A reader asked for a “cook book” summary for the best items for probiotics and foods. Supplements are another issue which I have looked at on early posts. Again, a grain of salt should be taken because the studies are parse and few.

Probiotics

See https://atomic-temporary-42474220.wpcomstaging.com/2015/02/24/probiotics-with-demonstrated-health-benefits-and-other-gems/ for research links

• Prescript Assist
• Mutaflor
• Align
• Culturelle

Foods

From Wikipedia’s FODMAR list

“Vegetables: bamboo shoots, bell peppers, bok choy, cucumbers, carrots, corn, eggplant (aubergine), lettuce, leafy greens, pumpkin, potatoes, squash (butternut, winter), yams, tomatoes, zucchini (courgette)

Fruits: bananas, berries (not blackberries or boysenberries), cantaloupe, grapes, grapefruit, honeydew, kiwifruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, passion fruit, pawpaw, pineapple, rhubarb, tangerine, tomatoes

Protein: beef, chicken, canned tuna, eggs, egg whites, fish, lamb, pork, shellfish, turkey, cold cuts (all prepared without added FODMAP containing foods), nuts (not cashews or pistachios), nut butters, seeds

Dairy and non-dairy alternatives: lactose-free dairy, small amounts of: cream cheese, half and half, hard cheeses (cheddar, Colby, Parmesan, Swiss), mozzarella, sherbet, (almond milk, rice milk, rice-milk ice-cream)

Grains: wheat-free grains/wheat-free flours (including gluten-free grains, which are free of wheat, barley and rye) and products made with these (e.g. bagels, breads, crackers, noodles, pancakes, pastas, pretzels, waffles); corn flakes, cream of rice, grits, oats, quinoa, rice, tapioca, corn tortillas.

Beverage options: water, coffee and tea, low FODMAP fruit/vegetable juices (limit to ½ cup at a time)”

To the above I would add:

• Peanuts
• Any food taken from the ground that are not on the list, especially bitter foods. The reasons are:
  • A normal healthy gut bacteria profile is very close to that found around underground foods — reflecting where our ancestors got their food supply (and how their gut got populated by bacteria by eating unwashed root vegetables).
  • Some foods have been breed to be less bitter (sweeter) than the natural wild variety. There is considerable evidence that the “bitterness” reflects compounds that are actually healthy for us.
• 100% Rye Bread if you are of northern european extraction. There is a “rye/wheat” line across northern Germany. North of this, traditional wheat would not grow hence rye bread has been a norm for milleniums.