About You Gut This
Inner-ēco’s You Gut This is advertised as a probiotic that started out in Niki Price’s personal kitchen. Her son had numerous issues with his immune and digestive system because of an overuse of antibiotics. She had helped her son combat these issues, which led her to want to help everyone else with similar concerns.
It all began with the production of coconut water from her kitchen to her garage and with the help of her neighbors! She uses fresh young coconuts from Thailand, and the coconut water is never heated, treated, or frozen. This is to keep the enzymes stable in the water. To make this product a probiotic, kefir is added to the water.
Kefir is a fermented food that means “good feeling.” It contains those healthy bacteria our guts need as well as yeast for the probiotic properties. The water also contains several cultures, which we will discuss later. Now, if you’re asking yourself, what’s so special about this coconut water, you’re not alone.
In this You Gut This review, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about this probiotic coconut water. We’ll take a deep dive into its ingredients, benefits, claims, pricing, and more so you can find out if this water is as special as it claims to be.
Ready? Let’s get started with this You Gut This review!
You Gut This Benefits
Probiotics are known to support our gut health in numerous ways. Some would say that the foundation of our health stems from the health of our gut. This is a saying that I would find to be true. When our guts are under distress, it seems to spread to the rest of our bodies as well. Healthy gut, happy body.
This product stresses the use of fermented foods, which in this case comes from the kefir that is added. Fermented foods are a natural way to preserve foods to retain their nutritional quality along with added benefits. There are numerous ways that fermented foods help our guts: supporting a healthy immune response, healthy inflammatory response, healthy digestion, and mood. Most of these are like how other probiotic supplements with live cultures, like IN.FORM Probiotic and 1MD Complete Probiotics Platinum, improve the health of our guts. Fermented foods are also cost-effective and are immediately absorbed.
You Gut This Ingredients
The ingredients in You Gut This can be broken down into two sections: Cultures and Kefir. The first set we will go over are the cultures.
Live Cultures
The cultures included in this probiotic include: Lactococcus lactis subsp., leuconostoc subsp., streptococcus thermophilus, and lactobacillus subsp. Most of these cultures are lactic acid bacteria and are used in the production of fermented foods, such as kefir. They all provide the gut with similar benefits with some slight differences.
Lactococcus lactis subsp.
This strain is isolated from plants. It becomes activated in the gastrointestinal tract after being consumed. Lactococcus lactis is used when fermenting foods like cheese, yogurt, and sauerkraut. It also preserves food which, in this case, is helpful to aid the kefir to ferment the coconut milk. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the probiotic properties of this strain are suitable for it to be used as a probiotic. However, there are other studies out there that conclude Lactococcus lactis cannot be seen as a probiotic because it does not meet the required characteristics for probiotics. This study showed that it is better to combine this strain with other cultures and not just as a single culture.
This strain has a thick cell wall that lacks an outer membrane. This makes it a suitable surface to display proteins. The cells act as carriers for proteins and antigens and allow for interactions between the proteins that are on the surface of the cell. This gives this strain immunomodulator properties, that trigger the activation of pro-inflammatory genes in the intestinal epithelial cells. These pro-inflammatory properties can help improve the symptoms of irritable bowel disease and colitis, specifically diarrhea.
With the proteins on the outside of the cell to fight off the bad cells, this strain is also used in live vaccines. Other studies have shown that this strain can promote the integrity of the gut barrier and stop bacteria from passing through. This strain can survive most of the gastrointestinal tract but not as efficiently as streptococcus thermophilus. Lactococcus lactis also metabolizes lactose easily and quickly and produces lactic acid.
Leuconostoc subsp.
This is another strain of lactic acid bacteria that is also used in the fermentation of foods. Sticking with the theme of the cultures, this strain has a high bile tolerance and is acid resistant, so it can survive most of the gastrointestinal tract as well. This strain produces short-chain fatty acids through the fermentation of pyruvate. These short-chain fatty acids include acetate, butyrate, and propionate. They can aid the gut by reducing digestive symptoms and reducing the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.
Lactobacillus subsp.
This is a complex species that is made up of over 170 species and is part of the human gastrointestinal tract. Lactobacillus is one of the main cultures that are used in a variety of commercial probiotics, partly because they are acid resistant and can survive ingestion. Allowing it to stay in the digestive tract longer so that way our bodies can reap all the benefits. Lactobacillus utilizes carbohydrates and produces lactic acid. These cultures also stick to the lining of the gut and stimulate the immune response to fight off the bad cells that may be traveling throughout the GI tract.
Streptococcus Thermophilus
This is a probiotic bacterium that is used to produce fermented dairy foods. It helps to break down food, absorb nutrients, and fight off bad bacteria that could cause diseases like diarrhea. Antioxidant compounds, anti-inflammatory, and antimutagenic effects are also outcomes from this strain of probiotics. Studies show that there are different survival rates in the gut, but most show that this strain, more than the others in this probiotic, can survive most of the GI tract.
Kefir
This is one of the ingredients that I was not as familiar with and seemed a little interesting. After all, it is a Turkish word that means “feeling good.” Take it as you want it, but it makes sense when applying it to gut health and how it makes the gut feel. Kefir is a cultured and fermented food that is made by fermenting a liquid, usually milk but in this case, it is coconut water. It is fermented using a kefir starter with cultures and traditional kefir grains. It is a combination of good lactic acid bacteria and yeast to give it its probiotic properties.
Kefir can be a more powerful probiotic than yogurt. Kefir cultures are more potent because the probiotics come from a food source instead of pills. Kefir contains up to 61 strains of bacteria and yeast which makes it a very potent probiotic source. The probiotics in kefir are also thought to protect the body against infections. Kefiran is a type of carbohydrate that is in kefir which has antibacterial, immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Probiotics help to aid the gut in restoring the balance of healthy bacteria and unhealthy bacteria. The evidence is building that probiotics can help with other digestive concerns. One of these concerns is constipation. The probiotics and yeast in kefir have been shown to help the body improve constipation through keeping the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. It also contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that has a potential relaxing effect on the nervous system. This can help the food that we eat move through our bodies in a normal and easy way through the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Does Inner-ēco You Gut This Work?
You Gut This has the potential to make our bodies happy from the inside out. It uses cultures that have been proven as effective probiotics and are widely researched. As far as the serving size goes, you can follow the directions on the bottle and use what they recommend, or you can start off small and work your way up to a full dose. This is not a supplement like most probiotics are. It is an actual food, so it can give the body the healthy bacteria that it needs to find that balance and restore gut health.
Claim vs. Reality
Inner-ēco states that You Gut This can aid in digestion, find that healthy balance between good and bad bacteria, and can colonize in the intestinal tract with regular consumption. The reality is that this is what probiotics are classified to do. There are several different cultures in this supplement. However, they are just listed as subspecies and not specific cultures. For example, when they list that there are lactobacillus subspecies in the product, it is hard to tell which ones are included. Even though they have similar characteristics, they may have different effects on the body.
Most probiotic supplements will stick with at least 2-3 well-known strains, this one goes across the board. In theory, this product can aid in digestive health and make our guts a better place, but the right combination of cultures is needed to do this. The health benefits that are associated with probiotic lactic acid bacteria can vary depending on which strain is being used.
This product uses researched species of cultures and kefir, all of which operate as probiotics, and probiotics have been shown to improve digestion and gut health. The length of time it takes for this to take effect or for individuals to notice a difference could differ between person to person.
Who is You Gut This Best For?
You Gut This is suitable for anyone who is trying to restore a healthy balance in their gut, while making sure they are using a high-quality product. Even children would be able to tolerate this product, but at a smaller dose. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor before you begin with this product.
Is You Gut This Safe?
The cultures in Inner-ēco You Gut This have been generally recognized as safe by the FDA. When it comes to probiotics, especially those with kefir, there could be the potential for upset stomachs, bloating, and even diarrhea. Everything we are pretty much trying to avoid. Now, some say this is because it is your body’s way of getting used to the cultures and whatnot, but if you are ever unsure of the safety of this product or even any others, consult with your primary care physician to make sure this is the right product for you.
Where to Buy You Gut This
You Gut This can be purchased through Amazon; however, it is currently unavailable at the time of this review, so I am not able to compare the price. It is also available via Instacart and in Whole Foods Market stores.
A 15 oz. bottle of You Gut This looks like it runs for $22.99. This product does have a manufacturer’s site, but they do not ship products to consumers directly.
FAQ: You Gut This Review
Can You Gut This be shipped to me?
It cannot be shipped directly from the manufacturer’s site as this product must always be refrigerated to preserve its integrity and prevent pressure build-up. It is best to see if your local Whole Foods store carries the product and get it from there. If it is available on Amazon, you can also get it within 2 hours of ordering.
What is the pressure build-up with the bottle?
When opening this product, think about it as opening a bottle of champagne. The bottle is under pressure and can overflow if it is opened too quickly. Never shake the product before opening, and twist the cap slowly to release the pressure build-up. After it is opened, you can mix the water gently to move the cultures that may have settled at the bottom.
Does You Gut This contain alcohol?
This is a fermented product, so it could contain very minimal amounts of alcohol. Inner-eco states that it does comply with FDA requirements regarding this.
Does this product contain any preservatives?
No! Inner-ēco uses fresh coconuts and does not add any preservatives to the water or treat it with chemicals or heat. The product is also dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
Does You Gut This come in different flavors?
Yes, You Gut This comes in original, blueberry blackberry, mango pineapple, and vanilla bean.
Is You Gut This Worth Using?
Overall, You Gut This has potential to help restore the balance of bacteria in the gut and improve the health of the digestive system. Most of the cultures in this have similar mechanisms to how they work with slight differences. The only downside is that they classify them as a subspecies and not a specific one. If you believe that fermented foods are the way to go and useful as probiotic sources, then this would be a good starter product. Another downside is that this is a little hard to find and not something that can be easily shipped right to your home.
