Probiotics - it's a bugs life

The human body has approximately ten times more microbes, living on and in it, than actual human cells. Most of these microbes are your friends and their very presence helps to prevent pathogenic bacteria or yeast, such as Candida albicans, taking up residence. They have other roles too - removing heavy metals and other toxins, producing vitamins and in the digestion of some foods (helping to prevent some food intolerances and IBS). More recently, gut bacteria have been found to be involved in the production of neurotransmitters such as GABA, serotonin and acetylcholine, which has important implications for neurological conditions such as depression, ADHD and even autism. The first dose of probiotics that a baby receives is during its passage through the birth canal and breast-fed babies continue to receive important probiotics from their mother through breast milk. Babies born via caesarian section have fewer types of good bacteria during the first couple of years of their lives. It’s recommended that C-section babies are given a course of probiotics to help them catch up - Biocare make a fantastic infant probiotic mix. Some older children and even adults born by C-section may also benefit from a general probiotic to help increase the diversity of good microbes in their system. Anyone suffering from IBS, food intolerances, heavy metal toxicity, depression or other neurological conditions, and anyone who’s recently had a long course of antibiotics should consider a course of probiotics to help get them back on track. A kinesiologist can help you determine what probiotic preparation is best and what dose to start on. I generally advocate the inclusion of probiotic bacteria in the diet and I enjoy the following four as often as possible. Miso soup makes a great, warming snack (you can buy live miso paste from most health food shops). Water kefir grains make a fizzy, sweet lemony drink (a bit like ginger beer) and is slightly alcoholic (between 0.5-2.0%). I make a new batch every 3 days and keep it in the fridge for a refreshing drink - a small glass a day. I also make kombucha, which is made using a rubbery looking SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) that feeds on a sugary tea to make the slightly vinegary drink kombucha. I aim to make a new batch every 5 days and store the finished drink in the fridge. It’s easy to obtain your own kombucha SCOBY online but water kefir grains can be trickier to obtain. I often have some spare grains so get in touch if you’d like to purchase some. Sauerkraut is very high in vitamin C and I make my own, which I add to most savoury meals. It’s easy to make: shred a cabbage (or any leafy veg would do), pound it with a pestle and mortar and add it in layers to a sealable jar (like a Kilner jar), adding a sprinkling of salt to each layer. I use several small, 0.5L jars, as it’s easier to store and manage. It’s important to pack each one tight, to the top, to keep out the air as much as possible. The salt draws the moisture out of the cabbage so that it sits in liquid but you may have to add some additional water, so that all the sauerkraut is under the liquid and out of the air. Keep in the dark for 3-4 weeks to allow the good bacteria to flourish and then store in the fridge for a month or two. Interestingly, it ends up higher in vitamin C than the original cabbage! I like to add a table spoon or more to most savoury meals. Mmmm! Some people have a high number of pathogenic bacteria or yeast that have established in their bodies. This can manifest with IBS, rashes, itchy skin, foggy head, fatigue and recurrent cases of thrush and athletes foot. Improving the diversity and number of good bacteria is then particularly important for people BUT it can, initially, cause a reaction known as die-off. Die-off can occur quite quickly after taking the probiotic or probiotic food and may manifest as a headache, fatigue, foggy head or diarrhoea. The pathogenic bacteria release toxins when they die, causing the symptoms. Taking activated charcoal may help to to bind and remove the toxins and relieve symptoms. It may be ok to reduce the amount of probiotics and build them up slowly but die-off can be pretty horrible to experience and, in some cases, it may be necessary to introduce one probiotic species at a time. Initially, the body may only be able to tolerate tiny amounts. A kinesiologist can test the type of probiotic and dosage that will be tolerated and this can be increased over time. It’s important to remember that die-off symptoms actually means that the inclusion of probiotics is particularly important, to help the body to eliminate the pathogenic bacteria and improve general health.