M&S X Zoe Gut Shot

The Research

Kefir (milk)

Kefir is a fermented dairy drink which has several potential health benefits including improving the diversity of gut microbiota and lactose tolerance. However, it’s unclear what dose of kefir is needed to achieve these benefits.

randomised controlled trial (RCT) in 45 people with irritable bowel disease (IBD) showed that kefir at a dose of 400ml per day for 4 weeks may help to improve symptoms of bloating and overall feeling good scores of which were significantly improved in this study (p<0.05). The kefir drinkers also found improvements in their gut microbiome composition (1).

However, the dose of kefir in this product is only 150ml and is therefore lower than used in this RCT, so may not be as effective.

Probiotics

None of the bacterial strains in M&S ZOE gut shot have been identified and therefore cannot be considered probiotics. To identify a probiotic, there should be a third part to the microbe’s name e.g. Lactobaccilus rhamnosus HN001.

Other ingredients

Mixed fruit puree (apple, strawberry, banana, blackcurrant, blueberry) have no known health benefits.

M&S ZOE Gut Shot contains 3.3g of fibre mostly from baobab pulp and chicory root. Baobab pulp and chicory root have independently found to improve blood glucose levels when consumed alongside meals, but at much higher doses than used in this product.

A study that was conducted in 9 healthy female participants found that consumption of baobab fruit pulp at a dose of 18.5g and 37g could significantly reduce post-prandial blood glucose levels following white bread consumption (3).

Chicory fibre

Two double-blind randomised controlled trials in 40-42 healthy adults showed that inulin and oligofructose obtained from chicory at a dose of approximately 5.3g oligofructose or 12.9g inulin reduced blood glucose and insulin levels, in which the inulin had a significant effect (4).

However, the doses of the soluble fibres, inulin and oligofructose, obtained from chicory fibre provide a larger amount of dietary fibre than is available in a single bottle of this gut shot. Therefore, the effectiveness of lowering postprandial blood sugar may not be as effective. Having said that, the sugar content of the test meals in the study was more than double that of this gut health drink. So, the ratio of sugars to dietary fibre may be more in line and could produce the same results.

Ginger juice

A short-term crossover study involving 123 healthy volunteers found that 20ml fresh ginger juice for 7 days exerted beneficial effects on the gut microbiome. Specific changes observed included increased microbiome diversity, a decrease in pro-inflammatory bacteria, and an increase in beneficial anti-inflammatory bacteria and the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio (13). However, it is unclear how much ginger juice is used in this product.