probiotics and gluten

[urbangirl]

Gastro appointment today and consultant recommended I take probiotics VSl3 for gut bacteria. Checked back on posts and see probiotics contain gluten. Does anyone know if these things have been updated?

Sorry I can't paste all the previous posts!

healthunlocked.com/glutenfr...

[Penel]

Hi urban girl

Have been looking round to see if I can find anything up to date on this. This link has info but is not new, but perhaps might help?

glutenfreewatchdog.org/prod...

Have you been able to eat any prebiotic foods, or any fermented foods to help improve your gut bacteria?

[urbangirl in reply to Penel]

Thanks for this Penel it is so helpful especially as the tablet contains hydroxpropyl methylcellulose which makes me ill. I have never tried out the prebiotic foods or fermented foods before but the consultant was clear that I should take the tablets which he said were not available on prescription. The reason this came up was because I have been investigating Tim Spector's work at Kings on gut bacteria and weight loss/gain as I struggle to lose weight and thought his work seemed logical. I wonder if there are other tablets that don't contain hydroxpropyl methylcellulose.

[Penel in reply to urbangirl]

Have looked up Tim Spector. His suggestions for what to eat seem to be echoed by many other nutritionists. It's very likely that you will find you have eaten prebiotic foods, if you look at his list (leeks, garlic, nuts, seeds, other high fibre foods).

It might be worth looking into fermented foods, as they are the traditional way to ensure good gut bacteria. I used to be able to eat live yoghurt but unfortunately not any more. I've bought a book on fermenting and am currently trying out making my own sauerkraut. I've used Solgar probiotics in the past after a course of antibiotics.

Perhaps the amount of hydroxpropyl methylcellulose may be very small in the tablets? Might be worth trying?

[urbangirl]

You are right Penel I do eat prebiotic foods but I have not eaten any of the yoghurt stuff. I will give these tablets a try and see what happens - if they make me ill then I will look for another similar brand. Will also look at fermenting foods but would not like sauerkraut! Thank you so much for your helpful advice and time - much appreciated. Sometimes working things out is so complex and it is very helpful to have the benefit of other people's experiences and expertise.

[Hidden]

My probiotics don't have gluten or wheat in. Review Life Ultimate Flora. Also dairy and soy free. They do have methylcellulose as the vegetable capsule shell. 10 strains live bacteria, found in the chilled section in the shop.

[urbangirl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Lois I suspect hydroxpropyl methylcellulose is a common ingredient in the tablets.

[Hidden in reply to urbangirl]

You could take the capsule apart and mix the contents with your food. I've seen one of the pharmacists who gives advice about coeliac disease (think her name is Suzie Cohen) do that.

[urbangirl in reply to urbangirl]

What an excellent idea - thank you!

[franciscodorey in reply to urbangirl]

If you brake the capsule your stomach acid will kill all the probiotic bacteria. There is no reason why the hydroxpropyl methylcellulose should cause you any symptoms as it is not digested and just leaves your body a few hours latter

[urbangirl in reply to franciscodorey]

You are right about breaking the capsule as I had a conversation with a professional about this today. I think I am going to risk it - except for the fact I cannot find the tablets in the UK! But you are wrong about hydroxpropyl methylcellulose as it has caused me many problems and there are previous posts about hydroxpropyl methylcellulose effects.

[Miramichi]

I use Ultimate Flora Colon Care by Renew Life, and they are gluten free, they contain traces of soy and milk however. 80 Billion strains of active cultures. Must be kept in fridge.