As any long-term listener to the BALANCE podcast will know, the team at BALANCE has long been obsessed with the gut and the role it plays in our lives. 

There have been health experts who’ve pointed out that relatively recent research directly connects our gut with our brain, and so a healthy gut means a healthy mind. 

Some guests have gone further and believe our gut is essentially our way of tapping into the divine; we are, in essence, able to mainline the universe via our gut feeling and intuition.

Other guests, meanwhile, have credited their gut with shaping their incredible careers, with key life decisions made by trusting and listening to the gut. 

Whatever you believe we can all agree on one thing: it’s vitally important to keep the gut healthy. The gut, it seems, is calling the shots.

Small yet mighty

It’s why we’ve been genuinely thrilled to trial beleaf Cultured Shots this past few weeks. The shots are Strawberry flavour and feel like the ultimate way to kickstart any day. Workout planned? Bosh. Full day in the office? Wallop. Whatever your day has in store, make sure you give it the shot it needs. 

These beleaf shots make for a delicious blend of four strains of live active cultures for gut health and vitamin B6 to support your immunity. Explains nutritionist Lily Soutter: “Vitamin B6 is one of eight B vitamins which are all hugely important for proper cell function. 

“B6 in particular helps the body produce white blood cells and T cells, which regulate our immune responses. When your immune system is functioning well, it can increase the production of antibodies, helping us to fight off infections.

And Lily adds: “Interestingly, B6 is a water-soluble vitamin, which makes it tricky for the body to store so it’s important to eat foods rich in, or fortified with, B6 in your daily diet. Cultured shots with added vitamins, like those from beleaf, are a great way to quickly and easily achieve a daily dose of B6 and can be enjoyed alongside a balanced breakfast or as a healthy mid-morning snack.”

These shots may be small but they’re big on benefits and flavour.

Gut instinct

Vitamin B6 can boost mood, support healthy immune function and even treat symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), but it’s not the only reason why beleaf Cultured Shots are so special. “In addition to B6”, Lily adds: “beleaf Cultured Shots contain four strains of live active cultures which may help to support overall gut and digestive health. Live active cultures, more commonly known as probiotics, are strains of good bacteria (and sometimes yeasts). Low fibre diets which are in high sugar and processed foods, alongside factors such as poor sleep, stress and high alcohol consumption may lead to an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. This imbalance may result in notable issues with digestion, such as bloating and an upset stomach.

Similarly, some individuals with existing digestive issues and sensitivities like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have been shown to have a higher presence of bad bacteria in the intestinal tract, which may play a role with symptoms.

Daily consumption of live active cultures helps to reduce this bad bacterium in the gut by creating a hostile environment for their growth. Simultaneously beneficial bacteria is introduced to restore balance whilst supporting overall gut health”.

What’s more, beleaf Cultured Shots are a delicious mix of plant-based ingredients and make for a pleasingly creamy texture, plus a welcome fruity tang from the strawberries. 

We’ll understand completely if you’ve stopped reading by now and have gone off to buy your first batch of beleaf Cultured Shots…

Available in selected Asda stores or online; to find out more visit beleaf.eu