The demands of modern life often mean sacrificing food quality for convenience. Processed foods are easy to access, affordable, and quick, making them the go-to option when hunger strikes. However, these foods are typically high in fat, sugar, and salt, while being low in fiber. This imbalance can disrupt the gut barrier, causing inflammation throughout the body. As a result, a poor diet can contribute to digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and bloating.

One serving of Gut Feel provides the clinically proven dose of 600mg of ACTAZIN® to improve gut health in a refreshing drink with notes of sweet apple, tart kiwi, and warm ginger. Gut Feel sources certified organic, gluten-free superfoods to support gut health in each convenient dose. Containing high-fibre sources including baobab, apple, kiwifruit, and barley grass, Gut Feel bulks stool and promotes microbiome diversity to prevent uncomfortable bowel symptoms. Additionally, ginger powder reduces the fermentation of intestinal gas to ensure a comfortable digestive process.

ACTAZIN® has been specifically chosen due to its clinically proven effects in improving gut health, most notably, stool form and bowel regularity. ACTAZIN® is a natural green Hayward kiwifruit product that is grown and processed in New Zealand. It has been scientifically proven in amounts of 600mg to relieve gastrointestinal symptoms due to its powerful bioactive effects. Free from preservatives, added sugars, and gluten, it is ideal for the whole family. There are three key components of ACTAZIN® in Gut Feel that allow it to aid in digestive health: dietary fibre, actinidin, and luteolin.

The benefits of ACTAZIN® begin in the stomach and continue through the large intestine. ACTAZIN® includes kiwifruit pectin, a soluble dietary fibre, that is FODMAP-friendly as it is digested slowly in the gut, which reduces the production of uncomfortable gases in the digestion of protein. Furthermore, pectin can be fermented completely by the gut microflora, which provides differing substrates for fermentation by specialised microbes, benefiting the diversity and composition of the microbiome. Fibre fermentation by gut bacteria increases the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which aid in the maintenance of the gut barrier and reduction of inflammation.

ACTAZIN® also contains insoluble kiwifruit fibre in the form of hemicellulose and cellulose, which can swell over three times its original volume and has a high water retention capacity due to its insoluble pectin and cell walls’ interaction with water. This may assist in the bulking of, and comfortable passage of, stool through the digestive tract, aiding in bowel regularity.

Secondly, actinidin is a cysteine protease (an enzyme that degrades protein) which can exist in the low pH environment of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it can aid in the digestion of all dietary and supplemental proteins. Actinidin breaks down proteins more efficiently than human digestive enzymes, thus assisting in the digestion of difficult proteins that may cause bloating. It does this by breaking proteins into smaller peptides for optimal digestion and uptake by the body. This increases the rate of stomach emptying, reduces gastrointestinal symptoms, and allows for a faster uptake of amino acids for use by the body.

Finally, ACTAZIN® contains a polyphenol known as luteolin, an antioxidant that supports the immune system through the reduction of inflammation and modulation of the microbiome; which makes it an excellent addition to Gut Feel for its gut support function.

Rheal is a popular greens and wellness brand on the market, and their success is due to the creation of a relationship with their audience through storytelling, transparency, and education on wellness. They address the demand for clean and natural functional foods through their products and their benefits.

They humanise the brand through storytelling, explaining how one of the founders of Rheal, Charlotte, experienced lethargy, digestive issues, and immune weakness from Coeliac disease, and began incorporating superfoods into her diet. She recognised the importance of a product that was nutritious, natural, and convenient. This resonates with their audience and their own issues, fostering a deeper sense of connection.

Rheal also tells stories through their social media marketing by using advertising that appeals greatly to the younger generation, with eye-catching graphics, social media influencers, and educational content. This highlights the issues that a consumer may be facing and how their product can help relieve them. It also suggests that if an influencer whom the consumer enjoys endorses the product, it must be trustworthy, due to the parasocial relationships that are formed between viewers and influencers.

Rheal’s transparency is evident on their website, with insights into their ingredients, the benefits of each, and customer testimonials to show that they are confident in their products and to appeal to consumer demand for transparency.