Why I’ve Taken Seed Probiotics for 5 Years
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Gut health is sexy. Those are four words I never thought I’d string together, but here we are. I truly only feel this way, because of Seed, a daily synbiotic that’s clinically formulated for whole-body health. I was first introduced to the brand five years ago, following a visit to the gastroenterologist for a whole host of uncomfortable GI symptoms. I was tested for celiac disease, SIBO, Crohn’s, and Colitis, all of which came back negative.
Then, I got the blanket diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, which I learned affects 10 to 15 percent of people in the US, two-thirds of whom are women (1). IBS manifests differently for everyone, and I was part of the lucky group to pull the bloat card—painful bloating that happened randomly, no matter how healthy I was eating. After several tests, procedures, and elimination diets, I was sent off with a recommendation to pick up a probiotic at the drug store and come back in six months for a follow-up.
But there was certainly nothing enticing about shelling out $60 to $70 for a probiotic I knew nothing about. Like most millennials, if I had to take a probiotic daily, I wanted it to be from a brand I trusted, delivered to my doorstep in a cute (just look at it), reusable container, at the very least. So I switched to Seed and let it get to work, repairing my gut microbiome. Here’s everything I’ve learned in the past five years.
Our Experience
Hone Health is a team of health-obsessed journalists, editors, fitness junkies, medical reviewers, and product testers. As an editor, I have spent my career testing, researching, and reviewing products in the lifestyle and wellness space. As someone with lifelong gut health woes, I’ve tried a plethora of probiotics over the past seven years, on recommendation from my gastroenterologist. I’ve been testing and using Seed for five of those years.
What Is Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic?
Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic, aka Seed probiotic, is a two-in-one probiotic and prebiotic blend formulated to provide benefits for gut immune function and whole-body health for adults ages 18+. Each two-capsule serving delivers 53.6 billion active fluorescent units (AFUs)—an alternate measurement to colony forming units (CFUs) used by most other probiotic brands—derived from 24 strains of probiotic bacteria, plus a patented, non-fermenting prebiotic from Indian pomegranate.
What’s Good About Seed Probiotic?
Contains clinically and scientifically studied probiotics plus a prebiotic
Maybe you’ve never even heard the word “synbiotic” before. Or maybe you have and just have no idea what it means. Real quick: A synbiotic is the combination of a probiotic and a prebiotic in one daily formula. Seed’s features:
- 24 clinically- and scientifically-studied strains of bacteria: Unlike many other probiotics limited to common bacteria strains, Seed uses 24 clinically-backed strains sourced from humans and fruits, which expands potential benefits beyond digestive health to skin health, heart health, and immune function (more on that later). It also third-party tests its lineup throughout each step of the manufacturing process as well as on the final product.
- Non-fermenting prebiotic: Derived from Indian pomegranate to nourish existing gut bacteria and act as food/fuel for the probiotic, which is also compatible with FODMAPS diet.
2-in-1 nested capsule safeguards viability
If you look at a Seed capsule under light, you can see that it’s made of a white inner capsule surrounded by a clear green outer capsule. The reason for this is very intentional—the capsule-in-capsule design ensures a high survival rate of bacteria through stomach acid and bile, maximizing delivery to the colon (2). Believe it or not, many probiotics don’t even make it to your colon, rendering all the gut goodness moot. Furthermore, Seed capsules are shelf-stable, meaning they don’t need to be refrigerated and are just as potent on your shelf as they are in your carry-on. Seed’s synbiotic looks like this:
- Prebiotic Outer Capsule: The green outer capsule is the prebiotic formulation, which houses the probiotic capsule and ensures a safe delivery through stomach acid to the colon.
- Probiotic Inner Capsule: The white pill at the center is the probiotic, which has been developed with academic institutions and research partners in Italy, Spain, Belgium, the US, and Japan. Its contents are bio-fermented (a metabolic process used by bacteria to generate energy for cell growth and multiplication) in Europe.
Supports whole-body health
According to the brand, Seed Synbiotic does more than help bring your microbiome back into synergy. Its probiotic strains were chosen to uplevel a host of health systems from your gut to your heart. Its website describes them as:
Digestive health
- Promotes digestive health (to support healthy regularity and ease of bloating)
- Reinforced healthy stool hydration and ease of evacuation
- Supports gut ease from occasional gastrointestinal discomfort associated with increased intestinal transit time
Gut barrier integrity
- Maintains healthy gut barrier function and integrity
- Reinforces healthy right junction in vitro
- Supports healthy gut barrier integrity from ethanol- and endotoxin-induced (lipopolysaccharide) permeability in vitro
Gut immune function
- Supports healthy gut immune function and ‘cross-talk’ between immune and intestinal cells
- Maintains healthy immunological responses in the gastrointestinal tract
- Supports production of short-chain fatty acids
Cardiovascular health
- Promotes heart health
- Maintains blood cholesterol levels already in the normal range
- Supports healthy intestinal recycling of cholesterol and bile
Dermatological health
- Promotes healthy skin
- Reinforces healthy gut-skin axis
Micronutrient synthesis
- Supports folate (vitamin B9) production via intestinal synthesis of bioactive forms of folate
- Supports synthesis of vitamin B12 in vitro
Transparency and research
Taking a probiotic daily is simple. You wake up, wash down two of them with water, and go about your day. But creating them is nothing short of painstaking. I love that Seed not only goes the extra several steps to ensure its products are clinically tested, but it also shares all of that information with the consumer, so you know that everything is legit.
Remember when I mentioned that the capsule-in-capsule technology safely delivers the goods through stomach acid to the colon? That’s because Seed tests its products in SHIME® (Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem), aka the closest system developed to model human digestion and the gut.
It also supports its claims with human studies, by partnering with leading academic research institutions to perform double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. And then goes a step further to ensure minority groups are represented in the clinical research—something that is rarely done, but is especially important where matters of the microbiome are concerned.
Committed to sustainability
If your company is based on a healthy inner ecosystem, it only makes sense to ensure the same safety for our outer ecosystem. Seed is committed to reducing its environmental impact via a sustainable refill model that also includes offsetting its carbon emissions. It sends the first month’s shipment as a Welcome Kit, including a reusable glass jar and a glass travel vial that holds about a week’s worth of capsules.
Aside from the fact that the green jar looks nice on my counter, I love that each month or every few months (whichever delivery cadence you select) my synbiotic is sent in sustainable plastic-free packaging that can be recycled. I just tear open the paper pouch and refill my jar when I run out. If you’re concerned about breaking the reusable jar over time, don’t be. I broke the lid to mine, and they rush-shipped me a replacement jar before my next subscription at no cost.
What’s Not So Good About Seed Probiotic?
Subscription-only model
If you’re the type of person who’s weary of subscriptions, Seed’s 30-day auto-delivery system might not be for you. Probiotics work best when taken daily, and can often take months to manifest real results, so it’s not surprising that the brand only offers its product on subscription. But, if you’re not keen on a $50 charge every 30 days, Seed also offers discounts for delivery increments of three months (10 percent discount) or six months (20 percent discount), meaning you have plenty of time in between shipments to postpone delivery or cancel your subscription altogether.
It’s not for everyone
As with any supplement, but perhaps especially probiotics, should only be taken after consulting with your gastroenterologist. This is because probiotics can negatively impact vulnerable populations, such as those with weakened immune systems, or conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Probiotics may cause further overgrowth of bacteria in the GI tract, which could increase the risk of infection. Once these underlying conditions are ruled out, and your GI doc approves, probiotics are generally considered safe (3).
The Results
I was first intrigued by Seed after taking over-the-counter probiotics for a few years. I liked the idea of the subscription model because I’m the person who always runs out before I have backup. And I liked the sustainability element. If I’m being completely honest, I just liked the way it looked, and it also had the research to back up its claims.
As someone who takes multiple supplements daily, adding two capsules to my morning routine wasn’t a big deal. It’s recommended to take them on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. They don’t give me a stomach ache and the smooth capsules go down easy, which is why I’ve been able to keep up my habit for five years in a row.
The painful bloating symptoms from IBS didn’t go away overnight, but I noticed small improvements over the course of a few months. By the one-year mark, I felt like a new person. I no longer had to avoid certain foods (dairy, spices, gluten) and could eat almost everything in moderation. That doesn’t mean that I never have the occasional bloat flare-up, but being consistent with my daily probiotic has helped more than anything else I’ve tried. When I travel, I pack my Seed probiotics with me and make it a point to take them every day, first thing, which also helps with other travel-related GI issues (IYKYK).
This type of timeline is pretty in line with what everyone can expect. Dr. Niel Paulvin, D.O. previously told The Edge, “If you’re targeting a short-term condition (like bloating, constipation, or diarrhea), a probiotic may work in a few days. For chronic conditions (like SIBO or IBS), it could take up to a few months.” Conversely, he says you can tell if a probiotic is not working if you don’t see any changes in your digestion or gut health after taking the probiotics for a few months.
A few other things I noticed: I lost about 10 lbs within that first year of taking Seed. It could have, of course, been the result of multiple factors, but I didn’t consciously change up my diet or exercise routine in any major way. My skin started to look more vibrant and youthful, and breakouts were rare. I also noticed that my immune system was much stronger than it had been, even after moving to New York City and commuting to work daily on a sardine-packed subway. The combination of these factors is why I’ll be a loyal Seed customer for life.
Is Seed Probiotic Worth It?
If you’re looking for a probiotic-prebiotic blend that’s backed by clinical research, and you don’t mind a subscription model, Seed gets our stamp of approval. It’s scientifically proven to support a healthy microbiome in addition to whole body health—something no other probiotic does. But if you’re dealing with some uncomfortable gut health issues, we recommend talking to your gastroenterologist first about whether a probiotic could help. If they give the green light, then Seed is worth a try.
*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.
