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Earlier this year I realized I should probably start taking a probiotic. I feel like I know people who have always had probiotics as a part of their routine and others have no idea what they are. I was somewhere in the middle because I take vitamins and am picky about the ingredients/sourcing. I think I assumed that people with digestive issues took them. I didn’t, so I never needed to look into it. I’ve seen all kinds of probiotics at Whole Foods, Amazon, etc. but before we even go down that road I thought it’d be helpful to share what I’ve learned and why I love Seed.

I’ve really learned the importance of gut health over the last few years because a healthy gut translates to a healthier life of better skin, better sleep, and brain clarity. Many people actually do a whole30 to heal their gut. You have to think… the cheetos are delicious but think about what that actually does to your body when it’s inside trying to break down. I started learning these lessons by eating sugar free and sticking to the basics (fruits, veggies, meat, and grains work well for me). My skin cleared up when I gave up dairy and I realized that what we eat has a lot to do with how we feel and live our lives so I decided to learn more about gut health overall and how it impacts our overall life.

This is actually what has changed my whole mindset on food. It has to be worth it for me to not sleep well – it’s not always worth it.

What are probiotics?

There’s an official definition — Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (the host is me! you! us!).

WAT?

Live Microorganisms?

This is the beneficial bacteria that is consumed. ‘Live’ is a critical word here, and in science, it’s referred to as ‘survivability’. To confer benefits, microorganisms must survive the many stages of digestion (think stomach acid and bile), past the small intestine, and make it into the colon, where their work begins.

Adequate amounts?

This is what hung me up on researching many brands. Some bottles say a billion CFU. How do I know what’s good? We’ll get to that, but every probiotic on the market is associated with an effective dosage, and this dosage is arrived at via a clinical study.

Health Benefit?

To satisfy the definition of a probiotic, the live cultures must demonstrate a proven health benefit. This means that each individual strain must have been clinically studied and shown to be beneficial. Basically, a lot of research goes into confirming probiotics actually work.

So how do they actually work?

I listened to the founders of Seed on this podcast and really started to connect the dots. It’s super sciencey, but really interesting and is irrelevant to all of us (we all have bodies hello) and here’s what I got – there are tons of misconceptions about probiotics including the fact that probiotics have to colonize your gut and alter the composition of your microbiome to be effective.

Probiotics typically don’t set up shop in your gut. Most people think that you take them and they do the work in your gut only. Compared to the tens of trillions of microbes already rooted in your intestinal tract, most probiotics don’t contain enough new bacteria to make a huge difference in the composition of your microbiota (gut).

What scientists know is this —- as tiny little microbes, probiotics travel through your colon, interact with your immune cells, gut cells, dietary nutrients, and existing bacteria to directly and indirectly deliver benefits. Some enhance the gene expressions involved in tight junction signaling (in english – healthy gut), others trigger neurotransmitters that stimulate muscle contractor for increased motility. Think better, more regular poops.

I don’t take probiotics and don’t have digestive issues, so why should I add something like this?

From what I’ve learned both by reading and experiencing myself your gut health goes way beyond digestive issues. Your body is super complex and interconnected and sure, the gastrointestinal system is at the core of it all. It’s connected to and influences everything! Your metabolic and gut immune function, cardiovascular, skin, and urogenital health. SO yeah. Gut health improvements are usually the driver to seek taking a probiotic but often the most immediate and localized probiotics can have super powerful effects on your entire body.

Many people have mentioned that my skin looks better and clearer. It’s a combination of many things like lots of sleep, water, and nourishing foods, but it’s truly because my gut is healthy with the help of Seed. My goal is to create a disease free life — I’m going to have babies in the next few years so I’m being super intentional about taking great care of my body.

Why Seed?

There are many reasons I love Seed:

+ sustainable packaging – you get a glass jar on your first order and they send you biodegradable packets of refills.

+ dermatological health blend – Seed includes a blend of four strains that were clinically studied to promote skin health and a health SCORAD score (a scale for measuring atopic dermatitis which most people know I struggle with!)

+ it came with a travel vial – if it didn’t, I probably wouldn’t bring it with me when I travel because I’m lazy. I love the ability to keep consistent with it by bringing it with me and keeping things moving ?

+ learning before linking – I had to take a final exam before I could share my love for Seed. I took their trainings, learned about the science, and really appreciate that they keep their influencers accountable and sharing only correct information.

+ the probiotic itself – the research and funding that has gone into this product is incredible. Seed combines a probiotic and a prebiotic, is vegan and GF, and includes 24 clinically studied, naturally occurring strains, not found in yogurt or fermented foods. It really lives up to the highest standards for human and planetary health.

+ convenience – my generation seems to love the convenience of the auto-refill but the subscription shows up on my door every month.

Where can I get it?

You can sign up for a subscription here. Use code CASSIDY15 for 15% discount and let me know what you think if you grab it!