When S. boulardii is the right one, it's the only one you need.
Of all things I've done to help myself, this one stands out. Mostly, because I read a research article on S. boulardii and decided any probiotic with documented proof that it helps gut inflammation had to be a good thing and decided that I had to add it, all on my own : ) Then I went to see my new doctor (functional medicine) who ruthlessly pruned my list of supplements (including my beloved Hardy's Probiotics and Greens) but kept these. I was stunned. More wasn't merrier? Diversity not an issue? This flew in the face of all my careful reading on the microbiome. The rational? When you dump who knows how many colony forming units into your gut, the new probiotics need to fight it out with the established ones for limited resources (fiber). If you have gut inflammation, then S. boulardii is your answer and it's best to maximize its chances. As for fiber? If you take probiotics, then you must take fiber. Quality is the key. Poorly processed fiber (metamucil) - sure they feed your probiotics but they also feed other much less desirable denizens of the gut. Apparently the best possible fiber is PGX (specially processed form of glucomannan). I was using a mixture of Metamucil mostly to get rid of it and glucomannin And? Three weeks after she eliminated the junk fiber and the junk probiotics (whimper), my elimination is normal. My gut pain is gone. My GERD, gas, cramping, bloating, diarrhea is gone. This after trying with Hardy's (and Jarrow and Culturelle...) for close to a year, it turns out I was drowning out both pieces of the correct answer by introducing too much competition and then feeding everyone crappy fiber. Is this the whole story? Alas no, healing a very broken GI track is a big story. Symptoms: gas, bloating, GERD, stomach aches/heartburn, gut cramps, diarrhea. Support for broken digestion (you'll want to check with your doctor - it's great if you're under producing stomach fluids but you'll burn a hole in your stomach if you're fine) HCl and digestive enzymes Healing the gut Probiotics (S. boulardii for inflammation - other probiotics for different issues) Fiber (highest quality - PGX) Glutamate - feed your gut directly - promotes gut healing resistant starch - Bob's red mill unmodified potato starch - feeds your probiotics, anti inflammatory, does not raise glucose levels and survived the Great Pruning of the Supplements unscathed. Collagen; Your gut needs collagen to heal . You can get collagen either from bone broth or from collagen supplements. Initiate protein synthesis: in order to heal, the body must produce new proteins. However, this only happens if you eat 30 gm of protein in one sitting. That would be 5 large eggs or 1.5 cups of greek yogurt. Nutritionists recommend doing this 3x per day if you are trying to heal from a major condition. I found it difficult to eat so much food so it's closer to 1x per day. Once I began doing this, my hair doubled it's growth rate. My other conditions have been improving as well, although not as spectacularly as hair growth. Update: It's been over four months on this "heal the gut" regime. Most of my symptoms of digestive difficulties are gone. I can eat normally without digestive enzymes and HCl. However, my lab tests came back and I'm borderline (no candida! none!) Too many bad bugs lurking. I notice it mostly when I take the Bob's Red Mill potato starch - I have a strong gas reaction in the gut and the next day, elimination suddenly improves. It looks like the gut is mostly healed and I have to feed my helpful probiotics until they go forth and beat up the invaders
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