Keep your gut healthy—without taking a single probiotic
It’s estimated that there are 100 trillion microbes normally present in the gastrointestinal tract, or what scientists call the “GI microbiome.”
And the GI microbiome plays a hugely important role in human health. It plays an essential role in controlling inflammation—which, I’ve said before, is the main culprit behind heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.
In other words, if your gut is healthy—it helps you stay healthy.
For years now, mainstream’s go-to solution for restoring or maintaining the GI microbiome has been probiotic supplements. But as Dr. Marc Micozzi explains in his Inflammation Fighting Protocol, despite how common probiotics are these days, he’s still skeptical—for a few different reasons.
He says, “The first problem is that a probiotic must pass through the entire digestive system—the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines—in order to reach the colon, the most active site of the microbiome.”
And the environment for that passage is downright hostile—with numerous enzymes, strong acids, and biochemicals designed to break down and destroy whatever passes through. So, in Dr. Micozzi’s opinion, the chances of living probiotic bacteria from a supplement pill making it through this gauntlet are very slim.
He’s also concerned about recent studies that have discovered that regular probiotic supplementation could have an impact on brain health.
For example, researchers at Augusta University in Georgia studied 30 people with abdominal symptoms, such as gas, bloating, and distension. Among this group, 22 participants also reported “brain fog” and cognitive difficulties. And as it turns out, all 22 of the participants had been taking probiotic supplements.
When the researchers looked closer, they found the participants had colonies of probiotics in their guts that were much larger than normal. Fortunately, the brain fog cleared up when
participants stopped taking the probiotic supplements.
Based on all this, Dr. Micozzi says, “In my mind, it’s not worth taking these supplement pills when there are many more effective ways to ensure your GI microbiome is balanced and healthy, and chronic inflammation is kept to an absolute minimum.”
Luckily, Dr. Micozzi has several easy recommendations for keeping your GI microbiome healthy—without probiotic supplements:
- Eat your probiotics instead
Dr. Micozzi notes that several food sources can help keep your microbiome balanced—but only when you eat these foods regularly. He says, “Yogurt and cheese are two of the easiest—and the healthiest—to find. Of course, always be sure to choose a yogurt with full-fat, and little sugar, like Greek yogurt. And cottage cheese and soft fermented cheeses like Gouda, some cheddars, and Parmesan, are all packed with probiotics.”
And although raw unpasteurized milk is outlawed in many states, Dr. Micozzi recommends it if you can find it. He notes that in his experience, a dose of raw milk seems to be able to help just about any gastrointestinal problem. In fact, he adds that he always considered raw milk to be more like a medicine than a food.
- Eat traditionally cultured foods
These foods are good sources of probiotics. They include sauerkraut, Korean kim chi, soy sauces, fish sauces, and pastes from East and Southeast Asia. And he adds, “Even home-brewed beer and wine can be a good, natural source of probiotics—just as long as it hasn’t been pasteurized.”
- Don’t forget prebiotic foods
Dr. Micozzi notes that some fiber-rich “prebiotic” foods help nurture the normal microbiome itself—in other words, these foods contain compounds that nourish probiotics in your gut. Prebiotic foods include artichoke, barley, beans, green leafy vegetables, and oats.
You can learn man more ways to keep your gut healthy as well as combat chronic inflammation in Dr. Micozzi’s Inflammation Fighting Protocol. Click here to enroll in this learning tool today.