Natural Probiotics

I have been doing Greek Yogurt for years.

I also do Oatmeal, it is a probiotic booster.

When buying sauerkraut or any fermented product, I always check the ingredients make sure there are no preservatives that might kill the good bacteria. All shelf stable ones have preservatives, and even ones that are found in the refrigerated section may have preservatives.

I also buy ones made with salt brine, not vinegar, to make sure the sour taste is actually from the fermentation, not the vinegar.

I always keep kefir at home, it has more probiotics than yogurt, and tastes similar. I try to get the organic ones to minimize antibiotics that are found in dairy, although it is probably not a large amount.

I take Tibetan Mushroom which I believe is same as or similar to kefir. It seems to have same benefits as Greek yogurt. I have just been following suggestions from a friend. Anyone have any more info on it with respect to digestive health?

Elif,

Most of the German sauerkrauts like Gundelsheim which I posted above have two ingredients, white cabbage and salt. It's the American brands that tend to use vinegar and preservatives. That's why I suggested staying away from them.

@Former Member posted:

When buying sauerkraut or any fermented product, I always check the ingredients make sure there are no preservatives that might kill the good bacteria. All shelf stable ones have preservatives, and even ones that are found in the refrigerated section may have preservatives.

I also buy ones made with salt brine, not vinegar, to make sure the sour taste is actually from the fermentation, not the vinegar.

I always keep kefir at home, it has more probiotics than yogurt, and tastes similar. I try to get the organic ones to minimize antibiotics that are found in dairy, although it is probably not a large amount.

I am really happy you like Kefir that has many benefits. I do not like the taste unfortunately, I wish I liked it though.

I am not taking any probiotics.....I am still learning about my jpouch.  Am I supposed to be taking them? And what are the benefits they provide?  I am one of those jpouchers that was just told....”eat what ever you want” .... and that’s it from my doctor....any info is greatly appreciated.

Ryan138,

For optimal J Pouch health you should be consuming probiotics. Some people will tell you it will help prevent pouchitis and it's likely true that if you eat a good Whole Foods diet not heavy in sugar and carbs, and rich in probiotics, you will lessen the chances of pouchitis. They can be consumed in supplement and natural form and many people opt to do one or the other or both.

As far as "eat whatever you want"..... short term you can, long term it's not a great strategy. Most doctors are not nutritionists, and these "throwaway statements" are designed to tell you what you can eat digestively speaking, and are not necessarily guiding you on proper nutritional choices. Yes you CAN eat whatever you want, the question is whether you SHOULD eat whatever you want.

@Ryan138 posted:

I am not taking any probiotics.....I am still learning about my jpouch.  Am I supposed to be taking them? And what are the benefits they provide?  I am one of those jpouchers that was just told....”eat what ever you want” .... and that’s it from my doctor....any info is greatly appreciated.

I take an enormous (and expensive) dose of probiotics. I do it for a specific purpose: to help manage my chronic pouchitis. Some folks who turn out to be prone to pouchitis may derive significant benefit from probiotic supplements, but they may be a waste of money for others. I certainly wouldn’t bother without a specific *demonstrated* benefit. As far as diet goes, your pouch may be fine with whatever you eat, or you may find some foods or quantities that create a nuisance for you. It’s best to pay attention if you run into trouble, since sometimes there could be a useful association to notice. People have lots of strong feelings about diet and nutrition, and sometimes those opinions bleed into the advice they give you about caring for your J-pouch. Your cardiovascular system (and other body systems) are just as prone to dietary effects as before your surgery, so “eat whatever you like” is good advice as long as you understand that it isn’t a suggestion to eat like a fool, and that if you do have J-pouch trouble you might need to tinker a bit.

Well....I like to eat like a fool sometimes but my lady keeps me in check...I haven’t experienced pouchitis and don’t really want to...thank you all for your willingness to share your knowledge about this “jpouch life” that we all got thrown into. It wasn’t a choice but mandatory for me to be here...this site continues to be a blessing for me...

I have some natural yoghurt without any additives every morning, with fresh fruit slices, ground linseed and some nuts. The yoghurt you buy contains still some natural sugar (lactose). (If you produce your own SCD style yoghurt with a yoghurt maker you can see the difference, that tastes really sour.) But luckily I can tolerate lactose in small amounts.

I'm not sure if probiotic meds are beneficial to me. I have one with 20 different bacteria stems at the moment and try to evaluate the difference between taking it or not. At least it's not harming me, even if I take it late at night.

I tried raw Sauerkraut in my colitis time about 20 years ago. I liked the taste but I had no improvement from it. Now with the pouch I eat it seldom and only cooked, as I sometimes suspect it promotes flatulence (maybe adding kummel would help with that).

I tried this product today, Chobani pineapple turmeric probiotic beverage. Tasty! Slightly tart not sweet, has a little apple cider vinegar in it but you can't really taste it and doesn't have the vinegary taste of kombucha:

https://www.chobani.com/produc.../pineapple-turmeric/

@Ryan138 posted:

I am not taking any probiotics.....I am still learning about my jpouch.  Am I supposed to be taking them? And what are the benefits they provide?  I am one of those jpouchers that was just told....”eat what ever you want” .... and that’s it from my doctor....any info is greatly appreciated.

I am 6 years in and I do not take probiotic (pills), buts its not a bad idea.