Align Probiotics Do Not Improve Digestive Health, Consumers Say

At some point in their lives, most Americans will have some concerns about their digestive health.

Sparking our concerns about digestive health may be things like experiencing a change in our digestive health habits following the use of antibiotics, or learning more about nutrition and the importance of digestive health as it relates to our natural immunity.

As more research comes out supporting the ideas that the majority of our immune system function comes from the gut, and that digestive functioning is related to a number of physical conditions as well as mental health conditions, some consumers turn their attention to products like probiotics and their purported benefits for digestive health.

The use of probiotics has become more mainstream, with major companies adding their proprietary probiotics to the market. Probiotics are intended to balance the bacteria in the gut, known as flora.

Proponents of probiotics say balanced gut flora leads to increased digestive health, which in turn leads to increased physical and mental health.

However, claims made by various companies promoting probiotics have come under fire, based on allegations that the products do not perform as intended.

One such product is Align Probiotics.

Made by Procter & Gamble, these probiotics have been on the market since 2009.

The company sets its product apart by claiming that Align has a “unique, patented, pure-straight probiotic bacteria Bifantis (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624), which helps naturally balance your digestive system.”

Procter & Gamble has also claimed that its product was developed by gastroenterologists, and if it is taken daily, it “will help your body build and maintain a healthy digestive system.”

After taking Procter & Gamble’s word and trying the Align probiotics themselves, a group of consumers felt that the product did not live up to its expectations. These consumers went on to file a class action lawsuit in August 2012.

The consumers in the probiotic class action lawsuit allege that Procter & Gamble lacks evidence to support the statements and claims made on their Align labels and in their advertisements, claiming that those statements “are false and misleading and reasonably likely to deceive the average consumer.”

The Align probiotics class action lawsuit cites two studies on Align probiotics that were funded by Procter & Gamble. The lawsuit states that these studies did not produce conclusions in their research that supported the claims made by the manufacturer.

In a 2011 study, Procter & Gamble paired with the University of North Carolina and studied 275 consumers who used either the Align probiotic or a placebo.

They concluded that there was no significant difference between the probiotic and the placebo groups in either abdominal discomfort or bloating. This study was never published fully, the lawsuit states.

In a 2013 study, conducted and funded by Procter & Gamble, researchers found that Align probiotics were not effective in reducing symptoms of bloating, abdominal pain, gas and other IBS symptoms and stated that “no impact on IBS symptoms was observed,” according to the Align probiotics class action lawsuit.

The consumers in the class action lawsuit stated that Align continues to deceptively advertise its product as improving digestive health.

Align Probiotics Digestive Health Lawsuit Investigation

If you have taken Align probiotics based upon the claims set forth by Procter & Gamble and believe you were deceived by such claims, you may be entitled to take legal action against the manufacturer.

An attorney can review your case at no charge and can help determine if you are eligible to participate in an Align probiotics digestive health lawsuit investigation.

Join a Free Align Probiotics Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you purchased Align probiotics and believe you were deceived by the claims made about Align’s health benefits, you may qualify to join this Align class action lawsuit investigation.  It’s absolutely free to participate, so act now!

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