Do you take anything to improve gut health?

[PartnersInCrime]

Supplements, probiotics etc? And if so, do you feel it's helped and lastly would you kindly share what you take?

I've recently started taking Symprove. I'm 2 weeks in and I'm definitely bloating far less. Not noticed any other particular changes/improvements as yet but given that I was looking 9 months pregnant a lot of the time (fkin perimenopause) I'm very pleased nonetheless, I feel less self- conscious of being a bit overweight as my stomach isn't constantly sticking out!

Sounds promising. I tried Biomel for a month and it made not difference to either bloat or discomfort. Hate how I can do my belt up first thing in the morning but struggle by lunch time.

Thanks!

My whole diet has been around gut health. I started the Zoe diet and have eliminated some things like processed meats and artificial sweeteners and increased other things ( eg veggies and nuts). The specific foods will vary for each individual although I guess lots are universal. I’ve also introduced fermented food like Kefir and kimchi.

I am under a consultant gastroenterologist for inflammatory bowel disease and he says its not worth taking probiotics as they don't do anything. Best thing is to have a healthy varied diet.

I forgot to add, do exercise!

I’ve tried lots of things over the years, most recently:

Rheal green powder - realised can’t take as boost immune system which you don’t want to do if you have an autoimmune problem like me!

Fermented foods - I still do this - mainly kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut

S. boulardii probiotic - still take

Mushroom coffee - still take, love

7 Days Flat by optibac - this was good for a boost!

Am about to start the autoimmune protocol which should help out my gut, and then on my list of things to try is sea moss and l-lysine.

I think the absolute quickest way I reduced bloating, wind, reflux etc was to cut out gluten. Almost an immediate difference.

I did the Zoë study this time last year which was an OK insight into gut health but was a lot of common sense and you still need to actually try stuff - no magic answers - so if you’re thinking of doing that, that’s my review!

I can't comment on the product mentioned, but 100% agree with the comment about diet. I'm not suggesting this is what your doing OP, but there is a tendency with gut health to look for a magic pill which means you don't have to do the boring diet stuff, and it doesn't really work like that unfortunately!

Us humans do like to search for the holy grail which means we can do what we like with no ill effects basically!

Professor Tim Spector says that there are a lot more good bacteria in kefir, kombucha and kimchi than in the probiotic pills. Also the real food is a lot cheaper.

Eat food. Mostly plants.

It holds up as advice goes. Eat yoghurt. Ferment stuff. It's dead easy. Eat it plus your 30 different fruits and veggies a week and your gut will love you back.

I wish I didn't like burger chips and a glass of wine

Will it though, @Doyathinkhesaurus ? Been doing all that for years and gut still seemingly does not love me.

Listen to the Zoe podcasts on gut health. They say the best thing is 30 veg as much variety as possible (fruit, veg, legumes ) a week and fermented food. You are better off spending the money on food rather supplements.

This was my advice to .
I'm very suspicious of supplements anyway , in the main they don't work , are expensive and years down the line we hear about after effects .
Eat a balanced diet and vitamins : minerals will be taken anyway .

Nuts and seeds have helped me - especially seeds. Most days, I have home made yogurt for breakfast. I've got a jar of mixed linseed and chai seeds. I add a spoonful of those, a few walnuts and a some fruit (a chopped banana usually) and a drizzle of honey. Really notice the difference when I stop it for a few days.

I also add a few cashews and some mixed (sunflower, pumpkin, linseeds, chai) seeds to salads.

Cut out everything that is harmful for gut health - emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, processed meat etc. Increase whole foods and fermented foods, raw milk cheese, sauerkraut etc. Don't waste money on supplements.

Bad tummy issues suck. It's what works for you. There are no quick fixes, sometimes no fixes at all, and if the supplements help then take them. I'm just wary of medicalising a problem that's not going to go away. My other half has IBS and we farm those little gut bugs - it's cheaper than buying up all the supplements.

I drink kefir and make my own sauerkraut and sourdough. I do like kombucha but find it expensive for the goodstuff.

Tim Spector was talking on a radio 4 program last autumn (Saturday morning one) and basically said 30 different vegetables in a week - including nuts, seeds, herbs and spices.

Dark chocolate is a fermented food, he has full fat dairy (yogurt, cheese) and mostly plant protein, occasional meat. Whole grains

When ive eaten the above my gut is good.

Used to take biokult; not too sure it did anything

My gut loves oats, but that's just me.

Is that literally 30 different types? So if I have salad every day with the same base ingredients, I can only count them once in a week?

No, I aim for 30 different fruit & veg a week and normally manage 28. And drink lots of water.

I had chemo 18 months ago which wrecked my immune system and left me with sensitivity to all sorts of things including emulsifiers.

Going back to basics - only whole foods, lots of water, as many different fruit, veg, nuts etc as I can find.

It has worked. Immune system has recovered. Bloated feeling and gall bladder issues has gone away. I've cut back on cheese and butter as well and feel really good. Glossy hair& nails, lots of energy, no discomfort, back to running twice a week. 🙂

It depends a lot on what your digestive issue is. My Mum and I have different digestive issues with very similar symptoms but very different causes. She does well on high fibre, lots of fruit and veg. For me, I find exercise really helps. Also lots of seeds and nuts and eggs. For me personally, I’m just not keen on many fruit and veg as alot of them upset my digestive system… which makes it a challenge to eat as healthily as I would like to and I have to avoid high fibre too. Lots of water in the morning also helps me. I do take probiotics (fast 800 ones) but I’m not sure they make much difference.

These are excellent -

Lindens Pro Bio Live Max 6 Billion CFU Capsules - 100 Pack - Contributes to a Healthy Gut and Supports Digestion - Probiotic Vegetarian Capsules - UK Manufacturer, Letterbox Friendly amzn.eu/d/gyPKjiA