloating and abdominal pain that had been plaguing me for years have nearly disappeared.”
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “A. Reader” who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
“I took it before lunch. Lunch time, good! Post-lunch... uh-oh. Not so good. The discomfort is coming back. Let's have another IBgard. Waiting, waiting, waiting. No relief. None! I took a Heather's Peppermint Oil and poof! Within 5 minutes, no discomfort. No reflux. Nothing but relief! Heather's is working for me again! Yay, Heather!”
IBGard has an average review rating of 3 out of 5 stars on Google at the time of updating this article.
IBGard Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of IBGard in our opinion:
Pros:
- Clinically shown to be effective
- Safe, botanical active ingredient
- Affordable
- Highly positive Amazon reviews
- Available for purchase with free shipping
- No evidence of side effects in clinical trial
- Sold by reputable manufacturer
Cons:
- Contains titanium dioxide
- Contains two synthetic dyes
- Manufacturer sued over alleged false advertising
