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I swapped my usual probiotic for Emily English’s Epetōme – here’s my review

Could 2024’s most hotly-tipped supplement replace my beloved Seed synbiotic? I put it to the test

Emilie Lavinia
Fitness and wellbeing editor
Monday 02 September 2024 08:45
Comments
I took these supplements for a month to see if they were really worth the hype
I took these supplements for a month to see if they were really worth the hype (Epetome/The Independent)

If there’s one piece of wellness advice I’m forever handing out – solicited or not – it’s “take a probiotic”. Gut health is one of those subjects that probably seems a little boring and a little icky, but given the opportunity, I love to talk about it. Probiotic supplements have been part of my wellbeing routine for years and they’ve helped stabilise my digestive health, identify and tackle intolerances and prevent aggressive bacteria from causing infections. In my eyes, probiotic foods and supplements are the holy grail of health and I love them.

For the uninitiated, probiotics are living microorganisms. They contribute to optimal balance in the gut and (sorry if this is TMI) in the vagina too. Your whole body plays host to bacteria that thrive in the right conditions and keep everything working as it should. So if your gut bacteria changes and certain bacteria are allowed to spread and take over, taking a probiotic supplement or eating probiotic foods can help restore the balance of friendly microorganisms.

It’ll probably come as no surprise that fermented probiotic-rich foods and drinks, such as kombucha and yoghurt, feature pretty heavily in my diet. Along with this, I started taking a daily probiotic after reading a study on the gut-brain axis and the link between gut health and mental health. The human gut has the second-highest concentration of neurons after the brain and trials have shown that those suffering from anxiety disorders and depression are more likely to suffer from gut imbalances.

I realised that though probiotic foods were doing me good, I could probably increase my intake of probiotics more consistently. I hoped that by taking a quality supplement daily I’d be able to not only tackle any tummy issues but also potentially affect my mood and my energy levels too. I opted for the probiotic that I’d read was the best on the market and of course, Goop-approved: the Seed Daily Synbiotic.

I’ve been taking it every day for two years and though it would be a reach to say that the supplement alone delivered the results I was looking for (I’ve made several other healthy lifestyle changes over those two years), I no longer have stomach issues, my mood is better and I do have more energy.

That brings us up to date and to an email that dropped into my inbox informing me that Seed now has a UK-based rival: Epetōme. Epetōme is the creation of nutritionist Emily English and offers something called duo cap technology. The capsule contains an outer and an inner core to make sure that the 50 billion live probiotic strains in the inner core reach your gut alive, unmarred by stomach acid. English says this technology has been proven to be 30 times more effective at making sure the bacteria survive, compared to standard capsules. But the outer core does some heavy lifting too, releasing prebiotic FOS, vitamin D, zinc and biotin to top up your levels of these gut-balancing nutrients. I was keen to try Epetōme to see if the duo cap technology would measure up to my beloved Seed capsules.

Epetōme synbiotic duo cap, 30 capsules

epetome probiotics review
  • Why we love it
    • Duo cap technology
    • Ships within the UK
    • 50 billion live probiotic strains
    • Contains prebiotic FOS, vitamin D, zinc and biotin
  • Take note
    • High price point

For the past couple of years, I’ve had my Seed supplements shipped over from the United States on a rolling subscription at no meagre fee of around £47.78 per month including shipping. The whole process has been expensive, but health is wealth so I was willing to part with the cash.

At £54.99 for 30 capsules, Epetōme isn’t exactly a budget buy either but what you’re paying for here is efficacy. There are a lot of supplements out there to choose from, but they’re not all of the same quality and many don’t measure up when it comes to clinical trials. An expert-backed supplement that cites recent objective studies on its website is far more likely to help your health than something with impressive marketing and a celebrity endorsement.

The other difference between Epetōme and Seed is that English recommends taking one capsule a day, whereas the experts at Seed recommend two of its capsules. This doesn’t alter the price – Seed will send 60 capsules per month and Epetōme will send you 30, but there are subscribe and save options for both brands that can help decrease the price a little.

I took my Epetōme duo cap in the mornings with breakfast for the full month and wrote down any changes I noticed. As I had feared, changing my probiotic did come with a few side effects in the early days. My stomach felt a little unsettled and I felt bloated as my body adjusted to the new formula. However, after a week, I felt totally fine again and was back to my usual self. If you’re taking a probiotic for the first time, or if you’re changing the type you usually take, this can affect your gut microbiome as the bacteria recalibrates and you find your baseline.

By the third week, I was feeling good, but not markedly different from how I felt taking the Seed capsules. But this is probably because my gut was already in quite good shape and I try to consume probiotic foods every week and eat a balanced diet of healthy fats, proteins, carbohydrates and plenty of fruits and vegetables that support gut health.

Doing this will ultimately keep your gut happy, whereas an unbalanced diet that’s heavy on hard-to-digest foods, refined sugars, fats and alcohol can make it a lot harder for your gut flora to stay balanced and thriving. If you eat a lot of fatty, sugary and processed foods, you might notice more stomach issues, less energy and more bloating in general, so while the advice to eat a balanced diet might sound basic, it’s a golden rule for a reason. I enjoy the odd pizza or glass of wine so taking a probiotic supplement helps with that but moderation is key for a healthy gut.

By my fourth week on the Epetōme supplements I was feeling great. My body had fully adjusted to the duo caps and I was eating all the foods I usually enjoy with no complaints from my stomach. I didn’t feel any more or less tired than usual and my mood was pretty stable and positive throughout the month. It’s hard to say whether the Seed or Epetōme supplements were better or worse than each other because my body seemed to be saying that they were as good as each other and ultimately performed the same function in sustaining my health.

  1.  £54 from Epetōme
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Epetōme synbiotic duo cap

If you aren’t taking a probiotic, choosing one of these brands would be a win for your wellbeing. Having tried both and benefited from both, I can certainly recommend both. Where my carbon footprint is concerned, I’d obviously choose Epetōme, a brand that ships from and within the UK, as opposed to Seed which ships from the US. And now I’ve been taking the duo caps for a month and getting on well with them, I don’t see any reason to switch back to Seed.

Ultimately my advice would be: if you’re not already taking a probiotic, start taking one and choose a quality brand with expert research behind it, like Epetōme or Seed. But consult your doctor first. Some people with immunity issues shouldn’t take probiotics and if you’ve recently had surgery or you’re in the last trimester of your pregnancy, you’ll want to give them a miss too. Some medical issues aren’t compatible with probiotics so check with a health professional before you dive in.

The gut microbiome is an incredible thing. It impacts not only your digestion but your immunity, your hormones and your nervous system so by keeping it healthy, balanced and free from disruption and inflammation, you’re ultimately doing yourself a favour and supporting better health for years to come.

Buy Epetōme now

Read more: I took maca powder for three months – here’s why you should too

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