Kefir for gut problems

[Mrsmr]

Hello lovely people, I have recently had a flare up of gut problems. Does anyone drink kefir milk for gut issues and does it help? I have 10 weekly injections and sometimes SI as well. Does anyone increase jabs if they have a flare of gut issues. Many thanks.x

[OldmanD]

I have very wonky guts. . . . . . It may be linked to your other problems as B12 seldom comes on its own. . . . . . . . Without writing my whole history I would advise avoiding all dairy for 2 weeks . . . . ALL. . . . . . If it says dairy on it dont even sniff it. . . . . Several of my family currently and going back have had similar problems with dairy . . . . . . I have not seen any effect of B1 B6 B9 B12 on the gut. . . . . . Some meds have bad effects on the gut. . . . . . Proton pump inhibitors dont help b12 def but better with than without, just take more b12. . . . .

[Mrsmr in reply to OldmanD]

Thanks OldmanD, I have tried going dairy and gluten free in the past with little success. I find sugar and heavy meals set my gut off. I was prescribed proton pump inhibitors but I don't take them.

[OldmanD in reply to Mrsmr]

Whenever you try going diary free it is not simply milk. ice cream and cheese. . . . . . anything that says milk in the ingredients or whey etc starts me off

[Lambsluck in reply to OldmanD]

Hi OldmanD

i have found Ispaghula or psyllium to be a great help with my gut problem. I am in Sweden and the product I use is called Vi Siblin. it works for both diahorrea or constipation. It is an over the counter medication both here and in South Africa.

Good luck.

[Pamelayne in reply to Lambsluck]

The whole reason we have this condition is our gut's inability to absorb B12. At least one provider I've read believes it's related to estrogen drops and it's frequently seen with low D3. Gut health is fundamentally related.

[OldmanD in reply to OldmanD]

So lets go a little bit further into this. . . . . . . . We are mostly here because we are B12 deficient amongst other things .. . . . The usual cause of this deficiency is out body/gut not producing or destroying our Intrinsic factor. . . . . . There is barely enough research into the B12 deficiency let alone any other deficiency associated with us. . . . . . So I cannot he;p but think what else do these actions/inaction in our body do to us. . . . . . . What other things does our bodies fail to make or maybe destroy. . . . . . There may be other vitamins effected and we may be lacking other vitamins minerals. . . . . . . . Now I come back to the dairy. . . . . . . Dairy can be a divisive subject. . . . . . . It is not so long ago that the vast majority of the world did not consume dairy in any form . . . . . . . . And no they all did not suffer from lack of calcium or anything else for that matter. . . . . . . . The dairy industry has became one of the most powerful and like politics most influential industries on the planet. . . . . Near to every one believes that we cannot survive without diary and to not take dairy is almost a sin . . . . .

After I was born and until they got me onto solid food I am told I spend most hours of every day with my knees up around my chin squealing and always hungry . . . . . . . There were many who carried me around those 1000s of hours I was told. . . . . . Upon the event of solid food there was a bit of a reprieve but not before they figured out to keep the butter away from me. . . . . Butter being part and parcel of Irish life for all was strange. . . . . . I would grow up avoiding dairy on a regular basis but giving in every now and again and with a few days the symptoms occurred or if the food contained cheese almost immediate. . . . . . So I have lived into my 60s now heading for 70 more or less without dairy and in later I have had to watch closely as half the packaged food contains some form of dairy. . . . . . .

I also had 3 episodes of anaphylaxis when I was 15 years old before anyone figured out I had became in some way allergic to aspirin . . . . . So there is obviously a few problems in my autoimmune system/genes. . . . . .

So back with why we as people who are mostly I believe already autoimmune in one front or another should pay attention to diary. . . . . .. . . . . DAiry intolerance is for the most part caused by lack of lactase .. . . . . We need lactase to digest dairy. . . . . . . No lactase no digestion. . . . . . . There are little boys and little girls out there who suffer from soft stools or worse constipation sometimes to the point of having to have the stools removed yet the parents and doctors still continued to feed them dairy. . . . . . I was one of those children. . . . . As was my father and various cousins here and in the US. . . . . . . There is no point in taking forms of lactase simply to consume milk products. . . . . . You will get more than enough calcium from green veg, cabbages etc. . . . . . Maybe in fact more calcium than from dairy . . . A young calf is weaned and continues to build bone at rates humans could only dream of and without milk. . . . . . We are the only mamal that consumes milk after weaning age. . . . . . The reason we like cheese apart from the tastes is that we feel full, satisfied and for a reason. . . . . . . Our digestive systems dont allow cheese products through easily so we feel full for longer. . . . . . . Too long a story there to be writing. . . . . . If we dont make lactase we cant digest the sugars and we end up with inflammation in our bowels . . . . . . . That inflammation in turn causes all sorts of problems with various other foods that we are not intolerant of and if the inflammation reduces we can eat just fine. . . . . . So if anyone is having digestive problems and wants to try cutting out dairy do not cut out anything else apart from the obvious spicey foods that may also appear as a problem. . . . . . If you are intolerant of dairy and note I dont use the term lactose intolerant. . . . . Dairy anything intolerant for most. . . . . . I am aware there is a sweat test for such but in my family it simply never worked but the medic will swear to you that you can eat dairy. . . . . . . The test is about as much use as the basic B12 test that is barely an indicator or any sort. . . . . Do not be going dairy free and wheat free or anything else free at the same time .. . . . . Just do one thiong at the time otherwise your efforts will fall on bad ground. . . . . There are entire nations with hardly anyone who can eat dairy. . . . . . . . Once weaned many stop making lactase and will never start again. . . . . . . . The UN send dried milk products to areas of hunger and the people ended up using is as part of plaster they found it so adverse as a food product. . . . . . . .In other words dried milk products initailly killed more children than it helped. . . . . The best Ii have ever watched on the subject is Udderly Amazing by walter Veith who is no quack. . . . . . He may have some other views I may not agree with but he is very good on nutrician. . . . . . Please look his Udderlay amazing up youtube if you are interested and fo coure there are a few who object to his work so ye need the real video which I will try and show below. . . . Now. . . . If ye can take dairy products, Great . . . . .I am not a vegetarian and I do not have any religious notions about various meats products although I do see some traction in the various scripture food rules of some religions although I cant say I adhere to any but I do see logic in them rather than blind belief and I eat animal products apart from dairy. . . . . . I have no objection to what anyone eats or doesnt eat so dont be coming at me with this or that notion or remedy. . . . . . . I share my experience in the hope it may some day help another. . . . I actually was brought up with milking cows and a goat or two their milk being used for babies with skin problems. . . . . . I sold my last goat about 3 years ago and milked her to the last day she was here but even goats milk would upset me albeit nothing like dairy products would but nevertheless it didnt agree with me. . . . . . Now I think this is the correct video. . . . . . . I havnt seen it in many years but I did use it many years ago to show to my family just why and what my problem was . . . . . . My daughter also has her masters in diatetics. . . . . . I am adding a littel beit here , , , , , , Vit B especially B6 is connected to inflamation in of parts of us including IBS . . Also see D B2 etc. . . . . . . youtube.com/watch?v=-H-0tdx...(Not working as expected?)

[Irismay in reply to OldmanD]

This is the most interesting post & I thoroughly enjoyed reading it & sharing it. This could have been written by me symptoms wise (although never as eloquently & as interesting!). You are so right, I have been completely dairy free for about 15 years & it has completely changed my life. Of course I still get gut issues & I don't think that will ever change but compared to what I was like growing up (I'm in my 60s now) oh the agony & misery I went through. My grandad had terrible gut issues & so did my dad & they both had as much dairy as you could throw at them. My dad had to undergo a big operation in his 80s for a twisted gut & after the op the surgeon asked me if my dad had ever been diagnosed with celiac disease as his stomach showed alot of damage similar to that caused by celiac. They did a celiac blood test but it came back negative but I still put him straight on to gluten & dairy free diet to see what happened. The difference has been astonishing - just goes to show how much damage can be caused without us even knowing. I think if his father had known he would have done the same - he had no quality of life. It was a pleasure to read your story - thank you so much for sharing .

[OldmanD in reply to Irismay]

I can remember a cousin of my dads say that the school insisted she drink the 1/3 of a pint of milk they got every day and in no time she was out on the loo . . . . . . Every day for her entire school life

Milk was so looked upon as being good

In later year my dad had dementia and we cared for him . . . . . He was kinda down and hos GP would insist in giving him what is know here as Ensure dairy based health drinks things , , , , , I told the GP that they'd not agree with him as about 1/4 of our lot cant take dairy . . . . . . I just relied "that s not what we were taught" , , , , , A bit like religious, , , ,, , Only a few weeks later I took dad down to the clinic for a check up as he was feeling up to it and right around the place was all these posters were on the walls about babies and children being Dairy/Lactose Intolerant and if ye read the fine print it went a bit more detail into adulthood. . . . . . . . I just pointed to a poster and said "your teacher must have been wrong then" . . . . . No his teacher was correct at the time was the reply. . . .. . . My dad used to get a b12 shot every month but by that time they had hom cut down to one every 3 months . . . . . . .

Personally I have had to stop the car quickly and get over the hedge on numorous occassions. . . . . . . . There are staff in resturants who dont know what dairy is apart from milk that is. . . . . .

Sorry about the spelling . . . . . . . in a hirry

[JanD236]

I have flare ups every now and again. I can’t pin point exactly what causes it but don’t think it’s a particular food. It’s most likely to happen on holiday or after a period of overeating such as Christmas. I don’t drink much alcohol but would be more likely to on holiday or at Christmas. So it’s likely to either be caused by overeating or alcohol or a combination of both. Possibly also higher sugar and salt intake than normal

In the past I found that taking a course of the probiotic Symprove to be helpful.

If it happens now the only thing that stops the bloating and discomfort is to eat extremely lightly, preferably chicken bone broth, for 2 or 3 days as this puts a stop to it.

[Mrsmr in reply to JanD236]

Thanks janD236, no I can't seem to pinpoint what causes flares .like you I am on a very light diet of mainly clear soup. I am so tired with it at the moment.Have you tried kefir or increasing your injections?

Take care.x

[JanD236 in reply to Mrsmr]

I have many different probiotics but no I haven’t tried kefir. I’ll keep it in mind for next time I’m looking for a gut bacteria top up.

I don’t feel that increasing my injections will help with my digestive flare ups. I’m on two a week which has given me my life back and more or less got rid of all symptoms but I don’t think would impact flare ups.

[Jillymo]

I have tried taking the kefir but cant really say if it helped or not. I have found Symprove albeit expensive helps. I get regular painful flare ups together with the bloating - during those times I increase my injections.

I react to gluten so avoid it. I am being screened by gastrology and have undergone various testing such as a gastroscopy, ultra sound and going for a colonoscopy next week to investigate inflammation of both my gut and bowel. Our antibodies wax and wane hence these miserable flare ups.

If it doesn't settle down ask to be refered to a gastrologist. Once you know the root cause of your issue it can be treated rather than trying to mask the symptoms. I have found the bloating ect better since taking the symprove.

[Mrsmr in reply to Jillymo]

Thanks jillymo, always helpful. I have seen a gastroenterologist who said gastritis and erosion. When I asked about pernicious anaemia he said " you are on regular injections which would be the treatment for pernicious anaemia anyway " and that was that.! I am better since I started b12 injections but do have flare ups. I am considering Symprove if it doesn't settle. I have just SI'd so I am hoping it will help.Thanks for all your support. Take care xx

[Jillymo in reply to Mrsmr]

Aw bless you.

It sounds as if your gastrologist was a dismissive of looking further to find a cause. Did he not follow you up or was that it ? I also have errosive gastritis which I feel your gastrologist should be keeping an eye on. I cant help wonder if you have inflammation of your ilium which is the part of the bowel for absorbtion. Dont quote me but I feel you need further investigation. 😘

[Jillymo in reply to Mrsmr]

P.M-ed you

Have you got a rheumy looking after you for your Eds ? Take a look at this link..... pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/281...

[Tanitha in reply to Mrsmr]

I recently took out a flexible subscription for Symprove but sadly didn't find any benefit. Code Ella gets you 50% off for 3 months making it £25 per month and worth a try at that price. Same with kefir too, no noticeable benefit for that specific problem, though I grow my own so just keep it in the fridge when not taking it and it's no trouble (I've had it years), you just keep changing the milk - though you can freeze it for a while.

[Bertiepuss]

Please, if you try kefir, go really slowly with it, it has many strains of bacteria in so is really potent. Just 1 tsp a day for the first week and then gradually increase if no problems. Personally I have tried both milk and water kefir and they both really upset my gut causing pain and bloating. I don't see kefir as something that's healing when in a flare, it should be reserved for trying once the gut is already in a good place. I've no doubt others have had a different, more positive experience but for me, I cannot tolerate it, even when not in a flare. I find yoghurt and kimchi are fine but again, not when my gut is particularly unhappy. In very bad moments I have used Metagenics Glutagenics with good effect to sooth and heal the intestinal lining but it's now very hard to get hold of in the UK, can only find it on iherb.com, and it's super expensive. Just checked iherb and it's out of stock. NutriAdvanced sell a Glutagenics product but it doesn't have the same ingredients in as the Metagenics one.

[Mrsmr in reply to Bertiepuss]

Thanks bertiepuss, I will heed the advice. I had a glass of it earlier🙄. 🤞🤞it won't make things worse.

[Wwwdot]

Hi Mrsmr

Absolutely I listen to my body.

I was on kefir for 8 months until my gut was healed sufficiently to migrate to one meal a day.

Your gut health journey will be different but I suspect not dissimilar.

🤗🤗

[Parlay]

I use probiotics, kefir and colostrum and it’s amazing. I don’t like kombucha etc.

[Sailinglady]

I use kefir (a small shot glass a day) and find it helpful to reduce episodes of abdominal bloating and pain (but not perfect). I also use it topically to stop vulval irritation (even more effective for that).You need to keep taking it and it can take several months to really kick in.

I only really notice the benefits if I stop for a bit (e.g. holidays) when everything starts to flare up again.

[Blearyeyed]

What sort of gut problems are you having ? It can make a difference to what will work for you.

My Vitamin B 12 and Folate Deficiency are caused by pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, so it's an absorption issue for me rather than PA. I also have IBS - C as well as GERD , occasional bouts of gastritis and chronic pancreatitis and have had occasional issues with SIBO, Diverticulitis and I have Familial HyperCholesteroleimia.

Beginning B 12 injections and Folates certainly helped my gut problems because we obviously need these nutrients to help with digestion.

Yet , increasing to more B12 injections when symptoms occur won't necessarily solve the issue , it can mask other Deficiencies like Folates or gastric and diet causes if we don't check whether those are a factor first.

My gut reactions are also linked to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Chronic Dysautonomia.

I am not gluten , wheat or lactose intolerant , I was tested by the Dietitian, getting tested is worth it if you have gut or abdominal issues because there is not much point in restricting these things from your diet if they aren't part of the problem. One reason being that if you either choose to have an occasional treat or accidentally take a medication which contains one of these food groups it can cause symptoms to occur because your gut enzymes are not prepared for digesting the foods you have restricted.

Following a low FODMAP elimination diet , preferably following the NHS programme with supervision by a Dietitian is definitely worth doing to help you find a Diet that causes you less gastrointestinal symptoms or if certain foods are part of your issue. Sometimes it isn't a whole food group that troubles you but it can be just one certain set of fruit sugars or artificial sweeteners , the need to swap to soluble fibre foods and avoid insoluble fibre foods , or a particular type of vegetable , like onions or corn.

Even if there is a long wait it is worth asking to be referred to a Dietitian. They can push for other tests like stool tests and other blood tests that the GP is often unwilling to do because of costs. They can help advise you of elimination diet changes and test whether they are helping along the way. They can refer you to other Departments if required and fast track these referrals and you can request food intolerance tests through them that it is virtually impossible to get from a GP unless you have tested positive for the more common digestive issues like Coeliac , Crohn's or IBD or UC as they always give up testing after these , as though they are the only guy issues that a human can have!

Kefir or Natural live probiotic yoghurt can help ease symptoms, and if you take other medications eating some prior to taking meds or supplements can help reduce gastric reflux and help with absorption.

You can sweeten them with a little honey , have some for breakfast and have a a few teaspoons before meals or meds.

Not everyone can tolerate or like Kefir but even if you weren't into eating probiotic yoghurt before most people can tolerate and enjoy it.

You can choose lactofree or dairy free options if you need to.

Some people find a wide selection of fermented food products in small portions helps the situation. Things like sourdough instead of standard white bread , sauerkraut, kimchi , naturally sweetened kombucha drinks . Ginger and ginger tea can help as long as you can have it with any medications you use.

You can also make the natural yoghurt into a dip using herbs , spice or tomato to have with veggies or a handful of healthy crackers before a meal to help settle the stomach before eating.

Avoiding artificial sweetener helps in general with gastric issues and reduces sugar and insulin swings that can cause the risk of Type 2 Diabetes or cravings to be higher.

Drinking the recommended amount of water which can also have in green tea or low acid juices does improve gastric issues and drinking cool water with meals also helps reduce these symptoms.

Changing portion sizes to five smaller meals a day rather than three big ones also helps. A wide variety of fruit and green leafy as well as colourful vegetables and lean meat and fish as well as less saturated fat can also make digestion easier.

Try sleeping with your head and shoulders raised and either on your back or to your left side in bed . This stops stomach acid entering the oesophagus at night and causing increase symptoms the day after.

Many people can actually get worse acid from using peppermint based teas or indigestion formulas like gaviscon , peppermint can cause symptoms in itself.

If nothing seems to work from natural products a PPI like Omeprazole and Buscopan for lower abdominal pain work in general ( the need for medication can be the case for many people , especially if they take medications for other things that cause gastric side effects which can also contribute to B 12 Deficiency , or in post surgery , or if you have a chronic digestive issue ). It's nice to stay natural if you can but much like needing our injections medications are there to help and can be a necessary and sensible choice .

Good luck , Bee

[B12life in reply to Blearyeyed]

How did you nail down the pancreatic enzyme insufficiency?

[Blearyeyed in reply to B12life]

Still testing , Breath tests , blood test ,full medical history and finally genetics. My symptoms could really be tracked back through ten years if blood tests , as could periods of B12 Deficiency but it had been misdiagnosed because of medical prejudgement as malnutrition which they assumed was because I didn't eat properly, despite my diet diaries because I was so underweight.I had chronic pancreatitis for years after gall bladder removal , then my Familial Cholesterol was diagnosed finally the B12 D Anaemia so the PEI is one of my most recent diagnosis.

[Mrsmr in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks for the good advice B. It's frustrating as I eat healthily and exercise as much as I can .I do find I can't tolerate heavy carb meals. I Am now on a liquid only diet to see if that helps. Over the past 5 years I have had pain in my stomach and upper right side with nausea. This time it is in my lower abdomen and no nausea!! Frustrating! Take care and thanks again

[Blearyeyed in reply to Mrsmr]

I assume they have investigated your gall bladder and pancreas?If not , or if you haven't had an ultrasound or scan in the last three years ask firmly again to be referred to get this area checked again.

Pancreatic and Gall bladder issues can be chronic even if they are only at the worst three times a year. Many of those issues are missed , I know myself from experience.

What are your cholesterol / lipid blood tests like?

[Lambsluck]

Have you tried Ispaghula / Psyllium ? It is an over the counter product here and in South Africa. It has made a big improvement for me., and works for both constipation and diahorrea . I am now in Sweden and the product I use is called Vi- Siblin.

Good luck.

[Mrsmr in reply to Lambsluck]

👍

[mickeymouse42]

Has your gastroenterologist done a serum gastrin test to see if you have low stomach acid? If you have low stomach acid, you will have a gut problems. There are many posts on this forum about low stomach acid.

Can you describe your gut problems in more detail.

[Mrsmr in reply to mickeymouse42]

No I haven't had serum gastric test done. I had endoscopy and virtual colonoscopy twice in 5 years and they said gastritis and erosions. I have described gut problems in above post. Many thanks

[Frank77]

Hello Mrsmr. I have PA and have been taking kefir daily for years. I am quite certain it works for me. One reason is that people with PA generally have low stomach acid, as well as other gastric problems like GERD, erosion etc. I have both. Low stomach acid means that harmful bacteria can thrive in the gut and cause all kinds of problems. The good bacteria in kefir and fermented foods generally help to balance or kill off the bad bacteria. I see that PPIs have also been mentioned above: I was on them for years, as they are prescribed (mistakenly) by the majority of doctors, including gastroenterologists, when presented with patients with my symptoms. I was never happy with PPIs and tried several times to replace/live without them, usually without success as the basic symptoms- tickly, dry cough and acid reflux- always returned. This was until about six weeks ago when I started taking turmeric + black pepper capsules twice a day plus apple cider vinegar once a day. In all that time I really have not had any symptoms! I have no idea if this will work for everyone, but it does for me. In short, if I were you I would certainly try the kefir and also consider experimenting with turmeric.

[Mrsmr in reply to Frank77]

Turmeric is on my list. 🤞🤞🤞👍

[WorkingProgress]

Be vary wary of kefir as you often do not know the quality of the cultures they use and/or the milk. Regular cows milk is a terrible idea for gut issues too. Stay away from 99% of those types of products and stick to things like full fat authentic live Greek yogurt if you choose to go down the cultured root.

[Seabird4]

Although I cannot comment on whether additional injections helps gut issues I can give you my experience of using Kefir. I've eaten fermented foods yogurt ayran, çakistes,sauerkraut & the odd shop bought kefir for a number of years however recently I had gut issues which I've attributed to the use of strong pain killers following an accident. I stopped them at the earliest point. My friends use Kefir daily so I embarked on making my own milk Kefir from live grains my friend gave me. You can use water grains if that suits you for dairy. This has had a very positive effect on my digestive system. No more loose stools. I started slowly & drink a small glass before breakfast & now one with my dinner too. You have to look after your grains culture but I've found it well worth it. Good luck

[Pickle500]

I think things like kefir and kombucha may help someone who doesn't have entrenched gut problems. It may be a bit like how a B12 shot would give someone without a deficiency a 'boost'.

But those of us with ongoing gut issues need a holistic approach, I think. And that should begin with trying to determine the main issue as to why your gut is unhappy.

Our guts need ALOT of diversity to function. And that means all types of meats, veggies, dairy, nuts and seeds etc. All organic, all fresh, free range, grass fed.

Eliminating alcohol, caffeine or coffee especially, no white refined carbs, cakes, biscuits and reduce stress while getting proper sleep is vital too. Light exercise will help.

But I don't believe that one single thing will resolve gut problems. In fact overuse or always eating the same thing could make it worse - remember it's all about diversity.

Kefir one week

Sauerkraut another week

Greek yoghurt with fruit nuts and seeds the next week

...you catch my drift!

It's a holistic science and for me probiotics really do help. Symprove is the best and worth an investment, especially if problems are severe or persistent.

Then a meticulously planned diet with no baddies in there. Sorry!

All the best

[totallyFrustrated]

Hello Mrsmr

My entire family swear by kefir, but we are all intolerant to any kind of dairy product. We discovered water kefir, which you have to make yourself. Google water kefir grains and buy some, then make it at home. You only need to buy the grains once, as they multiply so you can pass some on to your friends and family, and we all feel better when we drink it regularly. Sadly, mine died in the winter, so I need to order new grains too, the stuff is sensitive to temperature etc and can go dormant when too cold, and then die if you forget to look after it. But so long as you can control that they are easy.....best of luck

[Baggy8]

These comments serve to show how different we all are. I suffered from extreme chronic constipation for years, not the types of issues that have been discussed on this thread. In my case I swear by the use of all fermented food, (including milk based kefir), I ensure I have at least 3 types a day. I also eat nothing ultra processed. Although eating non processed really improved my general health, particularly gut, however, when I started on the fermented my general inflammation disappeared. So I can only endorse the use of fermented foods. Have you considered using water based kefir? Just as effective..

[B12life]

what was your b12 level before your first ever injection?

When did you start injections regularly?

[Mrsmr in reply to B12life]

My b12 was 167.

[B12life in reply to Mrsmr]

I really believe you still have a b12 issue that requires frequent injections. On top of other suggestions try increasing the injections to EOD or daily. Give it time as it takes a long time for the b12 to work and the body to heal. It took me 2 years of injections daily to get most of the symptoms reversed.

[Nackapan]

Interestingly I've had 'old' refux symptoms occur recently.The one thing I've done is changed to skimmed milk has not helped.

Apparently it had s higher pH level which neutralises stomach acid .

I must have low stomach acid .

So will make porridge with water of semi skimmed again.

I was trying to reduce saturated fats .....cant win lol

[MrJustatip]

Hello Mrsmr, don't know about kefir and am aware of the possible dairy issue, but we are not only gluten-free, but now we've gone totally soy free. If I eat soy I'm setting up shop in the bathroom. As far as I'm concerned soy is absolutely evil food to me. Tears up your gut causing foul smelling gas, diarrhea, bad cramps and hey, turns men into soy-boys. Soy = bad stuff. Check out the georgia guide stones. Who knows, conspiracy or not?

[Mrsmr]

Thank you everyone for all your comments and advice. Much appreciated. Take care xx

[cloudspotting]

Some very useful info in this post, particularly relating to dietetics. I've been making my own Kefir for about a year now and together with fermented foods, I've noticed my IBS has settled. My PA / B12d was related to gastritis and since focussing on my gut microbiome and probiotics in particular, my gastric symptoms have lessened and flare-ups become a lot more manageable. I found a good resource of background information regarding the microbiome and dysbiosis in the book ' 10% Human' by Allana Collen. I avoid any shop bought Kefir/fermented products and make my own from organic ingredients. I think my Kefir grains have become a pet substitute and managing them has become a bit obsessive 😀

[Mrsmr in reply to cloudspotting]

I am going to try and make my own kefir. Thanks

[Mrsmr]

It is interesting to hear different types of gut issues and how they have been approached. I have never made Kefir, I bought the milk one from Tesco!!!!

[lkeegan16]

Anything fermented will help with gut issues. There has been a 78% increase in fatty liver this past decade in the US from high carb intake which causes fatty liver and impairs digestion. Before meals: Digestive enzymes, ox bile salts to normalize bile for digestion, betaine hydrochloric acid, and after meals, probiotics. This has to be done 3x a day. Consistency reaps better results.

[lkeegan16 in reply to lkeegan16]

Also, when you experience stomach upset between meals, aloe vera juice, not aloe gel, calms the stomach down. We discuss a lot of this in our ALS group, ALS Natural Healing Holistic Diet, digestion, infections, medications, and toxins are all issues with all diseases and has been documented in research. Cholesterol drugs are #1 in liver damage and the blood tests are only 15% accurate as only 15% of the bilirubin they use to measure enters the sample. When tested with an ultrasound in a study, 76% of the patients had fatty liver. There is a reason for B 12 deficiencies, but people are not receiving pertinent tests.

[brainchild]

Yes indeed. I make my own kefir and feel that it is beneficial.