Probiotics
 

I'm wondering if anyone takes probiotics and if they've noticed a difference in mood and in symptoms. Like everyone else on here, I'm trying to make the best recovery I can without wasting money.

Though I don't buy their products, I am a subscriber of LifeExtension magazine (it's free). In the recent edition, the main articles were these:

*How Curcumin Protects Against Brain Aging
*Theanine Preserves Cognitive Function
*Novel Probiotic Improves Mood

I already take Curcumin and am a big fan of it. I also drink tea, which has theanine in it. Probiotics are something I have never taken, and I'm wondering if it would be worth trying out. As I understand it, probiotics support good gut bacteria. But if one has a good diet, their gut should be healthy as well. I have heard the gut being called "the second brain." "In fact 95 percent of the body's serotonin is found in the bowels."

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-second-brain/

The magazine said human trials "demonstrated that a probiotic combo decreases depression scores by 50% and improves anxiety scores by 55%."

Any thoughts, comments, concerns, and questions would be appreciated.

Also, dairy is a no-go for me. I get lots of acne.

This has been an area of interest for me too. I was eating yogurt for a while but I think I might have developed a dairy sensitivity.

I have researched this and this product seems to be the mother of all probiotics: http://www.vsl3.com

If I get desperate enough and rule out any interactions, I will definitely be purchasing this. Just make sure you go through the manufacturer as the product needs to be frozen upon delivery. Check it out.

I posted this on two Facebook forums. Several people said that they take them and really like them.

One lady questioned the anxiety and depression part, which was actually misleading/left out lots of info. The magazine does not say what the scores mean or if it was the median that received those scores or what percent of people. This lady said she takes probiotics for a number of reasons, but has had anxiety and depression for years.

I have to start analyzing the info better. It's too easy to be fooled into buying a product.

JBuckl,

Have you ever tried raw or unhomogenized milk ? It has different milk-fat globules that end up being properly digested thus releasing less undigested milk-fat into the blood stream. Homogenization breaks down these larger fat globules so small that they can pass through the gut wall without proper digestion.

Just a thought. There are some important brain nutrients in natural animal fats that have not been overheated like most of the animal fats we consume.

I have not tried it. I'll give it a shot sometime. Everything dairy-related gives me acne, so I'd be surprised if this doesn't.

Mark,

I'm interested in the unhomoginized milk. Where would I be able to obtain it?

Out here a very good but usually smaller health food stores...You special order it....

Non-homogenized milk is not available in all areas. Only smaller dairies bottle it. I can get it at a half dozen stores near where I live but Idaho is a big dairy state. Raw milk is also limited. Some states do not even allow it. But, raw milk is produced with much cleaner milking processes than pasteurized milk and is routinely tested.

The Weston A Price Foundation may have information for your local area.
http://www.westonaprice.org/

I get my probiotics in kefir (fermented milk) I am lactose intolerant and have had no problems taking it.

If I was looking for raw milk products (which are not officially available in my area) I would start with local organic food producers or local cheese producers. They could probably direct you to someone who might be able to accomodate you.