You may have seen them in the supermarket, little bottles of brightly coloured liquids promising big things. Want to recover faster from the gym? Drink turmeric. Support your gut health? Knock back a dose of the African superfruit, baobab. Aid your digestion? How about a measure of apple cider vinegar in the morning?
Welcome to the weird and wild world of health shots. Packed with potent ingredients professing marvellous benefits for your mind and body, it’s no surprise that drinking virtuous shots has attracted a whole host of celebrity fans including Selena Gomez, Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria. With so much choice, here’s a pick of the best out there:
Best for post-gym recovery: Turmeric
An anti-inflammatory, turmeric — the spice that turns everything yellow — is said to help ease muscle soreness and pain, hence making it a handy aid for recovery after a workout. There are many to choose from including Moju Turmeric Shot (60ml for £2.10, mojudrinks.com), Waitrose Turmeric Shot (100ml for £1.60, waitrose.com) but my favourite is B.fresh Turmeric Energy (70ml for £2.40, b-fresh.co.uk). It’s the strongest turmeric shot on the UK market, packed with 49 grams of the potent root. Drinking it after an hour of yoga I find that I do feel brighter and more energised.
Best for gut health: Pro and prebiotics
Probiotics are helpful bacteria found in certain foods or supplements that keep your gut healthy. They are most commonly found in yoghurt and fermented products like kefir and kimchi but can also be bought in shot form such as the Biomel Dairy-Free Probiotic Shots (Mixed Flavours 14 x 125ml for £21, biomel.life). Made with coconut milk, it’s good for those who are dairy-free and contains lots of lovely live cultures for your gut but I have to say the taste isn’t my favourite. Elsewhere, you can try prebiotics, fibre that feeds your gut bacteria. Moju Prebiotic Berry Shot (4 x 420ml dosing bottles for £27.80, mojudrinks.com) is one of the best out there, with a fruity, refreshing and zingy flavour and many advocates saying drinking it daily has helped with bloating and IBS. Speaking of prebiotics, I must shout-out Unrooted Baobab Shots (12 x 60ml mixed case for £24, unrooteddrinks.com). Baobab is a superfruit containing five times more fibre than oats; five times more Vitamin C than oranges and twice as many anti-oxidants as acai. The Mighty Ginger and Chilli wakes you up and feeds your gut.
Best for aiding weight loss: Apple cider vinegar
I’m addicted to apple cider vinegar and I’m not the only one. Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Scarlett Johansson are all fans too. It’s thought to help manage blood sugar levels and balance cholesterol but some studies also show it may aid weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness. I’ve long used it in salad dressings but you can also take it as a shot. The best is Willy’s Apple Cider Vinegar Shots (15 X 60ML for £39.75, willysacv.com) in a variety of flavours. Punchy and sharp, it slaps your senses into alertness.
Best for boosting immune system: Ginger or bitter olive
A ginger shot in the morning is thought to be a great way to boost immunity. My favourites are Press Vit-D Shot (3 x 60ml for £7.80, press-london.com), which has added orange, and B.fresh Ginger Shot (70ml for £2.40, b-fresh.co.uk), which is particularly punchy. But a lesser known immune-boosting ingredient, and one I discovered while in Tuscany, is olive water. It’s packed full of polyphenols — a plant compound thought to protect against various diseases. In fact, one tiny jar of olive water contains 20 times the amount of polyphenols found in famously healthy olive oil. Try it for yourself: Fattoria La Vialla OliPhenolia Bitter (32 x 2ml for £24, lavialla.com).
Best for improving stamina: Beetroot
Believe it or not, the humble beetroot may boost stamina to help you exercise longer. This is because the purple veg is rich in natural chemicals called nitrates which help with blood flow and blood pressure. The best out there is James White Drinks Beet It Beetroot Stamina Shot (70ml for £1.99, hollandandbarrett.com). I have to say I did feel particularly strong during my morning skipping workout.
Best for a wake-up: Chilli and black pepper
If you want a shot that’s going to invigorate you I recommend M&S Hot Shots (3 x 100ml for £3.90, ocado.com). Super spicy with a big whack of cayenne pepper, it’s endorphins in a bottle. I also love Agua De Madre Organic Culture Shot (6 x 60ml for £18, aguademadre.co.uk).
