How To Make Your Own Probiotics

Did you know that bacterial cells on your body out number your human cells by a ratio of 10:1?

Many different varieties of bacteria are responsible for the optimum functioning of various life functions such as your immune system, digestion, metabolism and even your thoughts and mood.

The fact we have trillions of bacterial cells in the body means 20 billion is hardly going to make an impact on your health. The only probiotic brand that has been tested to have positive peer reviewed results for helping with autoimmune and G.I issues is Visbiome. It has 450 billion bacterial cells per serving.
They only found real benefits at the optimum dose of 1500 billion cells twice a day, proving that you need a mega dose for it to work. Visbiome is very expensive and may not fit into your budget, especially if you have to take such a large dose regularly.

Thankfully you can make your own trillion count probiotic from home for less than a $1 per serving!

Keep reading to find out how…

The importance of probiotics for a healthy gut. 

A healthy gut is the key to optimal health. Ancient healing practices such as Ayurveda and Chinese medicine state that many diseases begin in your gut and so healing should be focused there too.

Your gut naturally contains millions if not trillions of  beneficial and pathogenic (bad) bacteria. More and more research is emerging on just how important these organisms are to your overall wellbeing.

Our diets and fast paced way of life has a big impact on the balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut. An over-consumption of refined foods, use of prescription medication, alcohol and leading a high-stress lifestyle can all disturb that balance.

The presence of too much bad bacteria in your gut leaves you with a weakened immune system and you are more susceptible to disease. A healthy balance allows the body to eliminate harmful toxins, chemicals and other unwanted products from the system.

The Discovery

Nobel Peace Prize winning scientist Dr. Metchnikoff had a theory that the lactic acid bacteria in the fermented milk were responsible for these populations’ exceptional health and longevity.

He believed that there was a connection between disease and the microorganisms in the digestive tract, and believed that bacteria in the fermented milk products consumed by these populations competed with the harmful microorganisms in their digestive tract.

His studies regarding the contribution of LAB to the functions of the digestive and immune systems may have laid the foundations for the field of probiotics.

Good bacteria leads to great mental health.

It is believed by many alternative medical professionals that all disease begins in the gut, especially within the Ayurveda world. Your gut is considered to be your “second brain” and not surprisingly so. Your brain and gut are constantly communicating with each other, but it has been found that the gut is sending a whole lot more information to the brain than the brain to the gut. The information is carried through the “vagus nerve” which runs from the brain to the abdomen.

The balance of bacteria in your gut directly influences how the vagus nerve operates as the micro-organisms in your gut release a number of chemicals which influence your mood. For example glutamate is one of the body’s top neurotransmitters that is produced by bacteria in your gut. Glutamate is linked to your memory, cognition and learning.

Maintaining a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria within the gut may be the answer to delaying the onset of degenerative disease in the elderly such as alzheimers and dementia. Many alternative medicine programs also utilise probiotics to treat patients who suffer from PTSD, autism and mood disorders with positive effect.

The gut flora: You and your 100 trillion friends: Jeroen Raes at TEDxBrussels

 

The importance of a healthy gut 

A healthy gut is the key to optimal health. Your gut naturally contains millions if not trillions of Sauerkrautbeneficial and pathogenic (bad) bacteria. More and more research is emerging on just how important these organisms are to your overall wellbeing.

Our diets and fast paced way of life has a big impact on the balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut. An over-consumption of refined foods, use of prescription medication, alcohol and leading a high-stress lifestyle can all disturb that balance. The presence of too much bad bacteria in your gut leaves you with a weakened immune system and you are more susceptible to disease. A healthy balance allows the body to eliminate harmful toxins, chemicals and other unwanted products from the system.

Mental health 

It is believed by many alternative medical professionals that all disease begins in the gut, especially within the Ayurveda world. Your gut is considered to be your “second brain” and not surprisingly so. Your brain and gut are constantly communicating with each other, but it has been found that the gut is sending a whole lot more information to the brain than the brain to the gut. The information is carried through the “vagus nerve” which runs from the brain to the abdomen. The balance of bacteria in your gut directly influences how the vagus nerve operates as the micro-organisms in your gut release a number of chemicals which influence your mood. For example glutamate is one of the body’s top neurotransmitters that is produced by bacteria in your gut. Glutamate is linked to your memory, cognition and learning. Maintaining a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria within the gut may be the answer to delaying the onset of degenerative disease in the elderly such as alzheimers and dementia. Many alternative medicine programs also utilise probiotics to treat patients who suffer from PTSD, autism and mood disorders with positive effect.

Anti-cancer properties 

Probiotics limit the growth of bacteria that could potentially convert into carcinogens which is the backbone of many cancers. The immune system needs to be strong in order to fight disease within the immune systembody including forms of cancer. Probiotics are renowned for strengthening the immune system and as 70% of your immune system is found within your gut, it is wise to maintain a healthy bacterial balance. Consuming cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage contain a certain type of chemical naturally present called glucosinolates which contain anti-cancer properties. Glucosinolates work by assisting in the body’s natural antioxidant and detoxification system and work by hunting out free radical damage within the body. Cabbage comes out on top as one of the richest sources of glucosinolates.

The number of cancer cases expected to be diagnosed by 2030 is expected to reach 21.7 million globally. It’s about time we explore what’s going on within the body and what we can do to prevent becoming a part of the alarming statistics.

The Renegade Pharmacist’s Experience

When I was suffering from ulcerative colitis the last thing I expected to be one the main deciding factors in my eventual remission was bacteria. We have all been led to believe that bacteria are these little tiny things we cannot see that cause plagues and kill everyone and so should be feared and exterminated with no mercy. However only in recent times have people begun to realise that perhaps we should start showing a bit more respect to our little friends!

My timeline with probiotics was first with the use of a Holland and Barrett brand with a count of 20 billion that I used consistently. However I was on a large variety of things and cannot be sure if this was making an impact. However in 2015 I had a small relapse in symptoms after a very intensely stressful period due to a relationship break up. A close friend, Daniel Wagner told me he had a massive stash of Visbiome – a super high potency probiotic that he had been taking for IBS. I did some research and discovered this brand of probiotic that has a count of 450 billion per sachet actually was the only one in studies to show significant results in reducing the symptoms of gut disorders like ulcerative colitis. So I gave it a go at the maximum dose of 2 sachets twice a day. Within a week I was back in remission and I was gobsmacked by the results as I did not really change anything else in my lifestyle.

So this made me really want to delve deeper into probiotics and gut health and this was when I found out how important our little friends are for our health. There was a huge amount of underground research that had never gained real mainstream attention. There was also the same ratio of success stories of people healing themselves from a variety of chronic illness, especially digestive disorders.

Then after moving to Thailand for a few months to get away from the blistering cold of the UK winter, another close friend, Matt Shotz who owns the very best vegan restaurant and co-working space called Beachub now my second home and venue for our  introduced me to Coconut Water Kefir. I was blown away about how easy it was to make and the fact it contains trillions of good bacteria compared to just a few billion in most high street probiotics.

So I decided to make my own from home and have since forgotten about buying high street probiotics that quite frankly cost a fortune when considering it costs less than a dollar to make a portion of raw sauerkraut or coconut water kefir that contains trillions, rather than billions of our special little friends!

Here are my favorite recipes with video guides from yours truly on how to make seriously potent probiotics from home:

Make Your Own Probiotics: Coconut Water Kefir/Renegade Kola