Probiotics And Enzymes

[cdog7]

Hello folks. I've heard a lot about how beneficial probiotics and digestive enzymes can be for us, but I'm not sure I'm taking the right ones, or how often I should take them.

Are there certain types that are especially beneficial for celiacs (maybe even help out in cases of accidental gluten ingestion)? I purchased an enzyme labeled "Gluten Defense" before, but I feel that I should know more about what ingredients are actually helpful

[Skylark]

The "gluten defense" style enzymes and all the DPP IV products are a scam. There is nothing available right now that can help detoxify gluten. There is an enzyme-based drug in clinical trials, but it's not based on DPP-IV.

Enzymes and probiotics are totally different things. Enzymes are isolated proteins that perform chemical reactions like cutting up proteins. Probiotics are bacterial cultures designed to introduce helpful bacteria into your gut.

As far as probiotics, I'm drinking Yakult most days but it's a pretty mild 1-strain probiotic that's designed to be taken daily. I know a doctor who put her patients on a probiotic with lots of strains of bacteria for a month, and supposedly the bacteria will colonize. I take one called FermPlus daily for a month if I have to go on an antibiotic as I seem to feel better faster.

[Glamour]

I have been researching this a bit. I found this site today. Open Original Shared Link

There are all sorts of enzymes and probiotics for a multitude of issues. Dosage varies greatly, but easing into them is important.

Enzymes can also be found thru juicing and raw foods.

I think I am going to try Enzymedica gluten free (they make many types for many issues. I am als0 green juicing.

No enzyme is going to allow anyone to ingest gluten as part of the diet.

But I have severe skin issues which can be caused by DH,celiac, leaky guy, allergies, auto immune issues, all of which may be helped by cleaning up diet, juicing, enzymes and probiotics along with going Gluten free, dairy free, soy free, casein free.

[cdog7]

Thanks, yeah I certainly don't expect anything on the market to 'cure' me or allow me to eat gluten! But I'm just looking for any possible way to increase my 'safety net' such as for those occasions when I dine out or share a meal with others. It seems to me there's almost no way to truly ensure zero gluten ever gets into your food

[Skylark]

Really, the gluten defense enzymes are useless. They will NOT relieve you of the need to be vigilant about your food or save you from a glutening. They DO NOT cleave gliadin peptide. They only cleave di-proline at the ends of peptides, not in the middle where the di-proline is in gliadin. They don't "slightly lessen" the toxicity of gluten, only "slightly lessen" the amount of money in your wallet.

It's a scam. Really. These people are preying on folks who don't know a lot of biochemistry and are afraid of getting sick. You take them, don't get into trace gluten, and assume they work. If you get glutened you figure it was more than the enzyme would handle and still assume they work. They manufacturers are "laughing all the way to the bank" so to speak.

[cdog7]

@Skylark, but you've found probiotics helpful?

It angers me how almost no trustworthy information is available to us on these matters, as far as the enzyme issue goes. I searched and searched for something explaining why they don't work, some study showing they are either effective or not, and only found sites that seem connected to their sales..

I will regard the enzymes with distrust for now. Thank you for explaining to me why they would be ineffective. It saddens me that we're being preyed upon like that, but it's also not surprising.

[Skylark]

Open Original Shared Link is the NCBI entry for human DPP-IV, and it explains the function right in the listing. Like many enzymes, it is quite specific and there is no way it could break down the problematic gliadin peptide. DPP-IV from other species and bacteria has the same function. The "gluten defense" products are slipping in under FDA nutritional supplement regulations. It saddens me as well, but some herbs and supplements I really like are also available under the same FDA provisions. You just have to do your homework about what you purchase and not trust the labels.

I've personally found probiotics helpful, and there is growing evidence in the scientific literature that supports use of probiotics. The problem is that the questions of "which probiotics" and "how often" have not been answered particularly well. Here are couple abstracts if you're inclined to read a bit.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[cdog7]

Thanks again, Skylark! This is immensely helpful.

[sickchick]

The probiotics I use are called "Renew Life, Florasmart" I take 6 bil a day- I absolutely love the strains she uses in her probiotics. They are allergen free- dairy free. I pay 15.95 for a 30-day supply. You can get them @ Super Supplements.

As far as enzymes- I eat fresh pineapples and papaya!

Good luck!!!

sickchick

[sa1937]

The probiotics I use are called "Renew Life, Florasmart" I take 6 bil a day- I absolutely love the strains she uses in her probiotics. They are allergen free- dairy free. I pay 15.95 for a 30-day supply. You can get them @ Super Supplements.

As far as enzymes- I eat fresh pineapples and papaya!

Good luck!!!

sickchick

The probiotic I bought yesterday is "Renew Life, Ultimate Flora Critical Colon BifidoMAX", which includes 14 probiotic strains (80 billion). I've only taken two so far and noticed my D is worse today. Is this normal as the bacteria are working hard to rid my intestinal tract of bad bacteria? I figure I'll give it a shot for 30 days and hopefully it'll do something to get me back to normal. God only knows I have no idea what normal even means anymore!!!

Would love to hear of others experiences as they started taking probiotics for the first time...

[sickchick]

Tht happened to me when I took the 50! Try and get a lower dose for daily use. I was taking a theraputic amount when I first went Gluten Free in 2007. And over about 6 months I noticed my body really starting to heal! But just for daily use- see if you can find the 6 bil

lovelove

[sa1937]

Tht happened to me when I took the 50! Try and get a lower dose for daily use. I was taking a theraputic amount when I first went Gluten Free in 2007. And over about 6 months I noticed my body really starting to heal! But just for daily use- see if you can find the 6 bil

lovelove

Interesting! There were several different varieties from Renew Life. Since I have no plans for the next few days, for now I'll stick with it for a few more days and see what happens. I asked the health food store owner if I should expect any problems and she didn't think so. A lot of her customers take this product. I liked the idea of getting so many strains of bacteria in a capsule I could take just once a day.

Maybe there's a little intestinal war going on in there...like little Pac-man characters fighting each other. Hopefully the good guys will win!!! lol

[Skylark]

I take NuFerm FermPlus capsules when I need a probiotic and it's never given me trouble. I do take a lower dose the first week because a while back I did have D from a full dose of a different probiotic.

Is the one you're taking definitely gluten-free?

[sa1937]

I take NuFerm FermPlus capsules when I need a probiotic and it's never given me trouble. I do take a lower dose the first week because a while back I did have D from a full dose of a different probiotic.

Is the one you're taking definitely gluten-free?

I may have to switch to a lower dose for awhile. At least I'm home and don't have anywhere I absolutely need to go.

Yes free everything...no yeast, wheat, corn, salt, binders, fillers or artificial ingredients. And the capsule dissolves in the intestines, not the stomach. The health food store owner knows I have celiac and is very knowledgeable about it.

[Glamour]

While I don't buy into the enzymes working on gluten enough to relieve an attack, these enzymes could still be useful for general digestion enzymes.

Even MD's are prescribing enzymes.

If one starts out slow and takes enzymes in low doses for their particular digestive issues, it might help and be worth a try for me, at least.

[sa1937]

Interesting! There were several different varieties from Renew Life. Since I have no plans for the next few days, for now I'll stick with it for a few more days and see what happens. I asked the health food store owner if I should expect any problems and she didn't think so. A lot of her customers take this product. I liked the idea of getting so many strains of bacteria in a capsule I could take just once a day.

Maybe there's a little intestinal war going on in there...like little Pac-man characters fighting each other. Hopefully the good guys will win!!! lol

I think I finally solved the puzzle to my daily D. And to think it was so simple that if it had been a snake, it would have bitten me.

I started on the Renew Life probiotics (80 billion with 14 different strains) and for several days I actually felt worse and then the same as usual (not good). Well, to make a long story short, a week ago I had an eye dr. appt. and she took me off my antibiotic eye ointment that I have been on for several months for severe dry eyes (probably late Feb., early March...my EGD/biopsy was April 9 so I've been gluten free almost 4 months). I had a light bulb moment yesterday when I realized I hadn't had D for several days. Not for one minute did I suspect the eye ointment was causing me problems (after all, it was gluten free). I should have realized that regardless, it was an antibiotic and we all know how they can mess us up.

In the meantime while I was trying desperately to sort this out and trying to get better, I re-read labels on everything from foods to hair spray to lotion, etc. and came up with nothing revealing. In early April I cleaned my kitchen and pantry and did as totally a gluten-free kitchen as is humanly possible to including buying a bunch of new stuff (the usual wooden spoons, cutting boards, toaster, etc.) and could not understand why I wasn't getting better. I only ate out one time during that 4 months. And I live alone so no problem with gluteny little hands touching anything.

So hopefully the good guys won...I guess only time will tell if I continue to feel this good! Maybe I'll celebrate by getting out the vacuum cleaner today. lol I plan to continue using this bottle of probiotics until it's gone and then probably switch to a lower maintenance dose just to be on the safe side. I just had to share the good news with you. This forum has been an absolute god send to me!!!