Unlabeled amber dropper bottle with a spoon

Mary Ruth’s Probiotic: A Buyer’s Guide

ByCraig Brockie Last updated

The short answer

MaryRuth’s sells more than 20 probiotic products, and three are its main adult options: the Organic Liquid Probiotic (13 strains, 2 billion CFU), the Organic Probiotic Gummies (one strain, 5 billion CFU) and the 3-in-1 Daily Digestive Health Capsules (23 strains, 50 billion CFU). The gummy names one well-defined strain with published human trials. The liquid and capsules use proprietary blends that don’t show how much of each strain you get, and no trials of the finished products have been published. None of the three labels says whether its CFU count holds until the expiration date.

Ultimate Gut is published by Ultimate Health Solutions, which sells a yogurt maker, probiotic capsules and an inulin fiber supplement. None of the products reviewed here are ours, and these brands don’t pay us.

These are dietary supplements, and the FDA is not authorized to approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.

What’s in the main MaryRuth’s probiotics

The table below comes from the Supplement Facts panels on MaryRuth’s product pages for the Organic Liquid Probiotic, Organic Probiotic Gummies and 3-in-1 Daily Digestive Health Capsules; labels checked October 2026. Price per serving uses the one-time price on each page.

ProductServingStrains and amountOther notesPrice per serving
Organic Liquid Probiotic (4 fl oz)3 mL for ages 14+ (1.5 mL for ages 4 to 13)Proprietary blend, 25 mg (2 billion CFU): B. coagulans Unique IS-2, plus L. acidophilus, L. rhamnosus, L. salivarius, L. casei, L. plantarum, L. lactis, S. thermophilus, B. lactis, B. infantis, B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longumSuspended in organic MCT oil; 25 calories and 3 g saturated fat per adult serving$44.95 for about 40 adult servings, about $1.12 (listed as sold out when checked)
Organic Probiotic Gummies (60 count)2 gummies, ages 14+Bacillus subtilis DE111, 16.66 mg (5 billion CFU)20 calories and 3 g added sugars per serving; strawberry flavor$29.95 for 30 servings, about $1.00
3-in-1 Daily Digestive Health Capsules (30 count)1 capsule, adultsProprietary probiotic and postbiotic blend, 198 mg (50 billion CFU), 23 named strains including L. rhamnosus GG, L. plantarum Lp-115, L. acidophilus La-14 and B. lactis BL-04Also 100 mg of partially hydrolyzed guar fiber (Sunfiber); the postbiotic isn’t identified$44.95 for 30 servings, about $1.50

In the liquid, only B. coagulans Unique IS-2 carries a strain code. The other 12 are listed by species alone, which makes it impossible to match them to specific research. All three products are vegan, and the liquid is USDA Organic.

What the research shows for these strains

Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 (liquid)

IS-2 has two notable trials. In one, 136 adults with IBS took 2 billion CFU a day or placebo for 8 weeks, and the IS-2 group had less abdominal pain and more complete bowel movements (Madempudi 2019). In another, 100 adults with functional constipation took 2 billion CFU a day for 4 weeks and had more bowel movements than the placebo group (Madempudi 2020). Both were run by researchers employed by the strain’s maker.

The catch: those trials gave 2 billion CFU of IS-2 alone. In MaryRuth’s liquid, IS-2 shares 2 billion CFU with 12 other species, so each serving holds less IS-2 than was studied. The label doesn’t say how much less.

Bacillus subtilis DE111 (gummies)

The gummy’s single strain is clearly labeled at 5 billion CFU. In a 4-week pilot trial, 46 healthy adults took 1 billion CFU of DE111 or placebo. Some immune cell measures changed, but perceived gut health, the microbiome and gut inflammation markers were largely unchanged, and the authors said the study may have been too small. The strain’s maker funded it (Freedman 2021).

An 8-week trial in children aged 2 to 6 at day care found subtle shifts in gut bacteria with DE111, but it measured microbiome makeup rather than symptoms, and one author worked for the strain’s maker (Paytuvi-Gallart 2020). MaryRuth’s page says one study found the strain eased occasional irregularity, but it doesn’t name the study.

The 23-strain capsule

Several strains in the capsule have their own research. LGG, for example, has a meta-analysis of 12 trials on antibiotic-associated diarrhea, with moderate- to low-quality evidence (Szajewska 2015). But 50 billion CFU split across 23 strains, in undisclosed amounts, can’t be matched to any trial dose. The 100 mg of Sunfiber is one-tenth of a gram. And the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that higher CFU counts alone don’t mean greater benefits.

Liquid vs. gummy vs. capsule: shelf stability

Dropper bottle, gummies and capsules side by side

All three pages say to store the product in a cool, dry place, and none calls for refrigeration. None of the labels says whether the CFU count applies at manufacture or through the expiration date. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements suggests choosing products that state CFU at the end of shelf life, because counts can fall over time.

  • Capsules: MaryRuth’s says the strains are freeze-dried. Drying stresses bacteria, and a review of drying methods found that low moisture and cooler storage give better survival (Broeckx 2016).
  • Gummies: the strain is a spore-forming Bacillus. Spores of the related species B. coagulans tolerate heat and stomach acid well, according to a 2026 review (Ke 2026).
  • Liquid: the strains are suspended in MCT oil. MaryRuth’s doesn’t publish stability data for the liquid, and its product page describes the count as “up to” 2 billion CFU per serving.

Whatever the format, check the date, buy from the brand or a known retailer, and keep the bottle away from heat.

Kids’ products

MaryRuth’s probiotics range includes several children’s products. The Organic Kids Liquid Probiotic has five strains (including IS-2 and L. reuteri) at 2 billion CFU for ages 4 and up. The Organic Toddler Liquid Probiotic provides 150 million CFU for ages 1 to 3. There are also infant drops and kids’ probiotic gummies.

Talk to your pediatrician before giving any of these. The Office of Dietary Supplements advises against giving children supplements unless a health care provider recommends them, and NCCIH notes the FDA has warned that probiotics can cause severe infections in premature infants.

Who it may suit

  • The liquid: people who can’t swallow pills and want an organic, oil-based option, and who accept a blend with mostly unnamed strains.
  • The gummies: people who want one named strain at a clearly stated dose, and don’t mind 3 g of added sugar a day.
  • The capsules: adults who want many strains in a single capsule, knowing the per-strain amounts aren’t disclosed.

MaryRuth’s own pages advise checking with a health care professional if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition. Rare but serious infections from probiotics have mostly occurred in people who are severely ill or immunocompromised, and some cases involved a central venous catheter, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. If that applies to you, ask your doctor first.

Alternatives, including food

If you want a supplement for a specific goal, look for a label that names each strain and dose to match the trials. Our best probiotic guide is organized that way, and our gut health gummies guide compares other chewables.

Food is the other route. In a small 17-week Stanford study, adults who ate more fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir saw gut microbiome diversity rise and some inflammation markers fall (Wastyk 2021), and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 list fermented foods among those that support a diverse microbiome. See our picks for the best yogurt for probiotics, or make yogurt at home.

Related topics

Sources

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet, supplements or medication, especially if you have a health condition.

Craig Brockie is the founder of Ultimate Health Solutions, the company behind Ultimate Gut, and the author of Ultimate Health, The Ultimate Gut Health Guide and The Unlimited Probiotics Guide. After injuries and chronic health problems in his twenties that conventional care didn’t resolve, he began researching health on his own and has studied natural health for 30 years. He is not a medical professional, and his articles are general information, not medical advice.

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