Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Wanted to provide some balance to the negative reviews here. I have been on probiotics for about 10 years as a primary tool to manage colitis and gastritis issues. I consider myself somewhat of a "connoinseur" of probiotics. I have tried all kinds and observed the response. They are not all equal. I do rotate them. Mercola's probiotics are among the better brands I've tried. They are currently my probiotic of choice. When I need extremely high potency I go with VSL #3, which is unmatched in cell count per capsule. They are expensive, though, and I reserve those for the most extreme cases (serious flare ups). Mercola's 35 billion per capsule is a very high cell count, especially for the price. Some folks have complained about the price, but you have to look at the cell count. You do not find this high of a cell count for less than $30 anywhere. In fact, they are usually slightly higher than this. And often, they are only 30 capsules per bottle. This is 60. Considering the cell count and quantity of capsules, this is actually a pretty good deal, which is what caught my attention. Per 1-billion cells, this is a darn good price. I will say that by this metric, VSL #3 is probably the best deal, at 112 billion cells per capsule, with 60 capsules for bottle. Usually runs about $52 dollars. It's better deal by this metric, but paying $52 for a 2-month supply is more money out-of-pocket. For maintenance, this may be overkill. However, if you have Chron's disease for Ulcerative Colitis, then VSL may be your best option if you find Mercola's is not strong enough or you need to take too many capsules for it to be worth it. For most folks, however, Mercola's is potent enough (and more potent than most others at this price range). I give it 5 stars for effectiveness. It resolved my recent bout of colitis in a few days. I take 1 daily for maintenance, which turns in to $15/month. Not bad. I am currently on antibiotics for another issue and so am taking about 3 a day between doses. I highly recommend this product. Between this and VSL #3, they cover all of my needs. NOTE: I purchased mine locally, so I cannot speak for this particular distributor.