Two Phylum of digestive bacteria, the Firmicutes (mostly aerobic) and the Bacteroidetes (mostly anaerobic, found in the lower intestines), exist in a balance (75:25) in which the Firmicutes promote weight gain, not by toxins, but by providing better nutrition from the food their host consumes. The Bacteroidetes provide less nutrition. So if Firmicutes, found in most probiotics, are dominant, weight is gained. If Bacteroidetes are dominant, weight is lost. Bacteroidetes tend to dominate the flora of the elderly.
Both phylum are very important for good health, so it is best if you get a very healthy colony of Firmicutes, then strengthen your Bacteroidetes.
This being said, one of the best sources for quality Firmicutes is a yoghurt-like drink called “Kefir”, sold in most groceries. It contains 10 or more healthy strains of digestive bacteria. I would augment this with Activa brand yogurt, which contains another bacteria that creates bulk in the intestines, for even and regular digestive flow.
Before trying to improve your Bacteroidetes, you should also try and suppress other microorganisms that can harm you.
An overabundance of digestive yeast is common, called Candidiasis. The yeast produces many harmful chemicals, and may be symptomatic or not. The way it is reduced is by consuming coconut oil, which directly attacks it, and mostly by starving the yeast of sugars and carbohydrates.
Coconut oil should be consumed in small amounts at first, because a large die off of yeast all at once can make you ill.
On to the Bacteroidetes. Because these are anaerobic, you cannot increase them in pill form, as probiotics, so you need to consume what the Bacteroidetes eat that the Firmicutes do not. These are called “prebiotics”.
Doenjang (sometimes called Miso), the Korean form of fermented soybean paste (a condiment not common outside of Korea) (fermented by Bacillus subtilis, a Firmicutes, unlike Japanese Miso, which is fermented by a fungus Aspergillus oryzae), has been observed both suppressing Firmicutes and supporting Bacteroidetes, while reducing the Family of Enterobacteriaceae, including Enterobacter. Unfortunately it is fermented in brine, so a single Tablespoon has some 660mg of Sodium, about 27% RDA.
Whew. In any event, after you have built up a healthy flora of Firmicutes, you might consume a heaping tablespoon of this fermented soy paste each day to both suppress your Enterobacter, tone down your Firmicutes, and encourage your Bacteroidetes.
Another good bacteria that lives in your colon is called Akkermansia muciniphila. Technically it lives in and eats the mucin layer that lines your colon, that limits both bad bacteria and poisons from leaking through the cell wall and entering your bloodstream.
There is a combination of water soluble fibers, called oligosaccharide-enhanced inulin (not insulin), which is sold at GNC Health Food stores (about $30 a pound). While the Akkermansia bacteria do not eat this, other bacteria do, and it thickens the mucin layer. The Akkermansia responds to this by blocking bad bacteria and poisons.
THis is exactly the kind of help I was hoping for. I know that just taking a pill isn’t going to cut it. I’ve got to feed the critters correctly.
*sigh* There’s so much to learn.
I’ve noticed you shine whilst discussing intestinal flora.
You just sent me into a two-hour reading binge. Thank you. I’m learning so much.