Gut Health Supplements

[HoytHunter24]

I have been trying to solve some digestive issues/food sensitivities and acid reflux lately that has started in the last year. The doctors keep telling me to just take medication and there is nothing else I can do. I do not want to take pills for the rest of my life so I am trying to figure it out on my own. After a bunch of research, I am coming to the realization that my gut health probably isn't where it needs to be. I have started changing my diet to help and while it has worked, it isn't perfect. Now I am searching for some digestive enzymes for digestion and probiotics for overall gut health. Since none of these products are approved by the FDA it is difficult to decide on a supplement. I have a running list of different supplements but can't pull the trigger.
I have never jumped on the MTN Ops train but they do have their "Biotics" supplement that has enzymes and pro/prebiotics. Curious is anyone has tried this and what the results were?

 

[awasome]

Have you tried natural probiotics like kombucha, yogurt, and other fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut?

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Careful with non-FDA products IMO. I not a fan of dumping money on products that are not proven to be beneficial. Honestly, treat the acid reflux as recommended by your doctor. Chronic acid reflux is a risk factor for Barrett's Esophagitis (BE). BE is a precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal CA. Assuming your doc already ruled out H. pylori?

If you want to work on gut health and diet, great, but don't neglect the acid issue. Keep taking your medications. FWIW, I would be surprised if taking probiotics and proclaimed gut health supplements resolved your GERD issue. GERD is a byproduct of proton pump dysfunction in your stomach. Your doc is right, it may be a chronic long-term problem. We have rx to help lower acid production but there's not a medication to make your pumps function normally.

However, read up on food and liquid triggers. Avoid triggers as much as possible. Don't eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. Raise head of bed. Lose weight if applicable.

 

[HoytHunter24]

Have you tried natural probiotics like kombucha, yogurt, and other fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut?

I have added Kombucha and other foods in to my diet. I am sensitive to Lactose so yogurt actually affects my acid reflux.

Careful with non-FDA products IMO. I not a fan of dumping money on products that are not proven to be beneficial. Honestly, treat the acid reflux as recommended by your doctor. Chronic acid reflux is a risk factor for Barrett's Esophagitis (BE). BE is a precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal CA. Assuming your doc already ruled out H. pylori?

If you want to work on gut health and diet, great, but don't neglect the acid issue. Keep taking your medications. FWIW, I would be surprised if taking probiotics and proclaimed gut health supplements resolved your GERD issue. GERD is a byproduct of proton pump dysfunction in your stomach. Your doc is right, it may be a chronic long-term problem. We have rx to help lower acid production but there's not a medication to make your pumps function normally.

However, read up on food and liquid triggers. Avoid triggers as much as possible. Don't eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. Raise head of bed. Lose weight if applicable.

I appreciate the input! From what I have learned, the gut biome has been a relatively new area so the FDA has not done enough studies to prove the effectiveness of all the items spoken about. The doctors I have met with have not been helpful in any way or allowed me to do any of these tests (which blows my mind). Through my elimination diet I have found the foods and liquids that affect my acid reflux. Along with this I have discovered my digestive issues with certain products as well. The info I have read explains that normalizing my gut health can help with the few digestive issues I have and can also help to regulate the acidity of my gut to aid in acid reflux. Probiotics and digestive enzymes may not actually help, but that is why I am asking for all of your input.
I appreciate the response!

 

[ManyBullets]

I'd suggest adding some powdered greens to your diet. Lots of options there and focus on some alkalinity with the foods you eat.
Onnit makes a good gut health vitamin pack.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I had some pretty serious stomach/digestive issues after a lot of my biome was killed off/thrown out of wack. I couldn’t eat a lot of stuff for a long time, lost a lot of weight, pretty rough go of it. I tried all the prebiotic supplements, gastro recommended align but took that for months with no benefit. I started taking athletic greens about two years ago and have every day since. It was a big improvement. It’s not cheap, and there is an adjustment period for your body, but it’s helped me and an added benefit is it also has about every vitamin/supplement you need in it minus D and fish oil.

 

[WhatToHunt]

I have Crohn's so gut health is always top of mind. My doc advised avoiding a "Western diet" so I focus mostly on non-processed foods for the most part, but maybe 80% of the time, let's be real. Probiotics I think are good, along with fish oil. Although supplements help and likely aren't the only solution. I find a Benefiber dose daily seems to help overall. Every person's gut is different, but once you find what makes you feel good, it's a great thing. Good luck!

 

[Berger024]

Careful with non-FDA products IMO. I not a fan of dumping money on products that are not proven to be beneficial. Honestly, treat the acid reflux as recommended by your doctor. Chronic acid reflux is a risk factor for Barrett's Esophagitis (BE). BE is a precancerous condition that can lead to esophageal CA. Assuming your doc already ruled out H. pylori?

If you want to work on gut health and diet, great, but don't neglect the acid issue. Keep taking your medications. FWIW, I would be surprised if taking probiotics and proclaimed gut health supplements resolved your GERD issue. GERD is a byproduct of proton pump dysfunction in your stomach. Your doc is right, it may be a chronic long-term problem. We have rx to help lower acid production but there's not a medication to make your pumps function normally.

However, read up on food and liquid triggers. Avoid triggers as much as possible. Don't eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. Raise head of bed. Lose weight if applicable.

FDA approved isn't always the best...They're corrupt.

 

[Berger024]

Metagenics makes great Ultra Flora Supplements.
Liquid chlorophyll does wonders.
There is also a book called Eat Right for your Blood Type which is amazing as well.
Antibiotics also wreak havoc on the GI.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

FDA approved isn't always the best...They're corrupt.

Points is when a supplement is not FDA-approved the manufacturer can make whatever claim they want and the ingredients aren't verified. Unfortunately, corrupt will take advantage of this. The consumer thinks they are paying for a high-quality product and willing to pay good money to help their underlying medical condition. The consumer thinks they're getting a blend with 8 billion CFUs of gut healthy organisms. Maybe they are maybe they aren't? It's not verified. Probiotics aren't cheap. I not saying don't buy supplements but be cautious and put you're hard earned money into a high-quality product. One that hopefully has some research verifying it's effectiveness or at least the supplements facts. For any supplement, do a trial for a few months, if you can't tell any difference in your said condition reassess if there is any point to continue.

I would prefer for any patient to keep their money in their pocket, if a product doesn't help, versus pad someone else's pocket. I have the same view on FDA-approved products. FWIW

 

[wesfromky]

Fermented foods, as mentioned above. You can do them yourself super easy and they are way cheaper vs the good stuff at stores. If you do store bought, esp sauerkraut, - make sure it is in the refigerated section as the on the shelf stuff has had most of the the good bugs killed off.

 

[WRM]

May need to try an exclusion diet. My nemesis was and is wheat gluten. Fortunately it was the first thing I excluded and results were pretty immediate (once I finally got all wheat containing products out of my diet). Good luck!

 

[ericgarcia]

I am personally using Apple Cider Vinegar pills, Probiotic Strength Supplement and Complete Enzyme. They are specifically for improving the gut health and resolving other problems like cholesterol and indigestion.

 

[DuckDogDr]

For myself cutting out fried foods, cokes and highly processed foods helped tremendously.
At the recommendation of a couple of my friends

Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with "The Mother" mixed in my morning smoothie. The mother is a probiotic mix..

Cutting out tomato based foods and sauces helped too

 

[hintzy56]

Agree with the above. Kombucha, saurkraut, kefir are all great. Also consider adding digestive enzymes and/or pro and prebiotics

 

[PablitoPescador]

I've had gut issues for the past few years and the only thing that really help was a really strict elimination diet. I have a sibling with Crohn's and I think I was headed down that path. I basically went to just meat, organs and some avocados for several months (foods I know I tolerate very well). From there I slowly added back one food at a time starting with the least toxic plant foods (fruits and rice). I keep my diet pretty strict and rarely veer off of it. I eat mostly meat, fruit, rice, honey and occasionally alcohol (tequila on the rocks with lime or something very basic). I'm symptom free most days now. Can't tell you how nice it is to finally have normal bowel movements. Stress and lack of sleep play a big role too, but I'm pretty convinced a poor diet is the root cause of my gut issues. It takes a big commitment but imo it's the best way to get to a long term solution. GI Doctors will tell you diet doesn't play a role at all and that steroids that make you gain weight and feel like sh*t are the solution. It's a complete lie.

 

[sgailey]

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[MidWesternHunter7]

It has been mentioned above, but a greens supplement. I take Vibrant Health, Green Vibrance powder. You can find it on Amazon. I think most of the different brands do the same thing but this one seemed like a good balance of cost and quality and I have no complaints.

I also would recommend looking up The Vertical Diet by Stan Efferding. I haven't bought the book and I don't order the meal kits but there is plenty of information on Google to get the main idea behind it. I try to stick to the foods listed and that has helped a lot too. The entire diet is based around gut health.

 

[CodeMonkey]

I am in a similar boat. I went off my meds in January and have been trying everything. Feel like absolute garbage.

Will be going back on my meds in the next few weeks.

 

[Boonie327]

Check out microbiome labs mega igg2000 and transformation enzymes purezyme. Even if they don’t help with gerd, which I don’t think they will, you will likely notice an improvement in overall health and gut health. I know I have. Biggest thing for me with gerd was finding your limits with food. I know I can only have so much tomato sauce etc. I don’t have any coffee except in the morning. No sodas and lots of water.