BackgroundÂ
Noah-Simon Waddell is the founder of the Coconut Cult yogurt. He had inflammatory problems and the doctor continuously prescribed medications, like steroids to help decrease his inflammatory problems. Waddell did not find steroids to be a long-term solution. He wanted to know what was the root cause of his inflammation. This caused him to change his diet by eliminating conventional flour, processed sugars, breads, and dairy. He made all his meals from scratch, which included yogurt made from almonds and coconuts. Waddell experimented with yogurts for their probiotic benefits which are known to help with inflammation. The quality of the yogurts he created within his kitchen had a different and better quality than store-bought varieties. As he continued to experiment with homemade yogurts, he amplified the medicinal benefits, which helped him to feel healthier and improve digestion.Â
What Ingredients and Probiotics are in Coconut Cult? Â
The coconuts they use within the yogurts are from Thailand. The ingredients include organic coconut cream, organic coconut meat, organic coconut water, and custom probiotic cultures. The yogurt is fermented with live cultures, which places good bacteria or probiotics in yogurt making it the ultimate healing food. This causes the yogurt to be less sweet, but has a sour tangy taste, similar to kombucha. This tangy taste comes from the probiotic blend of 16 species of probiotics, which are L. helveticus, L. salivarius, L. lactis, L. rhamnosus, L. plantarum, L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, B. breve, L. brevis, L. gasseri, L. casei, L. reuteri, B. longum, B. bifidum, B. infantis, L. fermentum. Within 1 oz of coconut yogurt is 50 billion colony-forming units (CFUs). This is why only 1 oz or 2 tablespoons are recommended to start with because healthcare professionals recommend 25-100 CFUs only per day.
Why is Coconut Cult Better than Other Probiotic Yogurts?
The Coconut Cult website claims that the majority of probiotics are temporary because they pass through the gut rather than populate within the gut. They claim that probiotic strains used in Coconut Cult reside within the intestines. Additionally, coconut is a prebiotic, which allows probiotics to frequently flourish in the digestive system and within the jar. Therefore, the yogurt becomes more fermented and potent over time within the jar because the probiotics are continuously multiplying!Â
What do Gastroenterologists Say About Probiotics?
Gastroenterologists say that “up to 10% of an individual’s daily energy needs can be derived from the byproducts of bacterial fermentation”(Ciorba). The bacteria within us can produce vitamin B, vitamin K, short-chain fatty acids, and folate. This bacteria nurtures digestion and shapes our immune systems. These benefits are based on the specific strain. Gasternologists specifically talk about yogurt that contains lactic acid-producing bacteria, which commonly is utilized in food fermentation. That yogurts generally have live-active lactobacillus cultures.Â
Gastroenterologists experimented by observing stools and noticed that many probiotic strains, when consumed, do not permanently colonize the gut and disappear within 1-4 weeks after consumption stops. So probiotics are not long-term unless used consistently. This is why probiotics need to be continually consumed to have sustained benefits. All the probiotic strains within Coconut Cult are transient, meaning they last a short period within the gut. However, B, Longum can stay within the gut longer than most probiotic strains. Additionally, B, Longum helps with digestion and inflammation, which aligns with Waddell’s goals. When combined with probiotics, B, Longum usually can create temporary colonies. Coconut Cult strains, although transient, still have benefits if the yogurt is taken consistently. So their yogurt does contain many probiotics that are offered in other probiotic substances. However the quantity of strains and the strain of B, Longum can make a difference in results.Â
Other Non-Dairy Probiotic Yogurt Brands:
Coconut Cult is both a non-dairy and vegan yogurt, except if they have collaborations with honey products the yogurt is only non-dairy. Looking at other vegan or non-dairy probiotic yogurts, there are limited options. Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt contains oatmilk, coconut oil, chickpea protein, and other ingredients. Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt  has yogurt cultures, which are S. Thermophilus, and L. Bulgaricus. Additionally, Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt contains live probiotic cultures of bifidobacterium Lactis Bb-12, L. Acidophilus, and L. Rhamnosus Lgg. COCOYO is another probiotic yogurt brand that is very similar to Coconut Cult. It is a vegan coconut-based yogurt with vanilla extract, probiotics, and stevia. COCOYO contains Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc strains. For every ½ cup or 8 tablespoons of COCOYO contains 100 billion probiotics. COCOYO is sweeter in comparison to Coconut Cult and incorporates more probiotics than Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt . However, COCOYO has 3-4 strains but a high CFU count. Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt  has a mild amount of probiotics up to 5-6 strains. So Coconut Cult overall has a higher quantity of strains, being 50 billion per oz. With these high doses of probiotics, pricing can be expensive, COCOYO is about $6.49 for an 8oz container, Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt  is roughly $2.00 for 6 oz container, and Coconut Cult is approximately $10.00 for an 8oz jar. So it really depends on what customers are looking for and their goals. For budget-friendly and mild probiotics, Nancy’s Oat Milk Non-Dairy Plain Yogurt  is a great option. For a high CFU concentration and sweeter flavor, COCOYO is a good alternative. For maximum probiotic diversity, Coconut Cult is an excellent option.
My Experience:
I was taking probiotic gummies before trying Coconut Cult yogurt but I did not see any results, so I assumed they were ineffective. This is why I decided to try Coconut Cult because many of the reviews I read say the yogurt is delicious and improves gut health. Additionally, many influencers on social media claim Coconut Cult to be beneficial, which caused it to become trendy. I bought the chocolate mousse Coconut Cult yogurt. The taste was not sweet, but more tangy. At first, it was a surprise, but overall I got used to the tangy taste and did not mind it. I took a tablespoon a day for two weeks. For the first week, I felt like my body was getting used to the probiotics, so I didn’t see any results. In my second week, my body felt more adjusted and my digestion had improved. I did not see any significant changes or any significant negative effects from the Coconut Cult. I think if I had not taken probiotic gummies before, I would have had more significant changes.Â