Leading UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s now stocks vegan probiotic drinks intended to boost gut health.
Called Biomel, the Yakult-style beverages are made with different varieties of plant-based milk, including almond and coconut. Each shot of Biomel contains billions of live active cultures, according to the Sainsbury’s website, as well as vitamin B6, vitamin D, and calcium.
“Designed to thrive where others cannot,” Biomel’s cultures are reportedly 10 times stronger than yoghurt and kefir cultures.
“Our cultures remain dormant through transit to your gut, where they become active, quickly multiply and out-compete the bad bacteria. This helps the good bacteria in your gut thrive!” the product description reads.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtGoFnWglmY/
Free from gluten and soy, Biomel is made with natural, plant-based ingredients. According to shoppers online, the flavours – which include Natural, Dark Chocolate, Almond, and Almond Salted Caramel – even taste like milkshake. The brand recommends enjoying Biomel on top of granola and cereals or as a “guilt-free afternoon snack.”
Biomel created its probiotic drinks to offer a tasty alternative to the products already out on supermarket shelves. “Before we arrived, all gut health products were sour, tangy and mostly contained dairy – which can mess with your gut,” Biomel wrote on its website.
Dairy consumption is linked to a number of diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Canada’s most recent food guide scrapped dairy almost completely due to health concerns.
Gut Health and Diet
The gut is “the heart of your health,” Biomel writes on its website, explaining that it impacts mood, the immune system, and digestive health.
A growing bank of research links plant-based foods – like Biomel – to optimal gut health. Vegan doctor Dr. Angie Sadeghi, who specializes in gastroenterology, urges the importance of a plant-based diet for gut, and overall, health. She recently told LIVEKINDLY that animal product consumption is “unnecessary” and “dangerous for health.”
Increased awareness of the health benefits of vegan food has inspired other brands. Major dairy company Danone recently introduced a line of vegan probiotic yoghurts, called Good Plants, which are made with almond milk.
This month, cruelty-free beauty brand Pacifica launched drinkable vegan probiotic powders that can be added to water, juice, or smoothies. Available at Target, the powders contain plant-based superfoods which are said to benefit the mind and body.
Image Credit: Biomel
