Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Being a fan of probiotics but keen to avoid too much yoghurt, I'm wondering which probiotic supplements are good. Unfortunately the area seems far more complex than choosing vitamin D supplements, where you know pretty much exactly what you want/don't want. Value for money is a key concern, but I'd be interested in any pointers as to what to look for in a good probiotic supplement.

flag	asked Feb 14 2010 at 18:45 David Moss 15.8k●2●18●50

Cave Man Mind · Answer 1 · 2010-03-01 01:35:11Z UTC

I am taking Now Foods Gr8-Dophilus (8 Strains, 4 Billion Organisms each pill)

I read that it is quite common for people to have too many Lactobacillus bacteria compared to Bifidobacterium (there is a 'healthy' ratio apparently) ... So the common supplementation of just Lactobacillus can be ineffective in correcting the balance because often it is this Bifidobacterium that is needed.

I have also read good reports about these guys: http://www.customprobiotics.com/ Apparently you can send them a stool sample and they will develop a custom probiotic formula for you based on what they find. Personally I am not going to that level but it is probably the most comprehensive approach to probiotic supplementation.

Naomi · Answer 2 · 2010-02-14 21:22:46Z UTC

I use a probiotic supplement from Solgar. They seem like a nice company, but I've done some of their courses so I'm very biased and haven't actually done a background check on them ;) They use a pill that melts in the stomach environment and then forms a new shell to reach the intestins, which sounds very smart.

Terry · Answer 3 · 2010-02-14 19:10:09Z UTC

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Ferment your own foods

answered Feb 14 2010 at 19:10

Terry
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	Thanks Terry. I've made extra-long fermented yoghurt at home for a while now, but I'd rather avoid the lactose and dairy. It's tasty, but I doubt it's optimally healthy. I also tried making red cabbage sauerkraut (with mixed results!) but it's rather inconvenient, quite salty and I often don't eat huge amounts of vegetables (not much appetite for that much mass). Even if I did start making sauerkraut again I'd to just pop some bacteria without any hassle and I suspect it would allow me to digest the cabbage better anyway. – David Moss Feb 14 2010 at 19:19
	Whole Foods (boo hiss for their recent pronouncement!) has a naturally-made sauerkraut (it's really fermented!). Instead of making your own, you could buy theirs! However, if you continue to make your own, you could just use less salt than the recipe calls for! The reason for the salt is to ensure that the cabbage doesn't "go bad" in the first 24 hours. So you only need enough salt for that. Have you tried kombucha? – gilliebean♦ Feb 15 2010 at 7:10
	[Why didn't I reply to this comment over a year ago??] Anyway, thanks gilliebean, unfortunately we don't have a wholefoods in the UK. One of my nearby health shops does sell pure cabbage and salt sauerkraut, though I'm not sure how fermented it is and it is very salty. – David Moss Jun 23 2011 at 7:55

Skyler · Answer 4 · 2010-02-14 19:13:43Z UTC

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I have bottles of Puritan's Pride acidophilus on the way to try. I also found that, when I traveled abroad, prepping and using Gut Health kept everything in top shape. Unfortunately the company no longer exists.

answered Feb 14 2010 at 19:13

Skyler
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Quik77 · Answer 5 · 2010-03-11 07:19:55Z UTC

Kefir is also nice to try, you can get it plain or get the bacterial culture and make it yourself from milk (the bacteria basically breaks down all the lactose and uses up all the sugar in the dairy used so it pretty much becomes pure fat +protien+ good bacteria) it tastes sorta like a sour lassi and is easily flavored with fresh fruit or whatever you'd like.

Glenn · Answer 6 · 2010-03-01 02:01:56Z UTC

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What about Kombucha? It's expensive, but I like a bottle now and then.

Also... I have made my own sauerkraut! It was easier than I thought. Here's Stephan's recipe:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/04/real-food-v-sauerkraut.html

answered Mar 1 2010 at 2:01

Glenn
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	Have you felt any particular health benefits from kombucha or is it just tasty? I've not heard enough good about it to see the point of going to the bother of making any (saw some in a local 'health shop' but it was mostly sugar). – David Moss Mar 1 2010 at 7:07
	I like some after my workout, when I'm a little less concerned about the sugar (although a brand I found at Whole Foods has only 6 grams). Not sure if I've felt any particular benefits, but it is tasty! – Glenn Mar 1 2010 at 13:17
	I bought a few large bottles last year and had a 1/2 glass every day. I noticed a positive difference in digestion and gas that lasted quite a while after I finished the bottles. I got a little sick some time after that and lost the benefit. Just ordered another few bottles to see if it'll help a second time. – Glither Jun 23 2011 at 3:28

David Moss · Answer 7 · 2010-03-01 07:52:08Z UTC

Thanks for all the answers every-one. For what it's worth, I've now settled on some probiotic supplements from Holland and Barrett (normally the biggest emporium of unhealthy food on the high street), since they were cheap.

They contain: Lactobacillus acidophilus (125mg), Bifidobacterium BB-12 (15mg), Lactobacillus brevis (0.5mg), Lactobacillus bulgicarus(0.5mg), Lactobacillus salivarus (0.5mg) and pectin as a prebiotic. (Giving wildly varying amounts of viable cells).

It just comes in a sealed tub, but suggests refrigerating once open. Given how awful H&B are I don't know if this is any good, although in theory it looks to be a pretty good spread and most of the above have been linked to some sort of health benefit (depending on strain of course).

matt · Answer 8 · 2011-06-22 22:35:56Z UTC

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fuhhhhhhhhh i need probiotics

answered Jun 22 2011 at 22:35

matt
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Probiotic supplements?

8 Answers