Cult or Crazy…you decide

What misleading marketing can do to even the smartest people is fascinating to observe and that’s how foodies are tricked.

Heard of the coconut cult yogurt? Watch out cause you may get hooked and not realize what’s going on.

Let’s start with the numbers…the company website states there are over 800 billion probiotics in each quart. But is anyone doing the math? Are you doing the math? The products are sold in 16 ounce jars. Last I checked 16 ounces is a 1/2 of a quart so now you’ve got to take the 800 billion and divide my two, so each 16 ounce jar has 400 billion not 800.

Now on to the serving size which is 2 tablespoons and that will give you 25,000 billion good bacteria because 400 billion divide by 16 servings equates to 25,000 billion good bacteria per serving. So if you are looking to this product for your probiotic supplementation then all you really need to do is take a quality probiotic of 25 billion and you will get the health benefits minus the sugar, and other ingredients such as the non-gmo maltodextrin and casein (depending on which flavor you are addicted to.)

Remember, once you consume the entire contents of the jar, you will have taken in either 16 or 32 grams of sugar depending on the flavor. Do you recall that your daily sugar limit should be around 21 grams of sugar? If this product is considered a treat then keep that in mind.

Let’s move on to the next deception, shall we? When you read the ingredients and it states…allergens: Contains trace amounts of non-GMO maltodextrin and sodium caseinate. What does this mean? Do you care or is being part of the ‘cult’ more important? What it means is that you are either consuming corn or fermented rice from the maltodextrin and the sodium caseinate is the biochemical name for casein, which is a type of protein found in the milk from all mammals. Some people are allergic to sodium caseinate, and it has been linked to some human diseases, mainly gastrointestinal problems. Nice, so two out of the three flavors include these ingredients, but then again who cares, cause you’re part of the ‘cult’. Just eat and don’t ask the tough questions.

Next, have you ever heard of human strain probiotics? Sounds yummy? How were the human strains derived? The bacteria strains used in these probiotics were originally derived from single strains of bacteria donated by Microbiology Professors from the University of Tokyo and the Dokkyo Medical University of Japan. Each strain was obtained from a healthy, living subject in a one time collection of their feces. The bacteria of choice were, isolated, identified, purified and mass produced after this single collection. Bacteria were obtained about three decades ago and have been naturally replicating in the laboratory every since for mass production.

For probiotics to survive the digestive tract, they must be bile- and acid-resistant. Most commercial yogurts today, even certified organic ones, are loaded with sugars, so they’re not nearly as beneficial. What sense does it make to consume sugar with your ‘probiotic’.

Things to ponder…Are you looking for a quick fix to be healthy or falling prey to the ‘cult’.

When the company’s mantra is: You love coconuts. You love flamingos. You’ve been brainwashed to love our yogurts.

Yes, indeed brainwashed and not fully empowered to realize the emperor is naked. Go back to the children’s section of the library and pick up that book to realize that you’ve been duped.

They are hoping on the fact that you do not research ingredients and you try their yogurt instead because with a little fluff and sugar, they will get you to think with your stomach and not your head.

Let’s call a spade a spade; this is just another expensive yogurt using some clever marketing. If you want the true benefits of probiotics then take quality ones minus all the extra stuff and save a ton of money or donate that money to a charity.

Disclaimer:

Whether probiotics are likely to be safe for you depends on the state of your health.
▪In people who are generally healthy, probiotics have a good safety record. Side effects, if they occur at all, usually consist only of mild digestive symptoms such as gas.
▪On the other hand, there have been reports linking probiotics to severe side effects, such as dangerous infections, in people with serious underlying medical problems. The people who are most at risk of severe side effects include critically ill patients, those who have had surgery, very sick infants, and people with weakened immune systems

Even for healthy people, there are uncertainties about the safety of probiotics. Because many research studies on probiotics haven’t looked closely at safety, there isn’t enough information right now to answer some safety questions. Most of our knowledge about safety comes from studies of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium; less is known about other probiotic strains. Information on the long-term safety of probiotics is limited, and safety may differ from one type of probiotic to another. For example, even though a National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)-funded study showed that a particular kind of Lactobacillus appears safe in healthy adults age 65 and older, this does not mean that all probiotics would necessarily be safe for people in this age group.

You should always match your probiotic strain(s) to your health condition. For instance many have experienced side effects from the Streptococcus Thermophilus probiotic strain such as acne, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, intestinal gas and rashes.

Moral of the story, probiotics should be fully understood and carefully chosen for your individual needs. probiotics should be fully understood and carefully chosen for your individual needs.

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Tags: 9 Steps to Healthy Living, coconut cult, cult, probiotic