Meet the probiotic that’s designed to tackle multiple aspects of your health—not just your gut

September 18, 2019 at 09:10PM by CWC

With the sheer amount of probiotics on the shelves, it feels impossible to differentiate between the ones that hold up versus the ones you should probably scoot on by. And if you thought you were the only one confused about how to navigate this new world of gut health, kindly get in line.

“The rise of ‘wellness’ has ushered in a wave of consumer enthusiasm and self care, but also propelled a category filled with misleading messaging, unsubstantiated products, hyperbolic claims, and a shift away from science,” says Ara Katz, co-founder and co-CEO of Seed. 

Katz and her co-founder, Raja Dhir, built Seed to change all of that, with a focus on elevating standards in the probiotic space with legit science and education at the core—not to mention, a probiotic that people can’t stop raving about all over Instagram. 

To that end, they brought together key scientists, like Gregor Reid, PhD (who co-authored the scientific definition of probiotics for the United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Panel, nbd), to develop a pipeline of the next generation of probiotics. The first one? The Daily Synbiotic—a two-in-one probiotic plus prebiotic designed to bring clarity through the noise.

Keep scrolling to learn how Seed’s Daily Synbiotic separates itself from the rest of probiotics.

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Benefits beyond the gut

When you think probiotics, you probably think digestive health, right? Makes sense, because according to a national survey, 72 percent of Americans live with some form of digestive discomfort (think: bloating, constipation, irregularity, gas, all that fun stuff). Among the 24 strains in Seed’s Daily Synbiotic, two specific ones were studied in a clinical trial for their beneficial effects related to these issues. So in terms of your post-lunch bloat? Consider yourself covered.

But the science (and the potential benefits) go beyond digestive health, and could help out in the following ways…

1. Gut barrier (AKA, “keeping it tight”)

Your gut has an important job, and it needs to be in tip top shape to do its part. “Your total gut surface would cover a badminton court, and it’s lined with a single layer of epithelial cells that have two jobs: absorb beneficial nutrients and keep out harmful substances,” explains Dr. Reid. But, he says, other factors you might not think are a big deal (like that glass of rosé wine, the ibuprofen you took the next morning, or tonight’s HIIT class) could all impact your gut barrier.

Seed is specifically formulated to counteract that impact. “The Daily Synbiotic includes strains studied to help improve tight junction (proteins in charge of sealing that gut barrier and keeping it tight) and support against permeability,” adds Dr. Reid. Tighter gut barrier, happier body.

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2. Healthy skin

And it could affect your glowy-skin goals, too, as your skin is home to trillions of microorganisms (AKA your skin microbiome) that are key to overall skin health, according to Dr. Reid. Like your gut, he says, “your skin helps manage what comes into your body from the outside world” (like all your serums, and ahem, the pollution you encounter on the reg) and helps communicate the intel to your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems.

And that’s where Seed can lend a helping hand. “The Daily Synbiotic includes four strains which were clinically studied to help promote skin health, including skin clarity and smoothness,” shares Dr. Reid. Prepare to add Seed to your skin-care routine.

3. Cardiovascular health

On the heart-health side, certain bacteria has been shown in studies to reduce cardiovascular risk. The Daily Synbiotic features heart-happy strains that have been clinically studied to support healthy cholesterol and lipid metabolism. (Insert heart emoji here.)

4. Women’s health

You’ve probably heard about the importance of folate for pregnancy and fertility because folate is an essential micronutrient that helps with production and maintenance of red blood cells, and women—especially when pregnant—are regularly recommended to fortify their bodies with folate through nutrition-rich foods (oh hey, leafy greens, avocados, and citrus fruits) and supplements.

“What you probably don’t know is that certain bacteria can also produce folate from within your body,” says  Dr. Reid. “The Daily Synbiotic is the first in North America to include strains that increase your body’s natural folate production.”

Not-your-average delivery method

Seed’s Daily Synbiotic doesn’t quite look like the other probiotics you’re used to. That’s because Seed developed ViaCap, a unique (and very cool-looking) capsule technology. 

According to Katz, this two-in-one technology was developed to allow the outer capsule (the prebiotics in a liquid suspension) act as a shield to protect the sensitive strains in the inner capsule (the probiotics). Through SHIME® testing (a close simulation of the human digestive system), Katz says that Seed has been able to record the survivability of the capsules through digestion and to the colon where it matters most.

The testing, says Katz, helps recreate the conditions in your digestive tract to better understand how factors like food and bile impact the viability of the probiotics. “Our ViaCap delivered a maximal release of probiotics (approaching the full value of the starting dose), indicating viability through the end of the small intestine—where it matters most,” she shares.

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Seed holds itself to a higher (global) standard

Working to revolutionize the probiotic industry, Seed goes beyond the industry standard with its testing. “We adhere to the highest global regulatory standards—EFSA (Europe) and FOSHU (Japan), and rigorously test beyond what’s required,” Katz explains. 

Each Daily Synbiotic Welcome Kit comes with a refillable glass jar as well as a glass travel vial to take with you on the road (hello, sustainability). And as far as the monthly refills go, they arrive in home-compostable, bio-based pouches designed to keep both oxygen and moisture out to protect your probiotics—while concurrently being planet-friendly. Here’s to raising the bar on bacteria. But the real question is: Will you ever look at probiotics the same?

Get your Daily Synbiotic at Seed.com—if you don’t like it, it’s on Seed. Bonus: use code WELLANDGOOD for 20 percent off at checkout.

Sponsored by Seed

Photos: Seed 

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Author Well+Good Editors | Well and Good
Selected by CWC