The Benefits of L Reuteri for SIBO and Gut Health

I made a point of waking myself up enough to repeat the name lactobacillus L reuteri several times in my head. To make sure I remembered the name, I reminded myself of the name of this l reuteri probiotic that I had never really heard of or researched in depth. (You know you’re a gut health/ nutrition nerd when your dreaming of probiotics lol)

The next morning I woke and immediately typed lactobacillus l reuteri into Dr google to see if indeed there was a connection between l reuteri and SIBO. To my reassurance, this specific probiotic likes to live in the stomach and small intestine.

L reuteri for SIBO

Lactobacillus reuteri also produces antimicrobial compounds such as reuterin that can prevent the overgrowth of SIBO and pathogenic bacteria that should not thrive in the small intestine or stomach.

The benefits of l reuteri for SIBO, candida, leaky gut, reducing inflammation, and inhibiting the colonization of pathogenic microbes and bacteria are phenomenal and worth the research.

L reuteri can be found in the GI tract, urinary tract skin, and breast milk. Babies receive l reuteri through breast milk from the mother if the mother has l reuteri. Never forget the importance of breastfeeding a newborn as nature intended.

In the past few decades, there has been a decrease in the abundance of l reuteri in humans. This is likely due to the modern lifestyle and the use of antibiotics. The improvement in hygiene where beneficial bacteria die along with the pathogenic bacteria is decreasing the survival of L. reuteri.

Recolonizing the GI tract through an l reuteri probiotic or yogurt with l reuteri can help to reverse this problem. Taking an l reuteri probiotic is especially beneficial if someone has taken antibiotics or was formula-fed.

Some L reuteri benefits include:

• L reuteri is resistant to the low pH of stomach acid and bile salts and can, therefore, colonize the Gi tract, unlike many other probiotics that can’t survive and colonize the Gi tract.
• L reuteri inhibits the colonization of pathogenic bacteria and microbes by producing antimicrobial compounds that are effective against a variety of bacterial GI infections, including H pylori, E Coli, clostridium difficile, salmonella as well as viruses and fungi.
• L reuteri can produce vitamin B12 and folate, which is required by the MTHFR gene to convert folate into methyl folate. B12 and folate support the production of the crucial methyl donor SAMe needed for another 200 plus enzymes!
• L reuteri has been shown to improve bowel movements by reducing methane-producing bacteria, as in the case of methane dominant SIBO that is associated with constipation. Administering l. reuteri DSM 179 38 for four weeks resulted in a decrease of CH4, which is a gas produced by methane-producing bacteria, and concurrently improved bowel movements.
• L reuteri also exhibits antifungal properties against 5 out of 6 of the most common oral Candida species, which is a very problematic and opportunistic yeast that can contribute to a leaky gut and a host of gut health symptoms.
• Contrary to candida breaking down the intestinal lining, l reuteri enhance the mucosal barrier function of the intestinal lining to maintain tight junctions to prevent and block the entry of microbial pathogens and toxins from the gut from entering the rest of the body.
• L reuteri can also reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines while inducing anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells that modulate the immune system and maintain tolerance to self-antigens.

Now that is a laundry list of beneficial functions that the l reuteri probiotic provides for improving gut health and preventing SIBO overgrowth.

The ability of l reuteri to produce antimicrobial compounds such as reuterin that can help to inhibit pathogenic bacteria in the small intestine is a phenomenal quality that has piqued my curiosity. I decided to use the BioGaia gastrus l reuteri probiotic to make an l reuteri coconut yogurt recipe to enhance the bacterial counts of l reuteri found in BioGaia Gastrus for SIBO.

How to make l reuteri yogurt coconut yogurt with cashews

I made a dairy-free l reuteri coconut yogurt with coconut cream and cashews, as dairy is often a common food allergen for many people with gut issues. To make this l reuteri yogurt creamy, I added in soaked and blended cashews so that the finished yogurt was nice and thick as I found that when I just used the coconut cream and l reuteri probiotic, the yogurt was too runny.

While some people find a coconut cream that produces a nice thick yogurt, mine was always runny. So to rectify this problem, I added blended cashews to get the yogurt consistency I wanted.

L Reuteri Coconut Yogurt

1 can coconut cream
1 tbsp rice malt syrup
½ cup soaked cashews
2 tablets of BioGaia Gastrus L reuteri probiotic

Procedure:

Soak ½ a cup of cashews in a cup of water for 6 hours. (This helps to soften the cashews to blend up until smooth)

When you are ready to make the L reuteri yogurt, clean all the utensils and a glass jar or jug with hot water and soap. Rinse and sterilize in hot water or by pouring boiling water over the utensils.

Open a can of coconut cream and pour it into a large mason jar. Add in the soaked cashews and 2 BioGaia Gustrus L reuteri probiotic tablets.

Use a sterilized immersion blender to blend up the cashews and probiotic into the coconut cream.

Screw the lid on top of the jar and let the l reuteri yogurt sit out for 24 hours at room temperature. After 24 hours, test the yogurt to see if it has a tangy taste to indicate that the bacteria have turned the coconut cashew cream into yogurt.

The L reuteri yogurt may look a bit runny still, but once you put the yogurt into the fridge, it will thicken up beautifully.

I like to enjoy this L reuteri yogurt with granola and blueberries or in smoothies for a creamy base.

I also turn this into a probiotic-rich cashew coconut milk by adding in an extra 2 cups of water to the l reuteri yogurt and use instead of almond milk to make my smoothies!

After making this l reuteri coconut yogurt recipe several times, I found the Ayam coconut cream to make the best yogurt. The Ayam coconut cream is 100% natural with no preservatives, emulsifiers, or stabilizers.

A coconut cream without preservatives is key to making the best coconut yogurt as the emulsifiers and stabilizers can prevent bacteria from proliferating and thickening up the yogurt.

Lactobacillus Reuteri is one of the best probiotics for SIBO, including methane dominant SIBO. Not all probiotics are good to take for SIBO. L reuteri is an exception as the unique ability of l reuteri to produce antimicrobial compounds and colonize the small intestine to prevent SIBO is rare among probiotics.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus is another amazing probiotic for SIBO, IBS and leaky gut.

Improving antimicrobial bile flow is another underlying cause of SIBO no one is talking about.

Here is a list of SIBO resources to help you heal SIBO naturally.

If you are struggling with SIBO Dr Nirala Jacobi from the SIBO Doctor has a very informative patient SIBO success course to beat SIBO for good. This course covers

• underlying causes of SIBO
• testing for SIBO
• Symptoms of SIBO
• types of SIBO
• biphasic SIBO diet
• antimicrobials for SIBO

and much more!

Dr Nirala Jacobi has been my go-to resource for information on SIBO. There is so much to know about SIBO and the SIBO success plan covers all the essentials that you need to know about SIBO so you can beat SIBO for good.