We know that 67% of PwP have insulin resistance and a high % have leaky gut and SIBO.
So:
Refilling the gut with probiotics should help repair the gut lining and reduce the presence of harmful bacteria.
Anyone tried it? Does it conflict with the no-dairy recommendation somehow?
This company makes a non-dairy yogurt and kefir: foragerproject.com/all-prod...
Available in many supermarkets.
I make my own water kefir which I think is better than the milk version. Best to Google it. I take it on an empty stomach in morning. Too much gives you diarrhoea, so you have to find what amount is best for you. I take 200mls
Does it help with anything?
Low fat milk has more of a connection to Parkinson's than a full fat milk. I was wondering about that also.
Milk is generally boiled for disinfection. Boiling separates the fat, leaving low fat milk liquid. Unboiled milk, even pasteurised, is not recommended for consumption directly.
I only use minimal organic full fat milk in muesli and tea now. I was given the "grains" for water kefir by a friend because they multiply very quickly, but you can buy them on Internet. For the 2nd fermentation I add frozen berries, raspberries and cherries being my favourite. It makes a lovely drink, so the temptation is there to take too much! Be careful to follow all instructions, e.g. don't use any metal cutlery, because they somehow don't like that.
When we took kefir over a 5 years period we never caught any infectionswhen I accidentally killed our culture and didn't replace it we started to catch anything going.So possibly it also protects the immune system
I have a kefir-based smoothie everyday for lunch. I use Lifeway brand 1% milk-based kefir. I cannot prove that it's beneficial, but for what it's worth my MDS says that after 9 years my progression remains among the slowest of his hundreds of clinical patients.
I use kefir daily for breakfast, soaking muesli in it over night with flax, chia etc. It had no impact on constipation, but tastes good. I use Yeo Valley, which is more creamy & yoghurt-like.
Zoe have some good podcasts on gut biome, not PD specific but digestible.
I’m not worrying about the dairy. Partly because I’m using organic, and I assume that the bad effects were about pesticides in the milk rather than a problem with fat or protein. And partly because I really enjoy cheese…
I had the same thoughts you did about improving gut health, so I bought some kefir grains on Amazon and started making our own kefir milk. I use A2 beta casein milk because it might be easier to digest than A1. Hopefully it’s worth the cost and trouble of making it, but I really don’t know.
May I ask whether you're in the UK and if so, where do you get your A2 milk? I was thinking the Jersey milk (Sainsbury and ASDA).
I’m in the US and buy it from Costco, but from what I researched Jesrsey milk is A2. Is that what you’ve seen too?
Thank you. Yes, I think that'll be my only option locally.
if you are worried about dairy, but want to increase beneficial microbiome , another option to look at might be sauerkraut? Completely different I know, but I found that helpful for constipation and general health
I use kefir from a company called Chuckling Goat in UK which is goats milk kefir. It contains about 30 beneficial bacteria whereas supermarket brands only have a few. I also find I rarely get ill so I’m sure it does improve immune system function. I’m pretty sure my PD started in gut so my thought was I would try to improve my gut health to slow progression/ heal my body!
What I've read supports your theory of kefir improving the immune system, and that PD begins in the gut (as do most other chronic diseases). And supermarket kefir often contains added sugar (and who knows what else) that may not be good for the microbiome, so I'm sure that Chuckling Goat is superior.
I take unpasteurised Sauerkraut daily, along with Pickled Beetroot juice, which I buy from my local Polish grocery store.
(I live in the UK, where most supermarkets don't stock these products - certainly not the unpasteurised ones required for gut microbiome benefits)
Not based on any recommendation specifically, just the philosophy of feeding the gut lots of healthy bacteria being a good thing for PwP to do.
Hope that helps.
Bacteria labelled as 'harmful' are only so if they become dominant. These phyla that are described as harmful play very important roles in our vast microbiome. Similarly with yeasts. Whether it is involved in the crossfeeding of other phyla, the removal of toxins or the deconstruction of dead and dying cellular material. Popping probiotic supplements can be a recipe for disaster as an excessive promotion of what are referred to as 'good' bacteria leads to imbalances within the biome.
Key to a healthy gut microbiome requires a healthy balanced diet in order to avoid destruction of the tight junctions that isolates the gut from blood vessels - leaky gut.
The best probiotic support always comes from fermented foods and drinks with milk kefir leading the way in terms of the vast variety of bacteria and yeasts. And there is no fear of any negative impact on insulin resistance/sensitivity or blood glucose levels given that the bacteria and yeasts consume the milk sugars.
But, as with any fermented foods, introduce small amounts day-by-day to avoid/minimise any possible side-effects such as stomach upset, wind, etc.
Remember, our microbiome can only thrive if you feed them. Prebiotic sources such as garlic, onions, various fiber containing foods (not wholegrains btw) will help them thrive and grow.
In addition, getting out into Nature will increase the diversity of the microbiome, whether it's the gut, skin, heart, lung etc. Research is demonstrating that those who live and remain in cities have shrinking community diversification. And diversity is a cornerstone to health and wellbeing.
One of the foremost experts in the study of the microbiome is a Dr. Hawrelak. I believe he is Australia based but he does invite online clinics for anyone no matter the location.
A resource with podcasts and studies
probioticadvisor.com/about-...
Clinic link
gouldsnaturalmedicine.com.a...
While I am fortunate not to suffer from Parkinson's or any other diseases (I am here in support of one dear to me who does) I am absolutely convinced that the foundation of health, irrespective of the presence of a diseased state, requires a solid foundation which is built upon a balanced microbiome. I have been involved in both food and drinks fermentation for many years and consume daily. My particular fondness is for milk kefir (fermented from raw milk) and often consume as much as a litre per day without any stomach disturbances.
I wish you well on your journey.
Thank you so much! Do you have a protocol you guys have made? Results that you've achieved?
Totally agree with your thoughts!
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