Coconut Cult: The TikTok Viral “Life Changing” Yogurt
Varying flavors of Coconut Cult
photo credit: https://www.nosh.com/food-wire/2024/coconut-cult-unveils-new-brand-identity-and-introduces-orange-dreamsicle-to-core-lineup/
By: Abby Kornele
You’re laying in bed and scrolling on TikTok when you come across a video of a girl in her 20’s raving about how this new addition to her morning routine has changed her life. Her bloating has gone down immensely, her skin has completely cleared up, and her overall mood has boosted. She goes on about how the Coconut Cult yogurt is the “fix all” for any possible gut issues and all of her viewers NEED to go out and buy their own jar. A spoonful a day will make you a whole new person.
For a long time now people have been blindly taking health tips from online whether it is from a Facebook post, a blog, a YouTube video, or even wikiHow. A simple Google search tends to give us a solution to any issue someone may be facing. In recent years the social media app TikTok has greatly grown and it seems as though younger generations are turning to the apps search bar to answer their own questions.
When you search something on TikTok it takes you to a page with several different tabs labeled: Top, Users, Videos, Shop, Sounds, Photos, LIVE, Places, and Hashtags. From here you can access hundreds of videos on the topic you are wanting to learn more about. This can become untrustworthy due to the fact anyone has the ability to post anything they want. Similarly to other online platforms, there is no requirement to show your own credibility. This can become a serious issue when different health trends go viral on the app and everyone is wanting to try $30 yogurt. Coconut Cult has taken over many people's feeds with people claiming it can fix any gut issues. I think that Coconut Cult is a scam and should not be promoted to all of these impressionable users.
The company was created in April of 2016 but started gaining larger traction in 2023 on varying social media platforms. Their product is a coconut yogurt with a serving size of only 1 oz a day. People have been integrating it into their routines by having a spoonful every morning.
The nutrition information for the Original flavor of Coconut Cult. Photo credit: https://thecoconutcult.com/products/original-2
What makes this yogurt so unique is the 16 varying kinds of probiotics incorporated into it. According to Cleveland Clinic, “Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that have beneficial effects on your body. These species already live in your body, along with many others. Probiotic supplements add to your existing supply of friendly microbes. They help fight off the less friendly types and boost your immunity against infections.”
The Coconut Cult website claims that their yogurt is an extremely easy way for people to increase their probiotic intake. They say that it helps with bloating, maintaining healthy weight, lower inflammation, and more.
The benefits listed on the Coconut Cult website. Photo credit: https://thecoconutcult.com/pages/the-coconut-cult-faqs
Despite these claims being made, probiotics react differently for each individual. Healthline claims that, “Probiotics can help reduce bloating by introducing healthy bacteria into your gut. While they may help people with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), they could cause bloating in others.”
If you are someone deciding to start taking these daily spoonfuls there are certain rules that TikTok influencers have created. They say you must take it on an empty stomach, it is best to use a plastic spoon, and you can’t double dip in the jar. Adding the bacteria from your mouth back into the jar will kill all probiotics that are in the yogurt. Making your supply useless.
When I tried to fact check these rules the only sources I could find were from TikTok. There weren’t any credible sources claiming these are actual requirements.
Ariana Vitale (@arianavitale) is a TikTok user with 538.1K followers, her bio claims that she is a lifestyle, fashion, and fitness influencer.
In a video of hers she claims, “This is the best stuff to be taking to feed your gut health, it clears your skin, and it helps so much with bloating”.
It seems like most of the people advertising this yogurt label themselves as “lifestyle” or “health” influencers. So what actually qualifies them to be giving thousands of people health tips? Typically nothing.
Screenshot of what shows up when I searched "does coconut cult actually work" on TikTok. Photo credit: me
A different user who seems to have more credibility is @clairethenutritionist. Her bio claims that she is a certified nutritionist with her NTP (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) and BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts).
In a video she posted she called Coconut Cult “the most probiotic rich coconut yogurt you will find on the market”.
Although she seems to be a big fan of the product and the results it has given her, she does give a disclaimer for people that are dealing with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth that adding a probiotic rich food will only make it worse. She is one of the few influencers I saw who gives a disclaimer that this product may not work for everyone.
While I have not tried Coconut Cult myself I have tried a similar brand called Cocoyo. They have the same idea of making coconut yogurt filled with probiotics. After two weeks of taking it everyday I will say I noticed a difference in my bloating. One night I had a large bowl of pasta and ice cream and my stomach didn’t look pregnant like it usually would’ve.
Although this similar brand seemed to have worked for me I don’t think the concept was this big life changing thing, and I am also sure not everyone would have the same results.
Sarai Jones (@krazysarai) is another influencer who uploaded videos about her opinions and experiences with Coconut Cult. She considers herself a “mom influencer” and posts videos about mom life.
Screenshot of influencer Sarai Jones page looks like to show the type of content she posts. Photo credit: me
She made three different posts following along her journey of trying this yogurt. The first video mostly consisted of trying the three regular flavors and sharing how she thought they tasted. She made her second video after having consistently taken it for two weeks. Within the first week her stomach felt bubbly and she noticed a decrease in her bloating. But then she started getting these random breakouts. Her third video was made a week later and her breakouts seemed to be even worse.
Throughout the video she kept referring to these breakouts as “purging” implying that she thinks it is from the Coconut Cult and that it should go away eventually. MedicalNewsToday defines this, “Skin purging is a temporary skin reaction to specific ingredients that cause breakouts, dryness, flaking, and peeling”.
It is unsure if these breakouts were actually caused by taking Coconut Cult, but if they were then this is a perfect example of how not everyone has the same experiences when taking it.
Every body is different and reacts to things differently. There is no one tip that will solve everyone's issues. So to better yourself it is important to know if you are listening to reliable sources and to do your own background research.
The next time a health trend is going viral on TikTok make sure to fully understand what the product is and if it is actually meant for you. It’s okay to not take $30 yogurt to heal your gut, maybe your gut doesn’t even need healing. When scrolling online it is beneficial to think before you buy.
Click here for a similar story regarding social media skincare trends!!
