Total Restore
$69.95
Cons
- Ingredients are largely useless
- Most ingredients are herb powders
- Product is extremely expensive for what you get
- No ingredient has been shown to heal the gut lining in healthy humans
- Leaky gut syndrome isn't real anyway!
Review Summary
Total Restore from Gundry MD is one of the most popular gut health supplements on the market right now. It is not a probiotic; rather, it claims to deliver a combination of ingredients which promote digestive health and cure “leaky gut syndrome”. After doing a detailed review, I have no idea how Gundry Total Restore has become so popular. There is no such thing as leaky gut syndrome; it is not a recognized medical condition. Consuming cloves and cinnamon isn’t going to fix any digestive issues, and you don’t need to pay Gundry “MD” $69.99 for the priviledge! For long-term gut health, prebiotics are better anyway!
What is Total Restore?
Total Restore is a supplement made by Gundry MD. Dr. Gundry is the archetypal shill; he has appeared on every self-improvement podcast and YouTube channel to deliver his unique blend of pseudo-science and insinuation to sell his supplements.
Total Restore is not like other gut health supplements in that it is designed to promote a healthy gut lining, rather than redressing an imbalance in gut bacteria (like probiotics and prebiotics).
According to the Gundry MD website, Total Restore can:
- Reduce gas and bloating
- Increase energy and focus
- Improve mood
- Help combat food cravings
- Support “comfortable” joints
That is quite an impressive range of benefits for what is a fairly targeted supplement. That said, we know that your gut affects every aspect of health and performance directly, so these claims do make sense.
The question is, does Gundry MD Total Restore really work? Is it an effective gut health supplement? Is it safe? What even is leaky gut syndrome? Read our full Total Restore review below and find out.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
“Leaky gut syndrome” is not actually a medical syndrome at all – it is a “proposed” syndrome, which means that some people are claiming it exists.
The proponents of leaky gut syndrome state that a wide range of health conditions are caused by toxins, germs, and irritants “leaking” into the bloodstream through a bowel that has become porous or overly-permeable.
Some conditions are partly caused by a “leaky” gut; rarely, a person might have increased gut permeability or a reduced mucosal membrane. This causes problems as unwanted substances (usually dealt with or passed through the gut) enter the body in large quantities.
However, there is currently no evidence that leaky gut syndrome is widespread, that it is caused by common food products, or that it is the root cause of systemic conditions as claimed by Gundry.
The bowel lining can be chronically damaged, but this tends to be the symptom of another condition like norovirus, celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.
Now that that’s out the way, let’s look at Gundry MD Total Restore’s ingredients.
Total Restore Ingredients
Here is the Total Restore ingredients list as you will find it on the bottle:
Here is a list of the ingredients in case that image fails to load:
- Magnesium – 7mg
- Zinc – 7mg
- L-Glutamine – 213mg
- N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine – 142mg
- Magnesium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate – 86mg
- Grape Seed Extract – 58mg
- Licorice Powder – 54mg
- Wormwood Powder – 50mg
- Cinnamon Powder – 50mg
- Maitake Mushroom Extract – 34mg
- Organic Berry Mix – 22mg
- Cloves Powder – 17mg
- Black Pepper Powder – 17mg
- Grapefruit Extract – 17mg
- Marshmallow Powder – 10mg
- Zinc L-Carnosine – 10mg
- Berberine – 3mg
Our Thoughts On The Total Restore Formula
Can the Total Restore ingredients deliver on all the promises made by Gundry MD? Will Total Restore “restore” your gut to full health and functionality?
We highly doubt it.
We were genuinely shocked when we saw the Total Restore formula. Although we were aware that this was an unusual gut health supplement, we were still expecting some familiar ingredients: some prebiotic fiber, perhaps some digestive enzymes, and some potent anti-inflammatory substances.
But instead, what we get from Total Restore is a cocktail of plant powders, most of which you probably have in your spice rack right now!
None of the ingredients in Gundry MD Total Restore have been shown to have a positive effect on gut lining.
Not one clinically-proven ingredient!
All we get from Total Restore are common herbs, plant powders, and a couple of minerals that have no meaningful effect on gut health.
Worse still, Total Restore actually contains an ingredient known to cause significant issues for people with celiac disease: L-Glutamine.
Celiac disease is a severe intolerance to gluten. Lots of people with celiac’s disease report feeling terrible while taking glutamine supplements for the purposes of promoting healing (source).
We don’t see why Dr. Gundry MD, in his infinite wisdom, would include a potentially side effect-causing ingredient when there is no solid, clinical evidence that it offers benefits for people with a leaky gut.
All-in-all, we’re less than impressed with Gundry MD Total Restore. It is a complete waste of money. If you want to spend good money on cinnamon and licorice powder, visit your local supermarket and go to the baking aisle!
If you’re serious about promoting your gut health, then use a high-spec product with clinically-proven ingredients.
Gundry Total Restore Side Effects
Is Total Restore safe?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about this gut supplement from Gundry MD. Unfortunately, we think Gundry Total Restore is potentially unsafe for some users due to the presence of glutamine.
Glutamine is an extremely common amino acid; it is nearly ubiquitous in the human diet. However, some people with celiac disease find that taking glutamine worsens their symptoms (source). In theory, glutamine should promote healing of the gut, but in practice, celiac sufferers seem to experience something different (just as glutamine should, in theory, cause no issues in humans).
We also wouldn’t advise taking a stack with so many different herbal extracts when there is no discernible benefit in doing so. In the case of Total Restore, the risk:reward ratio is heavily lopsided – it’s all risk, no potential reward! Just look at glutamine: 213mg of glutamine will not benefit anybody in any way (you get 5g from a bowl of pasta), but it might cause issues if it exaccerbates your celiac disease.
The likely risks of consuming so many different herb extracts at once for long periods of time include:
- Bloating
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas
Gundry MD Total Restore is not an effective cure for any disease or condition of the digestive system. If you think you have a chronic gut issue, talk to your general practitioner asap.
Pricing: Is Gundry MD Total Restore worth the money?
Gundry MD Total Restore is currently priced at an outrageous $69.95 a bottle.
We don’t need to tell you what an outrageous price tag that is for such a basic, low-spec supplement!
Total Restore is not the profesisonal, high-spec gut supplement it makes itself out to be; quite the opposite.
It is simple a collection of herb powders – licorice, cinnamon, black pepper – and a few minerals. The Total Restore ingredients list reads more like a recipe than a supplement designed to fix a “leaky” gut.
As such, the almost $70 price is completely unjustifiable.
By contrast, you can get our current top-rated gut health supplement, Performance Lab Prebiotic, for half that price.
Total Restore Review Conclusion: Should you buy it?
Should you buy Gundry Total Restore?
We don’t think so.
This is not a high quality gut supplement by any stretch of the imagination.
We have no idea how Gundry MD can claim that Total Restore can heal the lining of the gut with a straight face. Not only is “leaky gut” a completely fabricated condition, but there is nothing in this supplement capable of signifciantly strengthening the mucosal membrane which prevents your gut becoming too permeable.
For $69.95, you get a collection of common herbs and spices – in raw powder form – combined with a ubiquitous amino acid and some minerals. Hardly revolutionary stuff for double the usual gut supplement price!
We usually refrain from being too harsh on a product, but Gundry MD Total Restore looks like a complete joke to us. It is definitely a rip-off, and potentially an outright scam.
If you’re serious about optimizing your gut health and fixing any digestive issues you might have, the we strongly recommend staying away from gimmicky products stuffed full of unproven, cheap ingredients like Total Restore.
There are some superb supplements on sale capable of rectifying many digestive issues and promoting optimal gut health over the long-term.
Looking for a gut health supplement that works?
Our #1 Rated Prebiotic - Performance Lab Prebiotic
After reviewing dozens of supplements designed to improve digestive health, we decided that Performance Lab Prebiotic is the clear winner. It provides a special combination of prebiotic fibers which, together, can help nourish and re-balance your own gut microbiome. This in turn will promote proper digestion, enhance cognition, and promote weight loss. This is the only prebiotic which uses 100% natural, prebiotic plant caps to deliver its formula. We can't ask for more than that!
Johan Theorin is an author, editor, and competitive cyclist. He is the author of most of the content on this website, and he is the site editor. Johan has spent years researching joint health, sports performance and recovery. He is a leading biohacking expert and an experienced physiotherapist.
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