Woman tries new supplement from Kourtney Kardashian. Then she gets a UTI—she’s not the only one: ‘Ban it from existence’
Supplements exist everywhere in today’s consumer market, but that doesn’t always mean that you should purchase them.
There are lists online of hundreds of supplements available for sale in retail markets, many of which are not recommended by leading health experts. However, what happens if an influencer is the one recommending a viral supplement?
One TikToker has the answer to that, and it’s not a pretty one. Content creator Julia Mazza (@imsojuliaaaaaaaaaaa) tried “Lemme Purr,” a vaginal probiotic supplement, which she claimed gave her a UTI. Some people might be familiar with the supplement’s name, as Kourtney Kardashian is actually the cofounder of its parent company, Lemme.
She and Simon Huck unveiled the gummies in 2023 to a mixed response. The most that gynecologists and other experts claimed was that the gummies had little to no actual health effects. But Mazza is saying that there are deeper issues with the probiotic supplements.
Her video has managed to receive over 1.2 million views, with hundreds of commenters expressing confusion. “Lemme Purr” supplements were, in the very least, supposed to help with UTIs. So, why are some women claiming that the gummies actually gave them one?
What’s wrong with the supplements?
Mazza explained in her video that she believes Kardashian’s Lemme Purr supplements gave her a UTI. Initially, she didn’t seem to suspect the gummies. But, after looking at online reviews of them, she realized they might have been causing issues for her.
“ I’ve never had a UTI in my life took these UTI and I look at the reviews. U-T-I-U-T-I-U-T-I,” Mazza said. “So why are these even a product still? Like, if people are reviewing that, they’re getting UTIs, why is it even there? But maybe you like it, maybe it works for you.”
It’s unclear what reviews she looked at exactly, although there doesn’t seem to be a consensus online that the gummies cause UTIs directly. Some threads discussed the supplements causing moderate to severe back pain, although that may be because of a number of other factors.
Why did Mazza get a UTI?
There’s no direct reason that Mazza got a UTI after trying Lemme Purr’s supplements. While it’s possible that it’s correlated to Lemme Purr, it’s also possible that there’s another reason entirely.
Lemme Purr has three listed active ingredients. Pineapple extract, Vitamin C, and SNZ 1969™ probiotics. There’s little evidence that SNZ 1969™ regulates the vaginal microbiome or helps treat vaginal infections. Any evidence, at least, is somewhat anecdotal. That doesn’t mean that it would have a negative effect, though. But more likely than not, these probiotics may have a small positive benefit or no effect at all.
There’s not necessarily a large amount of evidence that any of these ingredients can directly cause UTIs. Probiotics generally decrease the risk for UTIs, not increase them. But it’s always possible for someone to have an individual, bad reaction to a supplement.
Is Lemme Purr heavily regulated by the FDA?
One of the things Mazza mentioned in her video is that Lemme Purr is not regulated or evaluated by the FDA. “ Whatever this claims to do, it says at the bottom here, these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration,” Mazza said in her video.
And she’s right about that. Lemme Purr, like many other supplements, has not been evaluated by the FDA. While it may claim to have many specific effects for those taking the supplement, the FDA isn’t involved in certifying them.
Generally, dietary supplements do not fall under the FDA’s oversight. It’s up to the manufacturer to ensure they’re safe and that the label is not misleading. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all dietary supplements exist in the wild west, though. Supplement manufacturers still have a responsibility to make sure the product is not mislabeled according to federal practices. They’re also responsible for ensuring that dietary supplements are safe to consume.
@imsojuliaaaaaaaaaaa Deadah don’t do it
♬ original sound – julia mazza
What does it mean for a product to not be heavily regulated by the FDA?
There are also hiccups that can exist because these products aren’t directly regulated by the FDA.
For one, manufacturers can say that they include an ingredient, but it doesn’t always mean it will have the effect it’s supposed to. Some online threads have recommended not taking probiotics in gummy form due to their manufacturing process.
“Regarding gummies; during the process of gummy manufacturing the temperature can go up to 110 degrees Celsius, and probiotics die off after 30 degrees Celsius. I would pass on the gummy format for probiotics. Good for some things, not for others,” one Redditor supplied.
Lemme Purr can also contain trace ingredients that don’t have to be included on the ingredient label, like pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. As HealthReporter notes, “It’s certainly possible for people to experience unwanted side effects after taking these vitamins.”
While Lemme Purr might claim to have multiple different effects, there’s a good chance that certain manufacturing methods might actually ruin those benefits. Lemme Purr doesn’t necessarily have an obligation to ensure that those healthy probiotics stay in the product. Nor does it have an obligation to treat any sort of vaginal infections or illnesses.
The Mary Sue reached out to Mazza and Lemme Purr via email for more information.
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