How We Review Probiotics
Whenever we review a probiotic supplement, we evaluate six specific categories.
- Number of active strains - How many types of bacteria are included?
- AFU (Active Fluorescent Units)/ CFU (Colony Forming Units) - These units of measurement tell you how many billions of bacteria are estimated to be within each supplement dose.
- Storage Requirements - Some probiotics are shelf-stable, while others require refrigeration.
- Ingredient Transparency – does the company disclose where it sources its active strains and provide clinical research for their efficacy?
- Value - How are the probiotics priced? Can you purchase them without an auto-ship program?
- Sustainability - Does the company show ways its supplements are better for the environment through sustainable ingredient sourcing or packaging?
Let's evaluate these criteria for Seed.
About Seed Probiotics
Seed is an e-commerce supplement brand with a single product—the DS-O1 Daily Synbiotic probiotic. The company got its start in 2018 when cofounders Ara Katz and Raja Dhir determined that the current probiotic supplements available weren't hitting the mark.
Katz's experiences of pregnancy and breastfeeding as a new mom led her to develop a deeper appreciation of the body's microbiome and its role in overall health. She joined forces with Dhir, who had the scientific experience to understand what could be improved within the probiotic industry.
Together, they strove to create a supplement that "raised the bar on bacteria" by giving the body what it needed for all its systems to operate most effectively. They collaborated with a large team of entrepreneurs, artists, and scientists to develop a probiotic known as DS-01 Daily Synbiotic.
The Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic
Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic
seed.com
- Active Strains - 24
- AFU - 53.6 billion AFU
- Storage Requirements - Shelf-stable for 18 months after opening
- Ingredient Transparency - Clinical data available for each strain
- Sustainability - First order ships in reusable glass canisters and subsequent orders arrive in compostable biofilm.
- Value - $49.99/60 supplements (30-day supply subscription)
The DS-01 Daily Synbiotic is a broad-spectrum probiotic that combines 24 probiotic strains with a non-fermenting prebiotic concentrate of Indian pomegranate for better delivery. Of these strains, 23 are human-derived, and one is isolated from fruit and added to promote healthy cholesterol levels.
These strains work synergistically to support the 38 trillion bacteria that make up your microbiome. They will purportedly help the body digest food, minimize inflammation, and better synthesize nutrients.
This supplement contains four distinct probiotic blends:
- Digestive Health/ Gut Immunity/ Gut Barrier Integrity: 37.0 Billion AFU
- Dermatological Health: 3.3 Billion AFU
- Cardiovascular Health: 5.25 Billion AFU
- Micronutrient Synthesis: 8.05 Billion AFU
(See strain-specific studies here)
How It Works
With these multiple strains, the company claims to take a 'Microbe-Systems Approach' through microbes that impact specific physical functions beyond the digestive system. These include skin and heart health, better immune system functioning, and micronutrient synthesis.
In other words, DS-01 goes beyond digestive issues to support full-body health. The company claims it's even one of the first probiotic formulations able to synthesize folate and increase its production.
Seed's DS-01 Daily Synbiotic probiotic also stands out with its delivery system. The supplement utilizes "nested capsule technology" along with a patented algae delivery system. This two-in-one capsule design houses the probiotic formula within a prebiotic casing made from Indian pomegranate to ensure these fragile bacteria survive both sitting on store shelves and the perilous journey through stomach acid to your colon.
Through this method, Seed claims to average a 100% delivery rate of the probiotic's starting dose to your colon. According to internal testing, DS-01 probiotics will exceed the living cell counts listed on the label even after ten days of constant 100º F exposure.
Usage Instructions
Adults can take two Seed probiotic supplements per day, preferably at the same time. It's best you do so on an empty stomach to limit the capsule's exposure to digestive enzymes that start to break it down. However, those with sensitive stomachs may want to eat something first. While you'll get optimal results from taking the supplements daily, it's not a problem if you occasionally skip one.
If you're new to probiotics, start by taking one per day for the first three days and then increasing your dosage to two per day. You may feel its effects on your digestive system within 48 hours, though long-term improvements to the cardiovascular system take more time and might not be noticeable to you.
Seed probiotics don't need require refrigeration. They are shelf-stable for 18 months at temperatures up to 78℉ and are safe to take when expired. Just note that the company can't guarantee their potency at this point.
How to Buy
Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic probiotics are only available on a subscription basis. They cost $49.99 per month and ship free throughout the US (international orders include a $10 shipping fee).
You will receive a 30-day supply (60 capsules) when you order through the company website, and the first order includes a reusable glass canister and travel vial. Each subsequent order arrives in compostable biofilm so you can transfer the capsules to the reusable ones.
All first orders are covered by a 30-day risk-free trial, during which you can return the probiotics for a full refund. It's possible to cancel the subscription at any time by contacting customer service at [email protected].
Note: At publication, these probiotics were sold out. They are available for pre-order and expected to ship again in 2-4 weeks.
What We Like About Seed
As a product within the largely unregulated supplement industry, Seed broad-spectrum probiotics earn major points from us for both transparency and abundant clinical research. The company shares detailed information about every bacterial strain within the supplement and links out to the scientific studies highlighting their effectiveness.
Customer reviews on Facebook and other review sites show that Seed probiotics work as described for many users. Some shared they experienced positive improvements in their digestive system within 48 hours and noticed better-looking skin within a month.
Those with allergies or food sensitivities will also appreciate these supplements are soy-free, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, and free of binders and preservatives.
From a consumer standpoint, Seed makes taking probiotics simple. The shelf-stable formula means you won't have to store them in the fridge, and each 30-day supply is guaranteed to remain viable for 18 months after opening. Likewise, the nested capsule delivery system should improve how many billions of bacteria make it into your digestive system intact.
Equally noteworthy, we love Seed's commitment to environmental sustainability. By sending each customer two reusable glass containers at the start of their subscription, the company minimizes the packaging waste for each subsequent order.
What We Don't Like
Despite these positives, Seed broad-spectrum probiotics have some downsides. To start, they are pricier than many competitors. You will pay $1.66 per day's dose, which is more than some want to pay for supplements.
It's also not possible to try them without committing to a monthly subscription. While it will take several weeks or longer to start noticing their effects, some customers might not want to be locked into an auto-ship program so early in the experimenting process.
Likewise, some customer reviews complained of unexpected side effects such as breakouts and rashes. It's not clear whether these went away for users after a few weeks of use.
Finally, it's currently only possible to pre-order these supplements. If you're dealing with digestive distress today, you may want to try a probiotic brand that's available right now for faster relief.
Seed Safety & Side Effects
Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotics are considered safe for adults over 18. Each supplement is vegan and free of common allergens like gluten, dairy, soy, and corn. They have undergone extensive third-party testing and adhere to the highest global regulatory standards for safety.
As with all probiotics, you might notice unpleasant side effects when you start taking them. Many people experience bloating, increased gas production, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems for the first few days.
This can be discouraging, as many users take probiotics precisely to combat these symptoms in the first place. However, your system should adjust to the new bacteria within two weeks, and this digestive distress should diminish accordingly.
The DS-01 Daily Synbiotic is classified as safe for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, although the company recommends speaking with a medical professional before starting them. As will all probiotics, you should not take these supplements if you have a weakened immune system, recently underwent surgery, or if you have a serious illness. Speak with your doctor before starting any dietary supplement if you have concerns or questions.
Takeaway: Are Seed Probiotics Worth It?
The Seed DS-01 Daily Synbiotic is well-formulated and shows clinical evidence of improving your gut biome for far-reaching health benefits. The company solves the tricky problem of selling a live product with its innovative delivery system that keeps the bacteria within the supplement safe both on the shelf and through the digestive process.
If you are dealing with digestive problems, or are looking for a way to improve your general health, then this broad-spectrum probiotic might be one worth trying.
Just keep in mind that you might feel worse for a few days before the microbes will take full effect in your gut and that giving it a try means you are committing to a monthly subscription.
Lydia Noyes is a freelance writer specializing in health and wellness, food and farming, and environmental topics. When not working against a writing deadline, you can find Lydia outdoors where she attempts to bring order to her 33-acre hobby farm filled with fruit trees, heritage breed pigs, too many chickens to count, and an organic garden that somehow gets bigger every year.
This aerial image shows boats stored in a parking lot after the Folsom Lake Marina closed due to dry lake bed conditions during the California drought emergency on May 27, 2021, in El Dorado Hills, California.
"We could see the fuselage here, we could see the right-wing. We could see the tail," Josh Tamplin, the company's CEO, said to KRON-4 TV.
The plane discovered in the lake looks similar to the plane that went missing in 1965. It couldn't be confirmed because the Seafloor technicians couldn't record the aircraft number, or look at the interior of the plane because of murky water, according to Gizmodo.
Local news outlets suspect that the plane found is a Piper Comanche 250 plane, which is the model that crashed in 1965, leaving four people dead on New Year's Day.
Since the incident, only the body of the plane's pilot has been found — leaving the whereabouts of the plane and three other passengers still unknown. The victim's loved ones expressed that the unsolved mystery has haunted them for more than five decades, according to ABC News.
"He didn't really know his brother, but him and his mom would go out to the lake periodically when the water was low and look around to see if they could see anything," Katherine Radican said of her deceased husband, whose brother perished in the crash, to ABC News.
Before Frank Wilcox, Radican's husband, passed, he promised his mother he would keep searching for his long-lost brother in the hopes of giving him a proper burial.
"He promised her that he would find him for her," Radican said to ABC News.
An image of the plane, captured by Seafloor Systems' sonar imaging.Seafloor Systems
Seafloor System representatives and the Local Sheriffs' offices plan to collaborate to try to retrieve the plane from the water. Finding the plane may bring closure to families who have been in the dark for decades.
"I think it's amazing that after all this time there's been a lot of research and a lot of effort put into finding this for the family and also to retrieve what no one knew was down there," Seafloor's Tyler Atkinson told KRON-4.
This year, the Sierra snowpack was only 53% of its historical average, according to Gold Country Media. It feeds in Folsom Lake, causing the lake to be at less than half of its capacity.
Due to the low snow year, and increasing summer temperatures in California, both symptoms of the climate crisis, California has been seeing more extreme dry and wet years, according to Gizmodo.
The U.S. Drought Monitor categorized the surrounding area of the lake as being in extreme or exceptional drought — the two driest rankings possible.
Other climate phenomena have led to new discoveries. Just last month, the thawing Italian Alps allowed researchers to find World War I relics, previously hidden under the earth. In 2018, extreme drought and heat led to the discovery of outlines of ancient buildings in the UK.
Although historically compelling, these discoveries are all a result of conditions related to climate change. California's drought can have permanent damages to ecosystems, seawater intrusion, and land subsidence, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Audrey Nakagawa is the content creator intern at EcoWatch. She is a senior at James Madison University studying Media, Art, and Design, with a concentration in journalism. She's a reporter for The Breeze in the culture section and writes features on Harrisonburg artists, album reviews, and topics related to mental health and the environment. She was also a contributor for Virginia Reports where she reported on the impact that COVID-19 had on college students.
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Rewilding restores an area to its original, uncultivated state, shifting away from the centuries-long practice of controlling and managing nature for human need. It incorporates both the old and the new, allowing wildness to reclaim an area and/or incorporating new elements of architectural or landscape design, like growing greenery on the facades of buildings.
The practice of rewilding is frequently carried out in wild areas; many projects aim to restore biodiversity in an ecosystem, often by reintroducing animal species that are high on the food chain, which in turn stabilizes lower species. One of the most famous cases of rewilding is the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
Cities too have begun rewilding; but, although these were spaces were once as wild as Yellowstone, introducing apex predators to New York City or Tokyo might not be the best method for success. Rewilding in urban areas might instead include reintroducing native plant species, building parks on empty lots, incorporating more biophilic design when building new structures, or simply allowing nature to reclaim space. A major draw to rewilding in urban areas is the proven positive impact of nature on human health – particularly for city-dwellers with less access to outdoor spaces.
Here are a few cities that have taken on the task of rewilding.
1. Singapore
Gardens by the Bay, which features the two cooled conservatories "Flower Dome" and "Cloud Forest", the Supertrees at the Supertree Grove, the Heritage Gardens, The World of Plants, and the Dragonfly and Kingfisher Lakes, on July 29, 2017, in Singapore. studioEAST / Getty Images
In an effort to increase quality of life and restore native vegetation in the city, the Gardens by the Bay have transformed Singapore from a "Garden city" to a "City in a Garden." 18 "Supertrees" are dispersed throughout the landscape along Marina Bay, some as high as 160 feet; while not living things themselves, the trees are home to over 158,000 plants and mimic the functions of regular trees by providing shade, filtering rainwater, and absorbing heat.
Built on former industrial land, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is also an example of rewilding in Singapore, incorporating elements of water-sensitive urban design and reducing the urban heat island effect in the city. The park is built around the Bishan river, which now flows freely as a natural stream system, unimpeded by man-made barriers. Within the first two years after these rewilding efforts were implemented in the park, biodiversity increased by 30%, even though no wildlife was introduced. Additionally, visitors from the surrounding cities of Bishan Yushin, and Ang Mo Kio are provided a natural respite from city life.
Beyond parks, Singapore maintains more than 90 miles of Nature Ways: canopied corridors that connect green spaces, facilitating the movement of animals and butterflies from one natural area to another throughout the city. These routes mimic the layers of the ecosystem with shrub, understory, canopy, and emergent layers, providing habitats for different species at their various heights.
Singapore has also developed a City Biodiversity Index to examine and track the progress of biodiversity and conservation projects. Thanks in part to these rewilding efforts, Singapore is now considered Asia's greenest city.
2. Nottingham, United Kingdom
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust / Influence
With the number of empty storefronts on UK high streets at the highest level in six years, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has proposed a new vision for the empty Broadmarsh shopping center in the city: an urban oasis of wetlands, woodlands, and wildflowers.
The proposal was submitted to city council in December, and its proponents hope it will bring back native species and link the city to the nearby Sherwood Forest. The Wildlife Trust cites COVID-19 as a breakthrough in the way people view wildlife and nature, as many rushed to natural areas for solace throughout the pandemic.
Replacing these 6 acres of development – which is widely considered an eyesore by the community – could set a precedent for how such spaces are redeveloped in the future, perhaps reintroducing nature on available land rather than concrete and asphalt.
3. Haerbin, China
The Qunli National Urban Wetland. Turenscape
As climate change promises more frequent natural disasters, many cities are addressing the problem of increased flooding. The city of Haerbin, China – the capital of China's northernmost province, which sees 60-70% of its annual precipitation from June-August – has taken a creative approach: fostering a wetland in the middle of the city.
In 2009, landscape architects made plans to protect an existing 34-hectare wetland in the center of the city that had been cut off from its water sources by development, proposing that the location be transformed into an urban stormwater park: the Qunli National Urban Wetland.
The park provides invaluable ecosystem services: collecting and filtering stormwater into the aquifer, recovering a native habitat vital to the surrounding ecosystem, and supplying a place for recreation in the city with a network of raised paths and viewing towers for visitors.
4. Dublin, Ireland
One-third of bee populations in Ireland are threatened with extinction, so the country has begun retiring their lawnmowers and letting grasses grow high.
Ireland developed the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan to be implemented between 2015 and 2020, with an updated version outlining the continued plan for 2021-2025. Dublin too created a 2015-2020 Biodiversity Action Plan, aimed at reducing mowing and herbicide use in parks, roadsides, and other green spaces. By letting native plants grow instead of maintaining monocropped, chemical-laden lawns, native insect, bird, and bee populations thrive. Thanks to this initiative headed by the Dublin City Council, 80% of the city's green spaces are now "pollinator-friendly."
5. Sydney and Melbourne, Australia
One Central Park in Chippendale. Sardaka / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0
Australia has caught on to the biophilic cities movement: a different design approach that brings nature and urbanites together, welcomes back native species, and makes even the densest cities more "natureful."
The government architect of New South Whales outlines the benefits of bringing nature into cities – for human health, improved property values, and resilience against the effects of climate change – by creating more green infrastructure in The "Greener Places" framework, released last year. The biophilic One Central Park in Chippendale – a suburb of Sydney – is known for its vertical hanging gardens, which incorporate 35,200 plants of 383 different species more than 1,120 square meters of the building's surface. The apartment block also employs a drip irrigation system for the plants, a tri-generation plant for energy, and a cantilever that redirects sunlight into a nearby park at various times of day.
Just down the coast, Melbourne has taken similar action with the Green Our City strategic action plan, which outlines how nature can be brought back into the city through green walls and roofs. Construction is expected to begin next year on the proposed "Green Spine" building on the city's Southbank, which will become the country's tallest building, and the world's tallest vertical garden.
6. Hanover, Frankfurt, and Dessau, Germany
As a part of the Städte Wagen Wildnis ("Cities Venturing into Wilderness," or "Cities Dare Wilderness") Project, Hanover, Frankfurt, and Dessau, Germany have agreed to set aside plots in cities – such as the sites of former buildings, parks, vacant lots, etc. – where nature will be allowed to take over. The project is largely experimental; the hands-off approach to these green spaces means that minimal intervention will occur by participating cities, and wilderness will be allowed to reclaim the spaces unimpeded.
The resulting wildflower gardens and untamed nature will create new habitats for plant and animal species, and thus will increase the overall biodiversity of these cities. Since the project's onset in 2016, The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the Federal Ministry for the Environment have already reported greater drought tolerance of these areas and increases in the number of butterflies, bees, birds, butterflies, and hedgehogs.
Along with aiding native populations, another major goal of this initiative is to provide more opportunities for recreation and improve the quality of life of nearby citizens with greater exposure to nature.
7. New York City, United States
At first glance, the concrete jungle of New York City doesn't exactly appear particularly hospitable to wilderness. However, the city has become an example of how unused development – no matter how narrow or unlikely – can be transformed into a natural oasis. On the site of a former elevated railroad, the High Line gardens have become a staple attraction of Manhattan with a walkway stretching 1.5 miles through Chelsea along the Hudson River.
The High Line gardeners work to facilitate the natural processes occurring in this landscape, allowing plants to compete, spread out, and grow/change as they would in nature. In an environment as densely populated and developed as New York, the High Line provides a valuable habitat for native butterflies, birds, and insects – and, of course, the hundreds of plant species covering its surface.
8. Barcelona, Spain
Lorena Escuer / Hydrobiology / Handout
When Barcelonans emerged from their homes after the six-week coronavirus-induced lockdown last April, they found that the city was bursting with growth. With parks closed, nature had begun to reclaim spaces, and, after spending weeks indoors, Barcelona's citizens were eager to experience more nature in the city.
In May and June of 2020, the Urban Butterfly Monitor Scheme found significant increases in biodiversity: 28% more species per park overall, 74% more butterflies, and an explosion of plant growth during the spring rains that supplied more insects for birds to feed on.
Inspired by these changes – having had difficulty pursing rewilding efforts in previous years – the city is now working to create 49,000 square meters of "greened" streets and 783,300 of green open space. Furthermore, beehives and insect hotels have been dispersed throughout the city, as well as 200 bird- and bat-nesting towers to encourage even more biodiversity.
Linnea graduated from Skidmore College in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English and Environmental Studies, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. Most recently, Linnea worked at Hunger Free America, and has interned with WHYY in Philadelphia, Saratoga Living Magazine, and the Sierra Club in Washington, DC.
Linnea enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors, reading, practicing her German, and volunteering on farms and gardens and for environmental justice efforts in her community. Along with journalism, she is also an essayist and writer of creative nonfiction.
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