Heather's Tummy Care
Heather's Tummy Care is a privately held, bootstrapped DTC company that sells organic IBS supplements (Acacia fiber, enteric peppermint oil capsules, medicinal-strength teas), diet books, and private coaching to individuals managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Founded and run by IBS patient-expert Heather Van Vorous from Kent/Seattle, WA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersKent, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Heather's Tummy Care does
Heather's Tummy Care (legal entity: Heather & Company for IBS, LLC) is a privately held, bootstrapped direct-to-consumer company that sells organic medical-food supplements, teas, books, and coaching services for the dietary management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The business originated as the HelpForIBS.com email newsletter founded in 1999 by Heather Van Vorous — an IBS patient since age 9 — and was commercialized under the Heather's Tummy Care brand in 2005; the company is operated as a family-run venture by Heather Van Vorous (CEO) and William Van Vorous (COO) from Kent/Seattle, Washington, with 1–10 total employees and no external institutional funding.
Its core product line is built on three proprietary supplement SKUs: Heather's Tummy Fiber (USDA-organic Acacia Senegal soluble fiber targeting both diarrhea and constipation), Heather's Tummy Tamers (enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules with fennel and ginger oils, sourced from Eastern Washington peppermint with 50%+ menthol content for targeted intestinal delivery), and Heather's Tummy Teas (organic medicinal-strength fennel and peppermint teas with 2–6% volatile oil content versus 0.5% in culinary grades). The portfolio is complemented by best-selling IBS diet books (Eating for IBS, First Year: IBS, First Year: Crohn's & Colitis), a gut-directed self-hypnosis audio program, the Heather Cooks! DVD, Techni Ice hot/cold packs, pre-curated symptom-specific discount kits, and a $300-per-session private coaching service with the founder.
The business model combines owned e-commerce at heatherstummycare.com (with an autoship subscription program offering 5% recurring discounts) with retail placement in US health stores and medical practices, and wholesale distribution reaching the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The company has accumulated over 250,000 newsletter subscribers, 1,080,366+ Tummy Tamers bottles sold, 285,079+ Fennel Tummy Tea cans sold, and 12,193+ customer reviews, and holds registered trademarks on its core brand lines. Certification posture includes USDA Organic (verified by Quality Assurance International), CRC kosher, vegan/compostable teabag materials, TRUSTEDSITE security certification, and ongoing ADA/W3C Level One compliance work.
Heather's Tummy Care firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heather's Tummy Care
- Legal name
- Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
- Website
- https://helpforibs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Heather's Tummy Care is a privately held, bootstrapped DTC company that sells organic IBS supplements (Acacia fiber, enteric peppermint oil capsules, medicinal-strength teas), diet books, and private coaching to individuals managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Founded and run by IBS patient-expert Heather Van Vorous from Kent/Seattle, WA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heather's Tummy Care industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digestive Health Supplements
- NAICS
- Food (Health) Supplement Retailers (456191), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gut Health & Digestive Nutrition (IBS, GERD, Elimination Diets) (HSADAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Probiotics & Digestive Health Supplements (CRADAGAF), Functional & Wellness Beverage Shops (Shots, Adaptogens, Vitamin/Collagen Drinks) (THAFAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Heather's Tummy Care is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kent
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heather's Tummy Care business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Product Sales (Supplements & Teas): Direct sales of IBS management products including Tummy Fiber, Tummy Tamers, and Tummy Teas. Products sold at one-time prices or through autoship subscription with 5% discount. Multiple packaging options from single bottles to bulk cases.
- Book Sales: Sale of IBS diet and cookbook titles including Eating for IBS, First Year: IBS, and First Year: Crohn's & Colitis. One-time book purchases.
- IBS Coaching Services: Private one-on-one IBS coaching sessions with Heather Van Vorous. Premium-priced service ($300) with limited appointment availability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | IBS Coaching with Heather - $300 per session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tummy Fiber Acacia - Starting at $21.97 (1lb pouch) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tummy Tamers Peppermint Oil - Starting at $23.97 (1 bottle) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tummy Teas - Starting at $16.97 (loose pouch) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | IBS Books - $14.95 to $21.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Discount Kits - 10-20% off individual products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Heather's Tummy Care product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heather's Tummy Care sells IBS-specific organic medical foods, dietary supplements, and herbal teas formulated to prevent and relieve irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The flagship product line consists of Heather's Tummy Fiber (organic acacia senegal soluble fiber), Tummy Tamers (enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules), and Tummy Teas (high volatile-oil fennel and peppermint). The company complements its supplements with IBS diet books, a self-hypnosis audio program, cooking DVDs, heat therapy packs, and private one-on-one IBS coaching with founder Heather Van Vorous.
Product overview
Heather's Tummy Care operates a multi-product brand focused on Irritable Bowel Syndrome management, built around a core line of organic medical food supplements and complemented by published books, digital media programs, and coaching services. The flagship product line includes Heather's Tummy Fiber (Organic Acacia Senegal soluble fiber for diarrhea and constipation), Heather's Tummy Tamers (enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules for pain and bloating), and Heather's Tummy Teas (high-volatility fennel and peppermint teas in teabag and loose-leaf formats). These are sold alongsideIBS reference books including the best-selling 'Eating for IBS' and 'First Year: IBS', the IBS Self Hypnosis audio program for gut-directed hypnotherapy, the 'Heather Cooks!' cooking DVD, and heat therapy products. The company also bundles products into symptom-specific discount kits (Belly Bloat Diet Kit, Stop the Pain Diet Kit, Big Kahuna Kit, etc.) and offers private IBS coaching with founder Heather Van Vorous. The portfolio spans supplements, beverages, books, digital media, and services for comprehensive IBS self-management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Heather's Tummy Fiber: Organic Acacia Senegal soluble fiber supplement for IBS symptom management (diarrhea and constipation).
- Heather's Tummy Tamers
- Heather's Tummy Teas
- Heather Cooks!
Products and services
- Heather's Tummy Fiber Acacia Senegal Organic Acacia Senegal soluble fiber supplement for the dietary management of IBS diarrhea and constipation. A prebiotic 100% soluble fiber that relieves both symptoms and supports gut health. Available in multiple sizes including pouches, cans, and travel stick packs.
- Heather's Tummy Tamers Peppermint Oil Capsules Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules for preventing IBS abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. Contains peppermint, fennel, and ginger oils. Peppermint sourced from Eastern Washington with high menthol content (50%+). Enteric coating ensures delivery to intestines without gastric dissolution.
- Heather's Tummy Tea Fennel Organic fennel seed tea with high volatile oil content (2-6% versus 0.5% in culinary-grade) for IBS bloating, gas, spasms, and heartburn. Medicinal strength whole seed fennel in jumbo teabags or loose form. USDA certified organic and CRC kosher certified.
- Heather's Tummy Tea Peppermint Organic peppermint leaf tea with high volatile oil content for IBS pain and intestinal spasms. Calms gut motility through smooth muscle relaxation. Available in cans, pouches, and loose formats.
- Eating for IBS Diet & Cookbook Best-selling IBS diet book and cookbook (finalist for the Julia Child cookbook award) covering IBS-safe recipes, trigger food avoidance, and dietary strategies for managing multiple IBS symptoms.
- The First Year: IBS Comprehensive guide covering the first year of living with IBS, including the five key treatment strategies: eating properly, supplements, stress management, alternative therapies, and medications. One of the two best-selling IBS books in North America.
- First Year: Crohn's & Colitis Book covering the first year of living with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), companion title to the IBS-focused book series.
- IBS Self Hypnosis Audio Program Gut-directed self-hypnosis audio program for all IBS symptoms, providing an average 85% reduction in pain and bowel dysfunction. Targets brain-gut dysfunction and stress-related IBS triggers.
- Heather Cooks! IBS Cooking Show DVD Cooking show DVD with recipe cards featuring fast and easy IBS-friendly recipes for symptom management through diet.
- Techni Ice Hot/Cold Packs Microwaveable hot and cold packs for rapid IBS symptom relief through heat therapy on the abdomen.
- IBS Coaching with Heather Van Vorous Private one-on-one IBS coaching sessions with company founder Heather Van Vorous, offering personalized symptom management guidance. Priced at $300 per coaching engagement with limited appointment availability.
- IBS Discount Kits (Big Kahuna Kit, Diet Kits, Belly Bloat Kit, Stop the Pain Kit, Peppermint Kit, Kitchen Kit, Bulk Herbal Kits) Pre-curated symptom-specific bundles combining books, supplements, and teas at 10-20% discount off individual products. Includes IBS Big Kahuna Kit, Diet Kits #1 and #2, Belly Bloat Diet Kit, Stop the Pain Diet Kit, Peppermint Kit, Kitchen Kit, and Bulk Herbal Kits.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average 85% reduction of pain and bowel dysfunction symptoms with gut-directed hypnotherapy program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Heather's Tummy Care
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Heather's Tummy Care technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Heather's Tummy Care partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heather's Tummy Care competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IBgard: IBgard markets enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules specifically for IBS symptom relief, directly competing with Heather's Tummy Tamers in the same product format, active ingredient, and IBS patient segment.
- Traditional Medicinals: Traditional Medicinals sells organic medicinal herbal teas including peppermint and fennel varieties for digestive support, directly competing with Heather's Tummy Teas in the herbal-tea-for-digestive-symptoms category.
- Heather's competitor: Dr. Schulze's: Dr. Schulze's sells herbal intestinal formulas and digestive cleanse programs that overlap with Heather's IBS-focused herbal supplement and tea portfolio in target customer and category positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Metamucil: Metamucil is the category-leading soluble psyllium fiber supplement brand, overlapping with Heather's Tummy Fiber Acacia in addressing IBS-related constipation and bowel regularity, but at much broader mass-market scale.
- Benefiber: Benefiber sells wheat dextrin and other soluble fiber supplements for digestive regularity, competing with Heather's Tummy Fiber in the soluble-fiber-for-IBS use case but with mainstream CPG distribution and marketing budgets.
- Yogi Tea: Yogi Tea produces a broad line of functional herbal teas including digestive and detox blends, overlapping with Heather's Tummy Teas in the functional-wellness-tea category at much wider retail distribution.
- Align (Probiotic): Align is a leading probiotic supplement brand marketed for digestive health and IBS-related symptoms, competing with Heather's prebiotic fiber and supplement portfolio at the pharmacy and mass-retail level.
- Culturelle: Culturelle markets Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG probiotic supplements for digestive and immune health, competing in the same IBS-adjacent digestive supplement category with significantly larger distribution.
Others
- Monash University FODMAP: Monash University operates the leading low-FODMAP diet program and certification, which is the dominant dietary protocol for IBS management that Heather's Tummy Care competes with and references in its educational content.
- Calmoseptine: Calmoseptine provides over-the-counter barrier and soothing products for digestive and skin-related symptoms, adjacent to the OTC-symptom-management category in which Heather's Tummy Care operates, though targeting different specific indications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heather's Tummy Care social profiles
Digital presenceHeather's Tummy Care compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Heather's Tummy Care financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heather's Tummy Care leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Heather's Tummy Care funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heather's Tummy Care M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heather's Tummy Care
What does Heather's Tummy Care do?
Heather's Tummy Care sells IBS-specific organic medical foods, dietary supplements, and herbal teas formulated to prevent and relieve irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The flagship product line consists of Heather's Tummy Fiber (organic acacia senegal soluble fiber), Tummy Tamers (enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules), and Tummy Teas (high volatile-oil fennel and peppermint). The company complements its supplements with IBS diet books, a self-hypnosis audio program, cooking DVDs, heat therapy packs, and private one-on-one IBS coaching with founder Heather Van Vorous.
Is Heather's Tummy Care a public or private company?
Heather's Tummy Care is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heather's Tummy Care founded?
Heather's Tummy Care was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Heather's Tummy Care based?
Heather's Tummy Care is headquartered in Kent, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heather's Tummy Care make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales (Supplements & Teas) is the primary driver. The others are book Sales and IBS Coaching Services.
Who are Heather's Tummy Care's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IBgard, Traditional Medicinals and Heather's competitor: Dr. Schulze's. Broad incumbents are Metamucil, Benefiber, Yogi Tea, Align (Probiotic) and Culturelle. Others are Monash University FODMAP and Calmoseptine.
Does Heather's Tummy Care have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heather's Tummy Care.
What industry is Heather's Tummy Care in?
Heather's Tummy Care's product category is Digestive Health Supplements. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAFAH, Gut Health & Digestive Nutrition (IBS, GERD, Elimination Diets), with a secondary code of CRADAGAF, Probiotics & Digestive Health Supplements. Its NAICS code is 456191 and its SIC code is 2090.