Probiotics - does it really work?

Brightbutton

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Have been eating yogurt with live cultures for 3 days now to counterbalance my antibiotics eating all the good bacteria.
Ive read a lot of articles that questions its claims saying that its the food industry spending lots of money on lies to make us spend money again.
Anyone have any good, bad experience to prove or disprove claims?
 
we bought about 4 weeks worth as they were on offer the other month - was actimel I think...

we never felt anything at all...but then we have a good diet, and I doubt we'd buy them again...
 
From what I've read, there is so little in the yogs etc that it wont really make a difference, and also they reckon your stomach acid destroys them before they reach your intestines anyway. Whether that is true or not I dont know.
I take acidophilus tablets (3million) and I've not noticed getting bloated like I used to. Although at the same time I also drink aloe juice, so it may be that.
 
Its very hard to find reliable, non-biased data on these and the companies that make them spend millions getting friendly scientists to run test until they find one that looks like it supports the products.
 
Have been eating yogurt with live cultures for 3 days now to counterbalance my antibiotics eating all the good bacteria.
Ive read a lot of articles that questions its claims saying that its the food industry spending lots of money on lies to make us spend money again.
Anyone have any good, bad experience to prove or disprove claims?

Good question :) I've been taking probiotic yogs for at least three years now. And I can say that without a doubt my intestines are crawling with bacteria. The good kind. My symptoms of excessive gas and bloating disappeared within 2 weeks of starting probiotic products. I found creamy live cheeses and craft ales to be of great benefit too.
 
From what I've read, there is so little in the yogs etc that it wont really make a difference, and also they reckon your stomach acid destroys them before they reach your intestines anyway. Whether that is true or not I dont know.
I take acidophilus tablets (3million) and I've not noticed getting bloated like I used to. Although at the same time I also drink aloe juice, so it may be that.
Those tablets sound like a good idea.
 
A Danish colleague of mine used to swear by the tablets. His advice was to take them if you were going to be travelling, and might experience different water, strange diet, and all the things that can accompany that. Whenever I've followed that advice while travelling, I've never had a problem.
 
I'm a Coeliac, so know all about bloating.... I tried Actimel years ago, didn't think it did anything so stopped. But if it can be proved, then I'll try again...
Have you tried acidophilus?
 
Not yet, but will!!
Chewy or capsule?
£8.99 from H&B
I've got both, although not tried the chewy yet. Go for the highest one - e.g. 3 billion. I think the chewy are only 1 billion, but they were included in the penny sale when the others weren't.
 
Do you take 1 or 2 capsules a day? The instructions say its up to you.
I just got them. It's been 5 mins, no change yet :p

Found a blog on Coeliac and Probiotics here, interesting answers/comments...
Gluten Free Blog: Probiotics to Cure Celiac?
 
Do you take 1 or 2 capsules a day? The instructions say its up to you.
I just got them. It's been 5 mins, no change yet :p

Found a blog on Coeliac and Probiotics here, interesting answers/comments...
Gluten Free Blog: Probiotics to Cure Celiac?

You might need to wait a little longer than that. :)
I did take two, but as I also take aloe juice, i dropped it to one. I take them with water on an empty stomach.
You could always do one in the morning and one in the evening?
 
I've been taking Symprove for several years to help U Colitis and can categorically say it's helped with my problems. Everyone's mileage will vary though.
 
I take one Yakult in the morning along with the little Benecol yogurts for cholesterol. I definatly notice less bloating when having them.
 
A knowledgeable type at the hospital which my missus works for recommends using them, particularly to help gut health after long courses of antibiotics. I'm led to believe there are favourable studies and reviews out there, presumably in the medical press, but I don't have any links or owt.
 
So are people still taking probiotic supplements then?

I was suffering with GERD and had an endoscopy after which I was diagnosed with non-coeliac gluten intolerance. The gastroenterologist recommended Alflorex which helped my the digestive system a treat to start with but I’ve found that alternating with other blends like OptiBac Max seems to work best for me.

The consultant mentioned gut-brain axis (vagus nerve) which I see is being researched a lot more in recent years.


I‘ve tried a few of these prebiotic rich fermented foodstuffs but they tend to make me rather bloated.



Whilst the benefits of taking probiotics after a course of antibiotics seem to be variable, with faecal transplants proving more effective 💩

 
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So are people still taking probiotic supplements then?

I was suffering with GERD and had an endoscopy after which I was diagnosed with non-coeliac gluten intolerance. The gastroenterologist recommended Alflorex which helped my the digestive system a treat to start with but I’ve found that alternating with other blends like OptiBac Max seems to work best for me.

The consultant mentioned gut-brain axis (vagus nerve) which I see is being researched a lot more in recent years.


I‘ve tried a few of these prebiotic rich fermented foodstuffs but they tend to make me rather bloated.



Whilst the benefits of taking probiotics after a course of antibiotics seem to be variable, with faecal transplants proving more effective 💩


I take a probiotic capsule with enzymes and it helps my bloating no end.

I'd be lost without it.
 
I take enteric coated peppermint oil capsules for bloating and wheat/dairy intolerance.

What probiotic capsules are good for bloating?
 
I take enteric coated peppermint oil capsules for bloating and wheat/dairy intolerance.

What probiotic capsules are good for bloating?
The ones I take are from Napiers in Edinburgh/Glasgow and are called the happy gut.

They are very expensive though (I now take 3 a day) but it's coz they include enzymes that I like them.

I've had optibac in the past but these ones from napier I find are the best.

I have gastroparesis and visceral hypersensitivity so my stomach is pretty rubbish but they totally keep the bloat down for me.

I noticed when I was in hospital last year for 9 days and didn't have them and my stomach went right back to making me bloat like a whale.
 
So are people still taking probiotic supplements then?

I was suffering with GERD and had an endoscopy after which I was diagnosed with non-coeliac gluten intolerance. The gastroenterologist recommended Alflorex which helped my the digestive system a treat to start with but I’ve found that alternating with other blends like OptiBac Max seems to work best for me.

Not supplements but i've started to look at the probiotic yoghurt stuff. Doctor mentioned kefir stuff too. Got to get into the habbit of taking this daily and see how it goes.

Currently on one of the "zole" capsules twice a day. Bad stomach for 2 months now (although a bit better for the past few weeks on the pills). GERD/Reflux/stomach ache/bloating/burping/some toilet issues.

No chance of another endoscopy any time soon given it's all "Covid Covid Covid and tough luck if it's anything else" so gotta plod on and see if the problem goes away.
 
Not supplements but i've started to look at the probiotic yoghurt stuff. Doctor mentioned kefir stuff too. Got to get into the habbit of taking this daily and see how it goes.

Currently on one of the "zole" capsules twice a day. Bad stomach for 2 months now (although a bit better for the past few weeks on the pills). GERD/Reflux/stomach ache/bloating/burping/some toilet issues.

No chance of another endoscopy any time soon given it's all "Covid Covid Covid and tough luck if it's anything else" so gotta plod on and see if the problem goes away.
I tried all the "zole" tablets and got terrible side effects.

I found watching my diet like a hawk and using the probiotic that I do, enabled me to taper off the "zole" tablets.

I will only ever take them as a very last resort when I'm having a flare up and am literally unable to eat or drink without severe pain.

"zole" tablets are also not good for you long term and simply mask the problem rather than solve it. It's like putting a sticking plaster on.

I'm only going by my experiences though and since getting both my diagnosises of gastroparesis and visceral hypersensitivity I have had to do loads of research into them both.
 
"zole" tablets are also not good for you long term and simply mask the problem rather than solve it. It's like putting a sticking plaster on.

Agreed. For years, on and off, they've wanted me to take them but I refused. Simply taking tablets, day after day, month after month, will probably end up causing other issues (probably kill me lol). Lately (last few years), I've generally been ok. Only suffering for a week or so per year. So I put up with it. Never got to the bottom of what it is (diet/allergies etc).

I told the Doc I would give them another go the other week since I was desperate.

They'll run out in another couple of weeks and then we'll see what happens. No chance of seeing a specialist any time soon. No chance of an endoscopy any time soon. I'll probably scale back the tablets to 1 a day (from 2) and then stop and see what happens.
 
The ones I take are from Napiers in Edinburgh/Glasgow and are called the happy gut.

They are very expensive though (I now take 3 a day) but it's coz they include enzymes that I like them.

I've had optibac in the past but these ones from napier I find are the best.

I have gastroparesis and visceral hypersensitivity so my stomach is pretty rubbish but they totally keep the bloat down for me.

I noticed when I was in hospital last year for 9 days and didn't have them and my stomach went right back to making me bloat like a whale.
Are these the ones you find effective? If so I might place an order

 
Not supplements but i've started to look at the probiotic yoghurt stuff. Doctor mentioned kefir stuff too. Got to get into the habbit of taking this daily and see how it goes.

Currently on one of the "zole" capsules twice a day. Bad stomach for 2 months now (although a bit better for the past few weeks on the pills). GERD/Reflux/stomach ache/bloating/burping/some toilet issues.

No chance of another endoscopy any time soon given it's all "Covid Covid Covid and tough luck if it's anything else" so gotta plod on and see if the problem goes away.
None of the protein pump inhibitor drugs I was prescribed agreed with me, so ended up on 300mg Ranitidine to prevent GERD from flaring up in the middle of the night.

Thankfully not had much of an issue in past couple of years and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar plus honey in a glass of water helps when I do have a flare up.


I can’t seem to find any lactose free kefir, so have been settling for coconut yoghurt with live cultures.
 

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