Probiotics Questions

[Sylvia]

Do you already have digestive issues? If not and you just want to keep your digestive system healthy, then some of the recommendations already mentioned are probably fine. However, if you are experiencing digestive problems, I'd recommend seeing a doctor first.

That said, there are some really good probiotics out there, but they aren't cheap. I like the Renew Life brand, they come in varying strengths and seem to be priced accordingly, so get the level you need. I recently came down with a case of cellulitis and was put on Clyndamycin. I was flat out told, this medication would give me diarrhea, but the pharmacist told me to take this medication with food and to take a probiotic an hour or two after. So I would take one of these an hour to two hours after, and it definitely helped keep things under control. I had some loose stools but as long as I remembered to take them, it didn't get worse than that.

In addition to probiotics, you might also consider digestive enzymes. But once again, what brand and how strong you need something like this to be, would probably depend on your general digestive health. If you are having issues in this area, I would suggest seeing your physician first.

[ny biker]

I know someone who had severe symptoms from ulcerative colitis some years back, and she found Align probiotics to be extremely helpful.

Last year a friend was taking some strong antibiotics to counter a lingering infection. A relative who's a nurse has told me about the importance of taking probiotics when antibiotics are prescribed, to avoid side effects as well as a potentially serious secondary infection (c.difficile), so I asked her what specific brand of probiotic supplements my friend should be taking, and she actually said yogurt would be fine.

I generally don't have digestive problems as long as I avoid large amounts of one type of food that I have problems with (cooked tomatoes, as in sauces or soup). A few years ago I tried taking Align for a month or so and didn't find any noticeable affect from them. These days I eat a lot yogurt, both Greek and regular, and don't worry about supplements.

[Penny4]

My brother recently started using them, after having some digestive problems after gall bladder surgery and said they greatly improved his issues. I don't have any digestive problems so to speak, just the occasional nervous stomach type issues. I do eat yogurt pretty frequently, but didn't realize that it had enough probiotics in it to be effective. At any rate, i was just wondering about them, based on my brother's feedback. i bought some generic ones last week and having been taking them for a few days now. Just trying them out...

[shootingstar]

Guess we're different. But honest, taking oral drug probiotics would be my last resort. (and I've never in my life have). I do have plain yogurt ....sometimes with probiotics, sometimes not --daily. It's not a lot. It just seems to get my....early morning washroom routine going..if you know what I mean. I have a broad palate and will eat range of fermented foods. One thing for certain it wouldn't be miso for this problem..too high in salt.

Stress for me, manifests in other psychosomatic symptoms...not in nervous stomach.

[rebeccaC]

shootingstar...certified organic soy miso (fermented for at least 6 months) is one of my favorite ways of getting probiotics. It’s especially good for those who do like a salty taste with cardiovascular benefits rather than the cardiovascular problems associated with sodium chloride…..plus among other benefits miso is high in antioxidants and scavenging free radicals which helps healthy cell survival during radiation therapy.

[shootingstar]

shootingstar...certified organic soy miso (fermented for at least 6 months) is one of my favorite ways of getting probiotics. It’s especially good for those who do like a salty taste with cardiovascular benefits rather than the cardiovascular problems associated with sodium chloride…..plus among other benefits miso is high in antioxidants and scavenging free radicals which helps healthy cell survival during radiation therapy.

If it helps you feel better, Rebecca because it's a tough time for you. No doubt you are highly mindful of what you eat.

Sometimes I'm shocked by recipes that throw in a ton of miso because often miso is high salt content. I have no idea about organic..and what that actually means for miso. Non GMO-soy bean based?
Smothering a fish with miso paste, as an example which I saw a chef on tv do... No way. A thumb dab for cooking a hot soup broth for myself is ok. As a child, a practice for a small dab of miso with cooked meat (like having mustard on the side at table), .the whole amount of miso to "dab" as a condiment for 4 people would be in our family, equivalent to size of bouillon cube.

My mother has been told by the doctor to be extremely careful with soy sauce and other salty foods. She has hypertension (high blood pressure) ..and takes a pill...for past 15 yrs. to control it. She does avoid salty food. So since that time, her Chinese cooking actually hardly or not even use any salt. It is possible to cook Chinese cuisine without soy sauce or very little salt. She does it. Her Toronto doctor is fully bilingual (English-Chinese) to convey all this information to her and he is CAnadian western medicine educated- licensed. So this doctor would have some personal knowledge of sort of common foods my mother would tend to cook and hence, advise her to reduce in certain amounts.

Maybe PubMed ..National Institute of Medicine's database has scientific studies..if one can even interpret study results for layperson. All this info. and wading through..

[rebeccaC]

Genetic modified soybeans are 80%+ of what’s being grown in the U.S. now. With certified organic I also don’t have to worry about contaminants like from the heavy pesticide use on gmo soybeans.

Miso has actually been found to help decrease ldl cholesterol, help in reducing blood clots and not having a negative effect on blood pressure. A combination of factors, among them the soy proteins, the isoflavones, peptides and the fermentation process itself (longer being much better) actually helps to transform it into a positive cardiovascular support rather than a detriment like the sodium chloride from table salt…. especially when compared to an equal amount of high sodium intake from table salt.

Yeah, my medical team has a nutrition therapy component and I’ve learned a lot about how to help my body with my diet in going through my treatments. I'm really looking forward to getting back to a normal life......