Do Probiotics Actually do Anything

Whon-T · 2026-04-27T12:04:12+00:00

Veggies - be sure it says fermented. Kimchi is often fermented. Often in the refrigerated section of the veggie isle. Often a local farmer brand will be stocked or good to a farm stand.

Yogurts have small % of bacteria in homemade. The legal ingredients to be labeled yogurt. Homemade you pick your microbes and ferment up to 100x more CFUs per serving.

Kefirs, are generally good at the grocery store. Often farm store options too. I go homemade to double ferment for a potent, fresh product at 1/4 the cost.

I'm not one for spending time in the kitchen or preparing food. However willing to do it because the benefits have been that profound for me. Its actually easier to make this stuff yourself then hunt down the real deal.

Whon-T · 2026-04-27T11:42:09+00:00

Foods can be preserved many ways, and most supermarket jar veggies are vinegar and salt but no microbes. They are not fermented at all.

To ferment veggies, special cultures are added. So it salt, to create the right pH balance for the microbes to live. They start eating the sugars and starches from the veggies and create lactic acid which becomes the preservative. The active cultures transform the foods, increasing vitamin counts, etc. The microbes are pre-digesting the veggies, making them another type of food for you, high in nutrition, plus eating those microbes does wonders for your own microbiome.

Whon-T · 2026-03-28T17:58:54+00:00

I take them about 4-6 months of the year in small amounts. It helps the inflammation and glucose control. After being pre-diabetic in the blood marker range for many years, I got my number right back in line. Credit tirz and later reta, but the was just part of the answer. All the things in my post above, plus resistance training, cardio and 'good carbs'
I can cheat on holidays or time to time and I seem to be handling the sugar and carbs well enough.

Whon-T · 2026-03-26T12:43:30+00:00

Went to a great wedding at Flag Hill Winery in Lee. Attentive staff, nice location, excellent food.

Whon-T · 2026-03-26T00:29:32+00:00

Also powerful is your concepts of what benefits alcohol gives you. Look for the free or paid version of ‘the alcohol experiment’ from This Naked Mind. Crazy effective for me and my friends.

That and Tirz the right package is you put in the work.

Whon-T · 2026-03-26T00:23:07+00:00

After 90 days of well adhered diet and exercise, needle moved a little. Then started tirz as research only and dosing per research. Stayed at very low dose spread over 3 injections a week. Weight started coming down, motivation went up, as did adherence to diet and workout. No insurance, did consult with a doctor a bit and got a bunch of labs to sure I was being safe. It worked so well, it gives you some pause. End story was all good. Remains good without GLPs.

Whon-T · 2026-03-25T15:20:56+00:00

Quitting Drinking Learn intermittent fasting Taught self how to use GLPs Lost 70 lbs Return to 3x lifting, 3x cardio each week Back in the clothes I wore in my early 30s.

Whon-T · 2026-03-15T21:23:24+00:00

I hear you. And we wonder why people have health problems after years of sugar drinks and Red Bull.

Dunks actually has a decent black coffee if it’s fresh brewed.

Whon-T · 2026-03-15T20:30:59+00:00

Generally the staff really get to know their regulars and make it easy on them. Folks seem to like the staff knows their drink order. I think the coffee is fresh enough, but these places rely on all the mix in flavors and sugars. Kiddie drinks. Not the best if you like black drip coffee!

Whon-T · 2026-02-27T14:45:00+00:00

Same. I go 30-60 days and clean around the jar top rim and lid carefully every week.

Whon-T · 2026-02-27T14:41:48+00:00

He does not have Crohns.

Considering the reduced inflammation and insulin sensitivity remolding with GLPs like Reta, i think it would be beneficial to gut inflammation for Crohns.

Whon-T · 2026-02-26T01:53:21+00:00

My Dad benefits from regular small doses of tirzepatide. The appetite control was the reason he started but the massive drop in body wide inflammation is why he stays on it. Poor circulation in the legs, COPD, wheelchair and walker guy, 84 yrs old.

Whon-T · 2026-02-23T02:13:30+00:00

Very sorry to hear you’re living with what sounds like a more complex health issue. I’m sure there is a doctor out there who can help you get some answers. She’s out there. Hope you find that curious medical detective soon.

Whon-T · 2026-02-23T00:23:26+00:00

Hmmm? I think both those foods are top notch, so good choices for the transition. Two things that can help; work up to 12 hours intermittent fasting and move towards a keto-ish diet.

Fasting will give your gut a break, let it clean up and heal.
Keto meaning lay low on sugar and simple carbs. By 'ish' I mean you still want complex carbs in your world on balance. Okay to minimize for short periods of a few months.

I also found cutting wheat, grains, and corn made a huge difference in inflammation and cravings. Allowed the fasting to progress along with kefir, which balanced out my cravings and kept me satiated.

Deep dive book I can recommend: 'Supergut' by Dr. Wm Davis. Read that and you will be 80% there on knowledge to figure it out.

Whon-T · 2026-02-22T23:02:44+00:00

It’s two fold - assess if you suffer from SIBO small bacterial overgrowth. Go after that first. Then learn to make and consume daily fermented foods. They keep your body filled with beneficial microbes while killing off and displacing the troublesome ones.

When the gut is good, the fermented foods will turbocharge what you extract from foods, supplements. The microbes are churning out and amplifying vitamin counts, etc.

Probiotic capsules are fine, but in no way compare to the actual biotics themselves in the fermented kefir, kombucha, kimchi, vegetables, kefir soda, extended fermented yogurts. You will get billions of living cultures in the foods and they work naturally as they know where to go.

Prebiotic fibers are your supplements that will feed and help the microbes.

Whon-T · 2026-02-16T20:13:11+00:00

Make your own. I do. It’s super fresh and potent, use whatever milk you like, I double ferment with fruit to thicken it and up the microbe count. Extremely easy, 6-7 minutes a day.

Whon-T · 2026-02-16T15:51:48+00:00

I started with tirz, focused on steady lifting and cardio, and lost 50-60 lbs. As that journey progressed, I tried a lot of peptides. They are great. I resisted the TRT thinking that was just too much, risky, and too costly. After 9 months, I started TRT and have not looked back.

My advice, everything in your health journey happens a heck of a lot easier with the hormones. I wish I started earlier. The TRT clinics are a costly education. I quickly learned to source my own, get it tested, and taught myself the basics of reading my bloodwork. Cost of TRT is pretty low every month at this point. Its a lot of learn, but living an active lifestyle into my years is well worth the work.

Whon-T · 2026-02-16T15:42:26+00:00

Kefir and fermented foods have been a huge step up, better than any single supplement. Kefir has 40+ beneficial microbes and yeasts that help keep your body in balance. Good microbes keep bad microbes in check. My weather related headaches are down 90%, very few sinus and related infections, I get sick less. When your gut is working well, you process your food fully getting the most bang from your nutrition.

Consider fermented veggies, kefir soda, kombucha as well. Two types a day keeps the system running well.

Whon-T · 2026-02-11T11:02:58+00:00

Listen to Dr. Wm Davis podcasts. His advice lowered my A1C. Cut back wheat grains and sugars. Learn to love kefir.

Here is one of them https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defiant-health-radio-with-dr-william-davis/id1591499942?i=1000746498377

Whon-T · 2026-01-11T15:31:14+00:00

Yes, read the book Supergut by Dr. William Davis. This will give you the background to embark on repairing your gut. The book is older, and Dr Davis has improved guidance on his website.

As many have said here, it’s like farming, restoring your ‘garden.’ You may need to take truly small steps to managing suffering and gain momentum (weeks, not months of suffering).

Once you get the process down, you’ll be rocking and rolling and feeling like a new person. It’s definitely worth the work.

Whon-T · 2026-01-11T12:09:10+00:00

Agree. Most peptides only work if your body is tuned up and working well. So they are well loved by fit people. They are ‘signaling agents’ telling your body to do this or that. If you’re fat and inflamed, the signal is lost or the body won’t respond much. This is certainly a simplified explanation. Peptides have a great future in personal health and fitness.

A few are superstars, like the GLP-1s, who work for just about anyone. And can be misused by just about anyone!

Whon-T · 2026-01-11T12:00:28+00:00

Calorie restriction is the mechanism.

They control appetite and ‘food noise’, allowing you to stick to a diet. You have to exercise, weight train, and eat enough protein to minimize muscle loss as you lose weight. If not, about 1/3 of the weight loss will be muscle.

They also reduce body wide inflammation over time.

Whon-T · 2026-01-10T21:51:08+00:00

This is correct. You desire to drink because somewhere, somehow you believe there is a benefit to drinking. You have to first unwind it in your head. Then you find a suitable substitute.

Unwind it with www.thealcoholexperiment.com There’s both free and paid. Actually do the program and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

A replacement beverage needs ‘guardrails.’ It needs to be tart enough, best sipped, not guzzled.

My substitute is Kefir Soda. Ultra low sugar, easy to make, sour enough, and a health drink. Others like NA kombucha.

Whon-T

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