Thanks for the thread here! I've been looking for a new probiotic. I'd bought Dr. Mercola's, because I like his products. Feel like they have alot of integrity. But I saw on the ingredients the other day that it has FOS in it. Didn't even know what that was until I found you guys here at KAS.

So, I've been looking for a good probiotic to replace his when I finish them, and thought about Solgar as I love there stuff. But, I also know Udos is a really high integrity product, so I'll check it out. Thanks a bunch.

I'm ending my order with Good Belly Big Shot (50 billion live cultures) because one of the ingredients contains rolled oats.

I just ordered Garden of Life's RAW Probiotics™ Men (there are ones for women too). It's got 85 Billion Live Cultures, 31 Probiotic Strains, & the only "other" ingredient is vegetable cellulose.

http://www.gardenoflife.com/ProductsforLife/RAWDigestion/RAWProbioticMen/tabid/2016/Default.aspx

Thanks! I've been taking the regular Good Belly for a few weeks now, and have felt achey. Didn't even think to look or test it, and I should know better. Just because it's probiotic I assumed there wouldn't be bacteria feeding starch included. Shame on me, and shame on the makers of Good Belly.

It's good for the kids, so none will go to waste here, I will be looking for a sub. I liked Good Belly, dammit.

Thanks for the link, it will help me on my way!

Please let us know if the GoL Raw Pb work out in terms of starch. I have never considered them, as they have peas and carrots in them (which are both generally starchy), but I have never spent the money to test them with iodine. I would love to know if they test clean.

I am also looking for a probiotic. I took Udos for years and was very happy with them, but they just changed their formula to include starch (poopy heads!)

Right now I am getting by on sparingly using the supply I bought before they changed and experimenting with other probiotic food:

- 24 hour fermented homemade goats yogurt
- coconut water kefir made from unpasturized coconut water and milk kefir grains. (I need to strain the water through a very fine cloth coffee filter, as I seem to react to the grains themselves- if I have any, it throws me off pain wise. I react badly to homemade goats milk kefir- not sure if it is because there is extra lactose than my yogurt or if I am accidently ingesting the grains.)
- home live cultured swiss chard (prepared like suarkrut, which I do not do well with, even if it is starch free cabbage)

I am now experimenting with growing water kefir grains (different from milk grains) and eating those (I can not have the water kefir itself, as there is too much sugar in it still). It seems good, but I have not had enough yet to give it the "green light".

This all is working really, really well for me. I am "regular" for the first time since I had to eliminate fruit to get pain free (too much sugar). I have been pain free for quite some time as long as I have stuck to my base diet, but I kept putting myself back in pain, looking for a way to "keep everything moving". I eat TONS of veggies, but my body seems to need lots of probiotics to stay regular.

light,

Where did you get your water kefir grains from? I've been wanting to acquire these grains and make my own coconut water kefir for some time now, but keep procrastinating. I'm going to do it before the weather gets too warm though. I've been eying up some Keysands grains and will probably go forward with those.

Also, why do you make coconut water kefir with milk kefir grains? Do you find unpasteurized coconut water at the market?

I buy the Keffir Yogurt in the store and that is what I drink. It's good.

I inherited my milk grains from a kind soul and was hoping to do the same with the water grains.... but the ones someone gave me had been sitting around too long and were not viable.

I ordered my water grains from keysands and they seem really healthy.

I do my coconut water kefir with milk grains because that is what I had when I started. I am going to try cw kefir with the water grains soon. It is supposed to have a very different taste. If I do well with that, I will probably transition out the milk grains.

I use unpaturized coconut water from a cafe by my work. It is this stuff:
http://www.exoticsuperfoods.com/shop/ind...4e128e2e8816f0b

Whole foods also sells a line of raw coconut water, but most of it was pinkish when I checked it out (which means it is spoiled). I tried whole coconuts, but could not find any organic ones and the one a tried was slightly rancid.
The exotic superfoods is expensive, but I only use a shot of it a few of times a week (then freeze the rest in small batches). Most people say it should be unpaturized to ferment properly, but I have heard the Vida Coca is less processed that some others. You could try that.

I am very, very sensitive to sugar (as you know), so I actually ferment it until it turns into what some people call "coconut vinegar" (4-5 days) It gives me a lovely rush of evergy. That and a little coconut oil is my pre-yoga food

Good luck Jaybird... it is nice "seeing you"

light,

Thank you for the information. It is a pleasure to "converse" with you.

The Keysands grains are perceived to be good quality. They got good reviews and you have reinforced that perception. That is from where I will order. I need to source my other supplies to get into full kefir making mode. Simple enough. Just a little legwork involved.

Vinegar, huh? Maybe something I will eventually attempt. I down enough raw ACV these days that it would be good to add something like that to the mix.

I did encounter information on a (supposedly) raw coconut water called Harmless Harvest. Their website states the the pink color, if it is pink, is natural variation. Vida Coca? Do you mean Vita Coco? I have had multiple flavors and thoroughly enjoy it. I think I will stick with that as I'm guessing the raw stuff will leave me with sticker shock.

Thanks again!

I am reading the GAPS diet book and there is a section on what are probiotics detailing them.

I have listed them and tried to summarise them. The last one is a soil bacteria which people have been questioning and interestingly Dr Campbell the author of the book considers pobiotics containing soil bacteria the most effective.

Lactobacilli: main protecting agents in the stomach and intestines.

Bifidobacteria: produce antibiotic like substances which protect the gut from pathogens maintaining gut integrity and health. They also act as a source of nourishment for the body.

Saccharomyces boulardii: a yeast effective in treating various forms of diarrhoea.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) physiological strains not pathogenic: These digest lactose produce vitamins (vitamin K & group B), amino acids,produce antibiotic-like substances and have a powerful stimulating influence on immunity.

Enterococcus faecium (Streptococcus faecalis: These live in the bowel breaking down proteins and they ferment carbohydrates.

Bacillus subtilis (soil bacteria:) has strong immune stimulating properties and is considered particularly effective with allergies and autoimmune disorders.

One thing that is emphasised is building up a dose gradually to prevent strong 'die off syptoms'

I have just bought BioKult and will be starting to take this soon so cant give an opinion on its effectiveness. I am not sure how available it is more easily over in the US I think.

It contains:
Bacillus subtills
Bifidobacterium 4 types
Lactobacillus 8 types
Streptococcus Thermophilus

Extra ingredients: Cellulose(bulking agent), Vegetable capsule.
Also states contains traces of soya and traces of milk products at a level which would not affect lactose intolerance sufferers!

I would look for something that contains a similar selection of probiotics.

I find that testing any supplement with iodine can give misleading results - especially when it's packed full of ingredients. For me, I am the test & I can tell you I have not had any flare-ups due to the GoL Probiotics (I'm currently taking 3 a day - with or without food doesn't matter for me).