Review | Kiko Vitals, vegan gut wellness and hormonal balance

“You cannot separate hormone health from overall health, especially in women” says Kerri-Lee Taylor, Cape Town-based founder of Kiko Vitals. Kiko is an SA brand that addresses female wellness through an offering of two natural supplements: De-Bloat & Gut-Glow and Hormonal Balance.

In recent years, more research has been done on the endocrine system and, increasingly, women are turning to “safer”, more natural consumption choices. We now understand that much of what we eat and put on our skins can affect our hormonal balance (endocrine system). I consider myself physically healthy with a dependable immune system. I also know that I’ve been called moody all my life and while in my teens I would get melancholic at times, by my 20s I was living in a quiet rage. Physically, it would start off as a scowl on my face, move down into a tightness in my chest before sinking all the way to finally settle in my gut. And so, my gut became the bearer of all my negative emotions. By my 30s, I’d come to accept “the bloat” as part of life.

“What we know today compared to what we knew a decade ago is chalk and cheese. We are going from contraception pills to natural cycle syncing. Eliminating toxic ingredients from our beauty products and removing limiting beliefs about these debilitating hormonal symptoms and debunking old truths. Women are not accepting these symptoms as ‘usual’ because they are not,” says Taylor. Intuitively, I think we all know this as women.

I was drawn to Kiko Vitals because they tick many boxes for me: a) they are made by women for women (and beautifully branded); b) they are made from only useful ingredients — no fillers to save costs; and c) they are formulated using both nature and science to back each other up.

I had to give them a try.

Week 1

The anti-bloat supplements are recommended to be taken with every meal or as needed while the hormonal balance ones are two capsules together once a day. I started with the hormonal balance alone because, in my mind, I didn’t want the cocktail to confuse the effects.

I popped two capsules after my lunch (it is usually in the afternoons that I find myself feeling on edge). I decided I was going to do this daily until I felt a noticeable change before adding the anti-bloat. It happened on day three. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. At first, I wondered whether it was a placebo effect, but by day five, I was convinced there were significant shifts.

• The first obvious improvement was on my skin. It had been feeling dehydrated and looking a little blotchy this past winter. I’d also experienced some chin breakouts. Now, there was no visible inflammation, just a clear glow.
• The second shocker was the clarity of my dreams. Usually, I wake up not sure that I even had dreams. My dreams are now vivid and no longer elude all recollection.
• Lastly, and probably most importantly since it’s why I came to this party, I was feeling more in control of my emotions. Just a little bit. The morning routine with the kids was certainly less hysterical but I still experienced confusingly fleeting highs and lows. I guess some things must be left to therapy.

Week 2

I took the De-bloat & Gut-Glow supplements with my first meal at about 10.30am and again with dinner around 6.30pm. By the time dinner came around, I was already feeling light on my feet and my belly was settled, for once. And this was only day one. I woke up still feeling light with a pleasingly flat tummy.

Midway through the second week, I had a strong urge to start exercising in the mornings again. This never happens. I like to keep my body moving but I’ve never been excited by the idea of scheduled exercise. These days my mind feels clearer and I’m not so resistant to scheduled light exercise. I’m really happy about this.

The verdict

The De-Bloat & Gut-Glow have effectively worked miracles for me. Within two weeks I’m more regular, less crampy, more energetic and generally lighter on my feet. The Hormonal Balance also get a thumbs up. Did it balance my hormones? I guess a doctor would have to test that. But if you’re asking if I feel any different, I certainly do. I feel less grumpy and I listen to less True Crime podcasts. No idea if that’s relevant at all but thought to mention it.

I’m ordering more of both.

Hormone Balance active ingredients include: chasteberry, dandelion root, magnesium, ashwagandha, red raspberry leaf, zinc, vitamin B and others.

• Recommended for: premenstrual stress (PMS), period pain, acne, endometriosis, menopause and weight gain.

De-Bloat & Gut-Glow active ingredients include: organic papaya enzyme, ginger, dandelion root, peppermint, slippery elm and lemon balm

• Recommended for: bloating, puffiness, cramps, water retention, digestion and gut health support.

NOTE:

If you are pregnant or on other medications, make sure you consult your doctor before taking any supplements, including these.