Gut Health

What this is. A digestive blend of apple cider vinegar, prebiotic fibre and enzymes. Taken for bloating, regularity and general gut comfort.

1,000 mg of apple cider vinegar powder and 1 billion CFU per two-capsule serving. The probiotic here is a single organism — L. acidophilus LA85 — not a multi-strain blend, and 1 billion is a modest count. Both of those are on the front of the bottle for a reason.

What you are actually getting, per 2 capsules

• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar Powder (acetic acid content not stated) — 1,000 mg
• Inulin — 200 mg
• DigeZyme (branded enzyme blend) — 100 mg
• L. acidophilus LA85 — 10 mg, stated as 1 Billion CFU

Nothing here is standardised to a marker, so there is no ratio arithmetic to show. What the panel leaves out is the acetic acid content of the vinegar powder — acetic acid is the part of vinegar the research is about, and 1,000 mg of dried powder is not 1,000 mg of acetic acid. The panel also does not say what the vinegar is dried onto, which for vinegar powders is usually a carrier that makes up a good share of the weight.

Worth knowing before you buy

The probiotic is one strain at 1 billion CFU. That is a small count in this category — our own 20 billion CFU capsule is twenty times it, and probiotic trials commonly run from 1 billion up past 100 billion depending on the organism. One strain is not inherently worse than eleven, but it is a narrower product than the category average, and it should be priced and judged as one.

The inulin at 200 mg is the clearest shortfall. Prebiotic research on inulin generally uses 3 to 10 g a day. 200 mg is a small fraction of the bottom of that range.

DigeZyme is a branded multi-enzyme blend. The panel gives its weight, 100 mg, but no activity units for the individual enzymes inside it — and enzymes are measured by activity, not by weight, so a milligram figure on its own does not tell you what it does. The components of the branded blend are not broken out.

On the apple cider vinegar: research on vinegar is done with the liquid, typically 15 to 30 ml a day. Without an acetic acid figure on this panel you cannot work out how 1,000 mg of powder compares, and neither can we. That is why this product is not in our weight-metabolism collection.

How to take it

Two capsules a day with water. Sixty capsules in the bottle at two a day, which is 30 days.

Other ingredients

HPMC. The capsule shell is HPMC (hypromellose) rather than gelatin, so it is suitable for vegetarians. The panel declares no allergens.

Cautions

Live-culture products deserve a conversation with your doctor first if you are immunosuppressed, having chemotherapy, have a central venous catheter, or are seriously unwell. Antibiotics will act on the organism in these capsules too. Inulin commonly causes gas and bloating in people who are sensitive to it, particularly anyone managing IBS on a low-FODMAP diet. Vinegar is acidic — take the capsules with water and food if you have reflux or a history of ulcers. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.