How much money do you spend on supplements?
A lot?
Maybe too much to admit?
Let’s just hope you’re not as bad as I was when I was in the thick of my IBS symptoms. Between 2012-2015, I spent over $500 JUST on probiotics.
Just probiotics.
Wild.
And to think, if I had known the information that I’m about to share with you, I would have saved myself SO much time, but also a boat load of money too.
And so in the next 3 minutes (that’s how long it will take you to read this email), I’m going to explain to you WHY most probiotics are an absolute waste of money and why doing your research to invest in a good probiotic (if taking a probiotic is right for you) is so important for both your gut and your wallet.
It’s been over 17 years since the definition of “probiotic” was originally created. And the problem with this, is that “probiotic” products are flying off the shelves, and 99% of them have zero actual probiotic benefit for the consumer. There’s been nothing to hold these companies and products accountable. They can create whatever product they want and market it with whatever health claims they want, and chances are, people will flock to buy it. Remember, the supplement industry is completely unregulated.
It’s basically a free for all out there.
Essentially, the term “probiotic” is being widely misused. It is often misapplied to describe any microbe with possible benefits for humans, OR any product that contains added bacteria.
We need to STOP making generalizations, and start getting MORE SPECIFIC about what a probiotic actually is, and what it is not. And only then can we determine if a probiotic is right for you.
What it is:
In order to qualify as a probiotic, the product must match three requirements of the newest definition, which was created in 2003 by the World Health Organization:
(1) Live microorganisms, which, when administered in (2) adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on (3) the host.
1. The bacteria have to make their way to your gut alive and the company has to use human GI tract simulation models to ensure they do. Hint: Most companies don’t do this.
2. The company MUST conduct human-based clinical research trials to showcase that the bacteria strains that they’ve chosen, in the amount/dose that they’ve chosen, provide a specific health benefit to you, the host.
3. You are the host—the probiotic must be shown in research to give you a specific health benefit. Ex: improving “X” IBS symptoms in “Y” time frame in “Z” dose.
Commercially, the sales of probiotics are over $40 billion and are projected to reach over $64 billion by 2023—that’s less than 1 year away. But guess what? Almost all of the probiotics sold to date FAIL to meet these new guidelines.
Confusion persists around the criteria for a product to qualify as a probiotic. What’s the impact of this? The probiotic field has received SO much skepticism and generalization, it’s become more of a field of MARKETING than of science. And the marketing is winning your dollars in all the wrong ways.
Here’s the important takeaway: most probiotics are a waste of money unless they are backed by human-based clinical research trials, the bacteria are alive when they reach your gut and are tested to do so, and the specific bacteria strains within that probiotic are in there, in a specific amount, for a reason. I cannot stress this enough.
If you are going to purchase a probiotic, please don’t waste your money on a product that is doing nothing but draining your wallet, and supporting big business marketing efforts. It’s a waste of your money, your time, and your health.
Most probiotics on the market today were created to fill a marketing need (aka, created to make the manufacturer money because they know it’s a buzzword that sells), and not to bring you optimal health.
Something else to note: fermented foods & prebiotics that have not undergone appropriate testing on humans should not be considered probiotics based on the above definition.
So what probiotic should you buy, or should I buy one?
It’s important to realize that although probiotics CAN be helpful for certain people at certain life stages, they’re not necessary. They fit under what I call the “periphery” of gut health. The outside circle, so to speak. The core, or the centre, is what we need to be focusing on first and foremost. That’s dietary, lifestyle, and mindset changes. Without the core, the periphery will only be able to elevate your gut health from a C- to a C at best. Don’t get me wrong, supplements, probiotics and the like can be useful and helpful, but they should never be your go-to strategy.
With that being said, if you are already working on the core strategies, you’ve mastered those and feel like you still need help, I wanted to shed light on a probiotic that you may be interested in that matches all the criteria listed above.
That probiotic is Seed, and to my knowledge, it’s the only probiotic that checks off all the boxes. Every single bacteria strain included in their product is backed by rigorous scientific trails.
I’ve been taking Seed since 2019, and it’s the only probiotic that’s actually given me results I can see 💩 and feel.
Click here to order SEED for yourself. Use my code ROSLYNKENT15 for 15% off your order.
Have any questions about probiotics? Simply REPLY to this email.
With love and health,
Ros
