If you asked any one of my friends to describe me in three character traits, they’d probably say something like this: 1. Has an old dog that she loves a disconcerting amount, 2. Is always going to arrive somewhere overdressed, 3. Has an absolutely awful stomach.

For truly as long as I can remember, my stomach has been a problem in my life. I’ve seen the doctors, I’ve gotten the tests, and everyone has said the same thing: Nothing is wrong with you. I’ve gotten the catch-all diagnosis of IBS dozens of times, which has left me with no answers and very little to go on in terms of improving the state of my stomach. I’ve done full elimination diets, tried low-FODMAP, and have taken a handful of supplements and probiotics every day for months on end—all to no avail. That is until a little green probiotic snuck its way onto my TikTok page and piqued my interest.

My algorithm must have sensed my sensitive stomach through my phone because suddenly, my FYP was filled with people swearing by Seed Probiotics. In a fit of frustration, late last summer, I decided to throw a Hail Mary and press “add to cart” on them after seeing dozens of unsponsored videos by people swearing they made a difference in the state of their gut. After six months of taking Seed, here’s my experience:

What are Seed Probiotics?

Seed DS-01® Daily Synbiotic is a probiotic supplement, but not in the way you’ve experienced it before. Each capsule provides a blend of probiotics and prebiotics, both of which are important for the health of your digestive system. Seed contains 24 strains of probiotic bacteria, plus prebiotics derived from Indian pomegranate. They also use ViaCap® delivery technology (a capsule-within-a-capsule design), so the bacteria have a better chance of surviving stomach acid.

What Makes Seed Different?

Unlike most probiotic supplements, Seed capsules don’t need to be refrigerated. While most probiotics are measured by the quantity of colony-forming units (CFUs) they contain, Seed is measured by active florescent units (AFUs)—of which they contain 56.3 billion. Their unique capsules are designed to protect the bacteria from stomach acid, making the supplement more effective. Seed’s probiotic formula consists of clinically and scientifically studied strains, and the supplements are vegan and tested for the presence of common allergens, including gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, shellfish, sesame, and corn.

My Experience Taking Seed

As I mentioned, I’m no newbie to probiotics. A container of some kind of probiotic has sat on the top shelf of my fridge for as long as I can remember. When I decided to order seed, I got 25 percent off my first month—but did need to sign up for a subscription, something that deterred me for a long time. I figured that if after a month I didn’t like them, I’d just cancel—but that didn’t end up happening.

From the moment of their arrival on my doorstep, I enjoyed the experience of Seed. Not that aesthetics really matters, but the capsules come in an eco-friendly green jar that looks and feels luxe (a far cry from my Whole Foods probiotics) and also includes a sleek travel container to use if you’re on the go. I don’t have a hard time swallowing pills, but Seed’s non-refrigerated, taste-free capsules go down extra-easy for me.

The standard state of my stomach is bloated, painful, and unpredictable. Even when I’m eating completely clean and sticking to foods I know my stomach can tolerate, a bout of pain and bloating could pop up at a moment’s notice. After about three days of taking Seed, I noticed that my stomach was consistently not bloated whatsoever. I thought it was interesting, but could have been circumstantial—it wasn’t. Since the moment I started taking Seed, bloating has been a complete non-factor to me (minus the week I’m on my period). Even if I ate a lot of raw veggies (something I know upsets my stomach) or had a scoop of ice cream (ditto), my stomach didn’t blow up like a balloon—a near-miracle in my book.

To be completely honest, I didn’t expect that much when I started taking Seed. I began, noticed my new bloat-free state, but then kind of forgot about it. Until a day about six weeks later when I realized… my stomach had been normal lately. I had no emergency runs into a gas station or days that I had to stay home from the office. For the first time since I could remember, my stomach seemed happy. And in the six months since, it’s stayed that way, so much so that I canceled the appointment I had with a specialist who was going to try acupuncture on me (something I had considered a last resort before). I started existing in a world where my stomach didn’t control my life or schedule—and that didn’t include constant fear that it was going to act up at any minute.

The Verdict: Is Seed Worth It?

Over the past six months, Seed has truly changed the game for me. For the first time in my life, I’d consider my stomach normal—something I never thought I’d say. My stomach is truly the ultimate test, and if it helps me, I know it can help other people, too.

The subscription required to try Seed is definitely a barrier to entry, but I couldn’t possibly recommend it more. If you do try it and don’t like it—something I doubt will happen—you can always cancel after a month or two, and I’ve found the subscription to be amazing because it requires zero work on my behalf to always remain in stock. I never go a day without them, which I couldn’t say about my previous probiotics, which I’d just add to my grocery list—and often forgot about—once I ran out.

I’ve recommended Seed to everyone in my life, and can truly say that I’ll be a user of them for the foreseeable future. I’ve never had something impact my quality of life quite so much, and I’m so grateful that I decided to pull the trigger and give them a go. They’re worth every single penny to me, and I can’t imagine going back to how my stomach was before I gave them a try.