Query on Live Yoghurt

[Gypdyp45]

Am I to assume I should not be eating live yoghurts and other aids to immune system? I asked my young Dr & he thought it was OK. (I thought I was helping things!) I am at present on 20mg down from 70mg Pred. Can't say I feel too good and now have hip problems along with my shingles!

[HeronNS]

Why wouldn't you eat live yoghurt and other fermented foods? They are so good for you, for your microbiome, I wouldn't be surprised if they actually help our body deal with most of our ailments to some extent. I'm actually not sure if anything really "helps" the immune system directly, anyway. For all we know one cause of autoimmune diseases could be incomplete and corrupted microbiota.

[Gypdyp45 in reply to HeronNS]

Thankyou so much. It was just the live aspect. So, I shall continue. To help yeo valley profits!

[Sandy1947 in reply to HeronNS]

I have severe osteoporosis in addition to PMR. Must have dairy in food. Do you know which is better in dairy, fat free or full fat? Full fat may have less sugar. My doc said there is no scientific evidence re. diet and inflammation. I think I have more pain with night shade vegetables, carbs and sugar. I have lost weight on 20 mg Pred because I can only tolerate protein, vegetables and fruit. Eat cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese. Need to eat 6-8 times a day (small meals). Look like a pencil. 20 mg Pred.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Sandy1947]

Fat-free is not good - calcium and vit D both require some fat for transport. People whose dairy is skimmed milk absorb far less calcium than people using even semi-skimmed. I use full fat natural Greek yoghurt and semiskimmed milk (full fat doesn't taste right in tea) and real cheese - none of the low fat imitations!

[Sandy1947 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. I will def make the change. At my sister's house and she does it your way. I am a convert.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy1947]

Sandy, I've just read that yoghurt is particularly good for people with osteoporosis. A small amount of the calcium is lost in the filtering process to make Greek yoghurt, but I believe its protein content is considerably increased and its carb content much reduced, which makes it a good choice for people who have to avoid carbs and up their protein if they have high sugar as so many of us do when on pred. It can have a very high fat content so if that's a concern opt for a version which has lower (not no) fat content. I'm thinking I should start eating full fat Greek yoghurt so that I can gain some weight.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to HeronNS]

Mind you - something that is 5% fat is hardly high fat is it? Compared with butter or dripping (salty butter or pork dripping on fresh bread, oh yum...)

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

The site I was reading mentioned 7% in full fat version, which in one serving is equivalent to 80% daily allowance for someone on a 2000 calorie diet.

[HeronNS in reply to PMRpro]

You just made me realize it's past time for my elevenses!

[Sandy1947 in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks! I'll follow your good advice...mix high fat with low fat to decrease sugar! I mix lots of things.

[HeronNS in reply to Sandy1947]

Sandy, I think your reply is meant for someone else? I only buy unflavoured, unsweetened yoghurt. When I started drinking kefir I would mix flavoured with plain, but now it's plain all the way!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If you can't eat yoghurt then a lot of us are in trouble Quite a few of us use yoghurt to "line our stomachs" when taking the pred to save having to take a PPI (omeprazole etc) and it has worked very well!

[SnazzyD]

Ah, do you mean if you are helping the immune system you are worrying it might be stopping it being suppressed by the Pred?

[Gypdyp45 in reply to SnazzyD]

Yes, that is exactly what I meant!

[SnazzyD in reply to Gypdyp45]

Well, we are suppressing the body's immune system in order to quieten down the bit of it that has got upset and is attacking its own tissues. However, we need a functioning immune system in order not to die of a runaway infection. So it's an uneasy balance. The immune system itself is made of different cells and different body parts like glandular material and bone marrow. It is also influenced by countless things including diet, stress levels and genetics. So much is known about it but an awful lot isn't and is being discovered such as the positive role of gut bacteria and the sheer complexity of it. We have similarities but we are also very individual; if I ate yoghurt I would have an upset gut. None of these things are good for an easy answer.

Personally, given all this, I go for a diet that avoids things that are known to damage or hinder the immune system like sugars/refined carbs and I try to eat nutritious foods every mealtime. I also avoid focusing heavily on single nutrients or high dose supplements as a fix because to my mind it can't be as simple as that and I don't know what I'm doing to the balance in the long run. I take a bit of extra stuff that the Pred takes away such as calcium/Vit D, magnesium and potassium and low dose B vitamins because my gluten free diet (not a choice) isn't very high in it. But that's me, we're all different.

A good immune boosting diet happens to help with other things like tissue repair and organ function and those who follow it are healthier than those who don't, so it stands to my reasoning that doing that will help whatever. It may be that by bolstering the immune system with lifestyle while having this condition will redress the imbalance where one bit has gone into overdrive, blasting its shotgun wildly at its own troops while other bits have been fiddling while Rome burns.

[Gypdyp45 in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you! I am not doing too well with any of this. After being on high dose pred (70mg) for 60 days, my immune system was not good, I developed shingles in my mouth! Still have this but a lot better. Now my right !!leg has given up and very painful to walk. My lovely life of walking the countryside is now a distant memory. I don.t think I am patient in any way and moan to much.

Anyway, thankyou for your rep!y and I shall continue with the live yoghurt but perhaps, not too much!

[Zofitmogelijk in reply to Gypdyp45]

Dear Gypdyp, please do not despair. Sometimes I feel like a little two motor plane and one

motor is down , but we are still flying you know, and about your countryside walks ,they

are

Not only a

distant memory, but also a

goal for you in the future. one step at a time makes thousands also. A hug

[Gypdyp45 in reply to Zofitmogelijk]

Thank you so much for your reply. At least I can still see all this beautiful countryside.