In a world full of influencers, it can be hard not to fall into the trap of buying everything recommended online. But where do you draw the line when it comes to health-related advice from social media stars, many of whom lack the credentials to offer reliable guidance?
Recently, a probiotic yogurt has taken TikTok by storm, with content creators eagerly reviewing it online. Newsweek discussed this trendy yogurt, which costs $39 for a 16-ounce jar, with experts to find out if it’s worth the hype.
SewcreamStudio/iStock / Getty Images Plus
Why Is It So Popular?
According to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll for Cylinder, 71 percent of Americans experience gastrointestinal (GI) issues at least a few times a month, and 31 percent have been diagnosed with a GI condition.
It’s easy to see why a product claiming to improve gut health would be appealing. The Coconut Cult, the brand behind the yogurt, markets it as being packed with probiotics that offer several potential benefits, including improved digestion, reduced bloating, and increased regularity, according to its official website.
Expert Perspectives on Probiotics
Provided by Bridget Wood
“Many TikTok users claim it has helped with issues like bloating, leaky gut, acne, dull skin, and even mood improvement,” Bridget Wood, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told Newsweek. “While everyone’s experience will differ, probiotics have long been shown to potentially support all these areas.
“Coconut Cult offers one of the highest numbers of probiotic strains and can be a convenient daily addition for those looking to easily incorporate probiotics without the guesswork of sourcing individual strains through multiple products.”
The official website claims the yogurt contains 16 species of probiotics, which some consumers may argue provides more value for the price.
“Regular yogurt typically only contains a couple types of probiotic strains [you might have seen terms like Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and ‘live and active cultures’ on your yogurt packaging at home], Coconut Cult’s naturally fermented coconut yogurt base claims that it has 50 billion CFUs [colony-forming units, or a fancy way of saying the number of live bacteria in a probiotic product] in just a 1-ounce serving,” Wood said.
“Traditional yogurt usually does not offer this in one product, let alone in one serving, and you would have to find other sources of supplementation.”
However, Wood, from Reno, Nevada, also highlighted the variability in individual responses to probiotics.
“Everyone is different, so some people may claim to see results overnight, and others have reported a ‘purging’ stage that causes breakouts while the body adjusts to the increase in probiotics,” she said.
Social Media Trends and Cautionary Advice
Provided by Christine Byrne
As gut health becomes a popular topic on social media—with the hashtag #guthealth garnering more than 903,000 views—various videos offer product recommendations and advice on improving gut health. However, not all advice is created equal.
Christine Byrne, a registered dietitian nutritionist with 11 years of food media experience at Ruby Oak Nutrition, also spoke with Newsweek about the matter.
“I have seen plenty of recommendations for gut-healing protocols that are inadequate at best and potentially harmful at worst,” she said. “However, the source of the recommendations has not determined its quality.
“Many gut-healing recommendations that people will see online have to do with trying a product, or a supplement like a probiotic. For most people, these recommendations will be harmless and may provide benefit, depending on many personal factors like microbiome status and diet.
“However, for people who have an acute or chronic disease, I would not recommend making a significant change to one’s diet, supplements or certainly medications without speaking to a qualified health care provider.”
About the Price
A spokesperson from The Coconut Cult spoke to Newsweek via email about the high price of the product.
“The ingredients, fermentation process, potency of probiotics and serving size are all key factors,” the spokesperson said. “We really aren’t even in the same league as other yogurts.”
The organic ingredients are small-batched and fermented for many hours in a large glass container using 16 specific super-live probiotics.
“Many other yogurts on the shelves are ‘dead’ and barely have any bacteria at all,” the spokesperson added. “This is backed by not only testing but asking brands directly about their fermentation process.
“Not only can you taste the difference between our yogurt and others, you can also feel it. Most probiotic supplements are freeze-dried bacteria in a shelf-stable powder form. This type of bacteria is not active in the same way ours is and is less expensive to produce.”
Some social media users report breakouts online, the spokesperson told Newsweek this is uncommon, but it can happen.
“The reasoning for the purge could be due to our 16 strains of super-live probiotic strains in our yogurt interacting with the “bad” bacteria that already exists in the gut microbiome. This can cause skin irritation, but we’ve found that it typically balances out after a few weeks of consistent use of our probiotic yogurt. The situation is unique to each individual depending on the state of their gut microbiome. Breakouts can also be a due to a histamine reaction.”
Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
