Thanks, I will stay away from store bought fermented foods. I guess I will have to learn how to ferment my own foods. In the meantime, do you have any probiotic recommendations? I saw in another post that you like bifido, I'm already taking those.
The reason I'm confused is because my GI fx showed low lactic acid bacteria, and high PH (alkaline). So it seems I need lactid acid bacteria, but at the same time I seem to react negatively to lactid acid containing probiotics. So is this because of bacterial displacement, or could something else be going on?
Some probiotics are clearly better than others, but I no longer take any because I found fermented foods to be vastly superior for their strength; because they are "packaged" with macro and micronutrients that physically and chemically protect them, nurture them, allow them to pass through the the upper intestinal tract, etc.; and because I have control over the fermentation process including manipulation of O2 and CO2.
It is very confusing, one can have high or low Bifidobacterial and LAB counts, but you honestly need to know what species/subspecies are represented to understand how this might affect you. In someone with ME/CFS, looking purely at commensal bacteria, I think you will see an over-representation of aerotolerant species, like acidophilus and fewer numbers and species of bacteria that have exclusively anaerobic metabolisms, which would include group III LAB and others. I think the other thing that is likely is an under-representation of high-O2-sensitive bifidus strains and a scarcity of commensal Clostridial species that are crossfed by these Bifidus strains.
I believe the effects of bacterial metabolism on the host is consequential in a number of ways, including fundamental consequences on energy metabolism. The adverse consequences of some of the byproducts of metabolism created by homofermentative organisms, would influence lactate metabolism adversely by shifting towards an accumulation of lactate. This form of bacterial metabolism will disproportionately produce lactate, whereas those I think may be beneficial will produce more acetate. This may be critical for restoring/maintaining intestinal integrity and lowering pH in the lower intestinal tract.
Part of the reason people get relief from avoiding simpler sugars like glucose and fructose is because these yield higher concentrations of lactate versus acetate as compared to other saccharides. The microbial balance needs to also shift; diet alone will not right the ship. Although, as you are seeing with the PS, we are "cheating" of sorts by laying down an preferred substrate and influencing the acetate/lactate ratio, SCFA production in general, among other things.
You probably do have low numbers of LAB, and those that you do have are probably more aerotolerant, but your bacterial synthesis of SCFA is probably abysmal. As I see it, this is a problem of dehydrogenation, and pH is all about hydrogen. When lactic acid is completely oxidized it yields 70% more hydrogen ions, per mole of ATP, than acetic acid. In this regard, you don't want your bacterial metabolism to add to the load. will have to elaborate on this when I have more time, particularly about the osmolarity in the GIT, and the effect of malabsorption.
