When your gut feels off, it can affect everything to your comfort, your confidence, and your ability to predict what your body is going to do next.

For many people, the goal is simple: less bloating, less discomfort, and better, more predictable poops.

To support this goal, many gut supplements throw a long list of ingredients at the wall and hope something sticks. At gutlove, we took a different approach and choose to keep things simple. Back to Balance Plus (B2B+) is made of just two things: a prebiotic soluble acacia fiber and a probiotic - the clinically studied strain Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. Nothing else. No fillers, no other ingredients.

Each one is backed by real human research. Together, these ingredients create a symbiotic formula designed to do one job: calm the bloating and help you have better, more predictable poops. Here’s exactly how each ingredient works, in simple terms:

• Prebiotic: Acacia Fiber

A gentle, fully soluble fiber that feeds your good bacteria and helps stool move at a steady, comfortable pace.

• Probiotic: L. plantarum 299v

The single most studied L. plantarum strain in the world, shown in human trials to ease bloating and abdominal pain.

Acacia Fiber: the gentle prebiotic

What it actually is

Acacia fiber is also called gum arabic or acacia gum. Acacia is a soluble dietary fiber harvested from the dried sap of the Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal trees that grow across the Sahel region of Africa. It’s one of the oldest natural plant gums in continuous use, with a food and traditional-medicine history stretching back thousands of years.

Because it’s 100% soluble, acacia fiber dissolves completely and invisibly into warm or hot water, matcha, tea, coffee, or a smoothie. No grit, no taste, no color. That’s a big part of why it’s so easy to actually stick with and take regularly.

How it works in your gut

A prebiotic is simply food for your good bacteria. When acacia fiber reaches your large intestine, the beneficial microbes there ferment it and, in the process, produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, the preferred fuel source for the cells lining your colon and a key player in a calm, well-functioning gut. [4]

In healthy volunteers, daily acacia fiber has been shown to meaningfully increase levels of beneficial Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli which are the same friendly families we want to encourage in a clear, dose-dependent way, with results comparable to (and in some measures better than) the popular fiber inulin. [1] Earlier work found this bifidogenic effect at everyday doses of 10–15 g per day. [2]

Why it’s right for sensitive guts

Here’s the part that matters most if your stomach is easily upset. Many prebiotic fibers like inulin, FOS, chicory root ferment fast, all at once, which is exactly what produces that uncomfortable gas, pressure, and bloating. Acacia is different: it ferments slowly and steadily along the length of the colon, so your bacteria get fed without the sudden gas explosion. [2]

The gentle-fiber advantage

Acacia fiber has unusually high digestive tolerance. Studies have found it well tolerated even at doses far higher than a typical serving, while producing notably less gas than rapidly fermented fibers. That tolerability paired with helping stool move at the right pace is why it’s such a good fit for the most sensitive guts. [2]

This steady fermentation is also why acacia supports more predictable bowel movements: it adds gentle, water-holding soluble fiber that helps regulate the pace of digestion which is useful whether things tend to move too fast or too slow. [3]

Acacia Fiber’s role in Back to Balance Plus

In B2B+, acacia fiber is the prebiotic half of the formula. It nourishes your existing good bacteria and creates a welcoming environment for the probiotic strain we pair it with while staying gentle enough that even reactive guts can tolerate it day after day.

L. plantarum 299v: the most studied strain of its kind

What it actually is

Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (often written L. plantarum 299v, and trademarked LP299V®) is a lactic-acid bacterium that was originally isolated from healthy human intestinal lining by scientists at Lund University in Sweden more than three decades ago. It’s the same family of friendly microbes found in fermented foods like sauerkraut and sourdough.

Not just “a probiotic” — a specific, proven strain

Probiotic benefits are strain-specific, so the exact strain matters enormously. L. plantarum 299v is the most documented strain of L. plantarum in the world, described in more than 200 scientific publications, including over 65 human clinical studies. That’s the kind of evidence base most ingredients can only dream of. [7]

How it works in your gut

This strain is genuinely tough. It survives the harsh acidity of the stomach and the bile of the small intestine, arriving in the gut alive and ready to work. Once there, it adheres to the cells lining your intestine, helps support a healthy gut barrier, and competes with less-friendly bacteria for space part of how it helps restore balance. [7]

What the research shows

The headline trial is a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 214 people with IBS. After four weeks taking the strain, both the frequency and intensity of abdominal pain and bloating fell significantly compared with placebo with improvements emerging within the first couple of weeks. By the end, 78% of participants rated the effect as “good” or “excellent,” versus just 8% on placebo. [5]

That result doesn’t stand alone. In an earlier controlled trial, every participant taking the strain reported resolution of their abdominal pain, far outpacing placebo, and earlier studies also pointed to reduced flatulence. [6] Taken together, this is why L. plantarum 299v is so often the strain reached for when the goal is calming bloating and abdominal discomfort. [7]

An honest note on the evidence

As with most probiotics, not every trial has shown the same size of effect, and individual responses vary. What sets this strain apart is the depth and consistency of its positive human research relative to almost any other probiotic. We’d rather show you the real picture than overpromise.

L. plantarum 299v’s role in Back to Balance Plus

In B2B+, L. plantarum 299v is the probiotic half which is the active, living partner that targets the bloating and discomfort directly while the acacia fiber feeds and supports it.

Better together: prebiotic + probiotic

Pairing a prebiotic with a probiotic is sometimes called a synbiotic, and the logic is simple: the probiotic does the work, and the prebiotic feeds it. Acacia fiber helps create the kind of nourishing, steady gut environment in which beneficial bacteria like L. plantarum 299v can settle in and thrive. One calms and regulates; the other rebalances. That’s the whole idea behind B2B+.

Why Back to Balance Plus

• Just two ingredients. A clinically studied probiotic and a gentle prebiotic and nothing else.
• 100% soluble. Dissolves completely in warm or hot water, with no taste and no color. It is easy on the most sensitive guts.
• Heat-stable. Both the prebiotic and probiotic hold up to heat, so you can stir B2B+ into warm drinks without losing potency.
• Built on research. Formulated by dietitians using ingredients and dose ranges that human studies support.
• 3rd-party tested. So what’s on the label is what’s in the jar - nothing more, nothing less.

How to use it

Stir one serving of Back to Balance Plus into water or your beverage of choice once daily. Because it’s tasteless and fully soluble, it blends seamlessly into whatever you’re already drinking. If your gut is especially sensitive, you can start with a smaller amount and build up as it adjusts. As always, check with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing, or managing a medical condition.

Frequently asked questions

Will acacia fiber make me gassy and bloated like other fibers?

It’s much less likely to. Acacia ferments slowly and steadily rather than all at once, so it produces far less gas than fibers like inulin or chicory root which is why we chose it for sensitive guts. If you’re especially reactive, start with a smaller amount and build up.

How long until I notice a difference?

Every gut is different, but in the key clinical trial of L. plantarum 299v, improvements in bloating and abdominal pain emerged within the first couple of weeks, with most of the benefit by week four. Daily, consistent use gives the prebiotic and probiotic time to work together.

Can I add it to hot drinks?

Yes. Both the acacia fiber and the L. plantarum 299v strain are heat-stable, so you can stir it into coffee, tea, or other warm beverages without losing potency. Because it’s tasteless and fully soluble, it won’t change how your drink looks or tastes.

Does it need to be refrigerated?

No. In its freeze-dried form, the L. plantarum 299v strain is robust and stable at room temperature, so it doesn’t require refrigeration.

What makes this different from other prebiotic + probiotic supplements?

Two things: simplicity and evidence. It’s just two research-backed ingredients without fillers at dose ranges human studies support, and it’s 3rd-party tested, so what’s on the label is what’s in the jar.

Is acacia fiber a prebiotic?

Yes, Acacia fiber is considered a prebiotic fiber because it can be used by beneficial gut bacteria. Research has described acacia gum as a bifidogenic dietary fiber, meaning it may help support Bifidobacteria in the gut. 

Is acacia fiber good for bloating?

Acacia fiber supports bloating by helping to nourish beneficial bacteria and supporting more regular stool patterns.

What is the difference between a prebiotic and a probiotic?

A probiotic is a specific live microorganism that may support digestion or certain symptoms. A prebiotic is a food component the body does not digest but that can be used by beneficial microorganisms in the gut. When a product contains both, it is called a synbiotic. 

References

1. Calame W, et al. Gum arabic establishes prebiotic functionality in healthy human volunteers in a dose-dependent manner. British Journal of Nutrition, 2008. View study
2. Cherbut C, et al. Acacia gum is a bifidogenic dietary fibre with high digestive tolerance in healthy humans. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 2003. View study
3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on health claims related to acacia gum (gum arabic) — changes in bowel function, short-chain fatty acid production, and reduction of gastro-intestinal discomfort. EFSA Journal, 2011; 9(4).
4. Gum arabic fermentation increases colonic butyrate (a short-chain fatty acid) with anti-inflammatory activity — Phase II trial in rheumatoid arthritis patients (30 g/day, 12 weeks). PMC. View study
5. Ducrotté P, Sawant P, Jayanthi V. Clinical trial: Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (DSM 9843) improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2012; 18(30):4012–4018. View on PubMed
6. Niedzielin K, et al. A controlled, double-blind, randomized study on the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2001. View on PubMed
7. Arvidsson Nordström E, et al. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v (LP299V®): three decades of research. Beneficial Microbes, 2021; 12(5):441–465. View review