Do you have questions about your or your child's digestion and gut health? Ask a probiotics expert - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Created for Culturelle

PLEASE NOTE THIS Q&A IS NOW CLOSED FOR QUESTIONS. YOU CAN VIEW MARGARET'S ANSWERS HERE

Gut health is an important part of our overall health, but it can be hard to know how to improve it. Whether you’ve experienced digestion problems yourself, or you want some advice on maintaining your children’s gut health, Culturelle has invited expert Margaret Haldeman to answer your questions.

● Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize
draw.
● One lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher.
● Margaret will be back online in the new year to answer a selection of your questions.

About Margaret Haldeman
Margaret Haldeman is the Global Scientific Engagement Leader for microbiome targeted solutions at i-Health, Inc., a division of DSM, with specific focus on Culturelle probiotics, adietary supplement. She received her B.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Rochester and SUNY Buffalo, respectively. As a postdoctoral fellow at The Ohio State University, she was awarded an NIH Individual National Research Service Award to study bacterial transcriptional regulation.

With over 10 years of experience in the field, in her current role at i-Health, Margaret is focused on healthcare professional engagement and promoting microbiome education and clinical trial support to raise awareness of evidence-based probiotics. As co-chair of the Education and Communication Committee and Healthcare Professional Taskforce of the International Probiotics Association and through activities of the Council for Responsible Nutrition Probiotics Group, Margaret’s passion is to educate all audiences on the importance of the microbiome and evidence-based tools to promote overall health.

Here’s what Cuturelle has to say:
‘At Culturelle we believe that talking about the gut is still a stigmatized health issue around the world, and by opening up new conversations we can help people understand more about their bodies, the science and what we can all do to support the core of our health’

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

Mumsnet Insight T&Cs Apply

Alot of people find after years of cutting foods or associating foods with gut problems, that it is actually anxiety/ gut brain axis and them linking, and then having conformation bias. Is their more we can do to explain this or get this out there so people don't have to go through years and mote anxiety over foods.

Is it possible to have too much fruit and veg?

Can you have too many probiotic? I'm eating probiotic foods and taking tablets and I think it's making me feel worse

Is it normal for your gut health to change as you age? My gut health was not something I ever ever thought about when I was younger, but in my forties I feel more conscious of it.

What's your opinion on the possible links of gut health and autism? I swear my son becomes more withdrawn and his mood drops when he isn't taking his probiotic drinks regularly. Can you tell me more about Culterelle and also what prebiotic foods can you recommend that a child might try?

That’s a really interesting question. I hope it gets answered as I’m interested in the response.

In general, Probiotics can make SIBO worse... are there any strains that can actually help eradicate it?

When you have a picky eater how on Earth do you try to improve gut health? I’m talking chicken nuggets and chips, babybel and maybe some yogurt most days.

My intestines feel like they are twisting and spasms are so painful I take buscopan is there anything else I can do to ease the pain

A couple of years ago I switched to oat milk in coffee and also hot chocolate drinks. I still use dairy (cooking, cheese, yoghurt, butter) but just prefer hot drinks with oat. I have found that if I have a milkshake I get terrible bloating, wind, sometimes diarrhoea. It happens with hot milky drinks but nowhere near as much.

Is this just because my gut is reacting to suddenly having a lot of dairy or an indication I should avoid it more? I've had cows milk all my life but also always suffered with bloating. I have mild ibs that flares up when I am very stressed.

I’ve recently had my gallbladder out and after a few weeks where I could eat most things, I’ve gone back the way and can hardly touch a thing without being in pain. Doctors think there might be a residual stone, but aside from that, are there any hints and tips from your experience you can provide for what I should be eating?

I regularly take probiotics and gave found them helpful. However whenever i eat Kimchi I get instant diarrhoea! This is sagely made commercial Kimchi from the supermarket and also restaurants. Why would my digestion be helped by probitoics in tablet form but probiotic foods have a terrible effect on my bowels? I don't have any food allergies or sensitivities.

What do you think of kombucha drinks and do you think they have a serious benefit to gut health?

What are likely causes of excessive rumbling and gurgling? Would a pre/probiotic be recommended to help with this?

Thanks to all who shared their digestive health questions. The winner of the prize draw is @kateandme - congratulations!

Margaret will be online in the new year to share answers to some of your questions 😀

I have got microscopic colitis and want to avoid steroids. Would a low fodmap diet plus good probiotic be a way of healing the inflammation without meds? How do I know what probiotic might be a good one?

Is a low dose of probiotics better than no probiotics at all?

How do know my child's gut is healthy/unhealthy? Are there signs to look for? Could it lead to a vitamin deficiency? Thanks!

how do I get the 6 week 1 saying cooling off period waived from a divorce i have already waited 20 weeks ?

I’m not sure your gut bacteria can help with that one.

According to some pro biotic pushing celebration nutritionists…. I suspect they would argue that yes, a very expensive pro biotic could indeed help in this scenario

LOL

Antibiotics tend to make me feel tired and foggy. Would taking a probiotic at the same time help to combat this, or would it slow down the action of the antibiotic too much?

I get sick after eating red meat, cheese, tomato based foods, could this be a tolerance to these foods?

I am not knowingly lactose intolerant but I had some double cream over Christmas with catastrophic results. So much pain, bloating and diarrhoea which is taking days to settle. I don't react generally to milk or white sauces or cheese etc......what is going on?? And how long might it take my tummy to get better?