Have you ever heard of a tiny microbe that could change your life? Well, get ready, because today we’re talking about something truly amazing: L. reuteri. This little guy isn’t just any microbe; it’s a game-changer that can boost your immune system, help you build muscle, and even help you live longer. Most people don’t have enough of it, but don’t worry, we’re going to explain why it’s so important and how you can get more of it. We’ll also hear from Dr. William Davis, author of “Super Gut,” who has done a lot of research on this fascinating microbe.
💡The Amazing Story of L. reuteri
For a long time, L. reuteri was mostly known for what it did for babies. It helped with things like spit-up and colic, making little ones less fussy. But then, some smart folks at MIT started looking into it more deeply. They were actually trying to see if it could fight cancer, but they stumbled upon something much bigger. They found that animals given L. reuteri stayed young, active, and even slender. Their fur stayed thick and healthy, and their immune systems got a big boost. Wounds healed twice as fast, and older mice even showed more testosterone and growth hormone. Plus, their thymus gland, which is super important for immunity and usually shrinks as we get older, went back to its original size! It was like a fountain of youth in a microbe.
Now, you might be thinking, “That’s great for mice, but what about people?” Well, Dr. Davis decided to try it out. He found a way to make a special L. reuteri “yogurt” that had a lot more of the microbe than the tiny amounts found in supplements. And guess what? He saw all the same amazing benefits in humans that were seen in the mice! This is a big deal because usually, what works in animals doesn’t always work the same way in people. But with L. reuteri, it seems to be different.
🌱Why Most of Us Are Missing This Microbe
So, if L. reuteri is so great, why don’t more people have it? It turns out that this microbe, like many other good bacteria, is really sensitive to common antibiotics. Just one round of antibiotics, even years ago, could have wiped out your L. reuteri. Dr. Davis thinks that about 96% of people in the world are missing this important microbe. That’s a huge number! This loss might also be a big reason why we’re seeing so many cases of SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), where bad bacteria take over the small intestine where they don’t belong.
L. reuteri is what we call a keystone microbe. Think of it like the most important stone in an archway – if it’s gone, the whole thing can fall apart. It doesn’t just do one thing; it helps the whole body’s system work better. It lives in the small intestine, which is pretty unique, and it makes its own natural antibiotics. These aren’t like the strong antibiotics you get from the doctor that kill everything; these are selective, meaning they target the bad guys without harming the good ones. So, when you lose L. reuteri, you lose a key protector against those unwanted microbes.
🎉The Oxytocin Connection: More Than Just Love
One of the most exciting things about L. reuteri is its connection to a hormone called oxytocin. You might know oxytocin as the “love hormone” because it’s involved in bonding and empathy. When you have enough L. reuteri, your body can make a lot more oxytocin. Dr. Davis has seen people who start taking L. reuteri say things like, “I like my spouse better,” or “My co-workers don’t annoy me as much.” It’s like it helps you see things from other people’s points of view, which can really help with relationships and reduce arguments.
But oxytocin does more than just make you feel warm and fuzzy. It also plays a big part in your body shape and muscle mass. As we get older, we tend to lose muscle, which can lead to frailty and other problems. But L. reuteri can help! Many people who take it notice an increase in muscle. Dr. Davis himself, in his late 60s, gained 13 pounds of muscle and saw his strength go up by 50% in just three weeks, even with minimal gym time. This is huge for fighting age-related muscle loss and staying independent as you get older. For men, it can also increase testosterone, and for women, it can help with bone density. It’s like a secret weapon against aging!
🚀Restoring Your Gut Health: Food Allergies and Skin Issues
It’s not just about muscle and mood; L. reuteri can also help with other common problems. Many people suffer from food allergies and sensitivities, where they can only eat a few specific foods without feeling sick. This often happens because of an unhealthy gut, especially SIBO. When bad microbes are in your small intestine, they can make the gut lining leaky, letting all sorts of things through that shouldn’t be there. This can trigger reactions to foods.
Dr. Davis has seen many people who, after restoring their gut with L. reuteri, find that their food sensitivities disappear. They can start eating a wider variety of foods again without issues. It’s a wonderful change! The same goes for skin problems like rosacea and psoriasis. While some skin issues are just on the surface, many start in the gut. By fixing the gut, you can often see improvements in your skin too.
It’s a different way of thinking about health. Instead of just treating the symptoms with medicines that block certain pathways, we’re looking at the root cause: an imbalanced gut. By bringing back those important keystone microbes, you’re helping your body heal itself. It’s like giving your body the tools it needs to do its job properly.
🛠️Making Your Own L. reuteri “Yogurt”
So, how do you get this amazing microbe? While you can find L. reuteri in some supplements, the best way to get a lot of it is by making your own L. reuteri “yogurt.” It’s not really yogurt in the traditional sense, but it looks and acts like it. The key is to ferment it for a longer time to really boost the microbe count.
Here’s a simple way to make it:
- Get your ingredients: You’ll need one capsule of L. reuteri probiotic (make sure it’s the right strain), inulin (a type of fiber), and organic half-and-half (or coconut milk, or even salsa – dairy is just the easiest to work with).
- Make a paste: Open the probiotic capsule and mix its contents with about two tablespoons of half-and-half and a tablespoon of inulin. Mix it well until it forms a paste.
- Add more liquid: Pour in the rest of your half-and-half (about one quart) and mix everything thoroughly.
- Ferment: Pour the mixture into containers and place them in a yogurt maker. Add water to the yogurt maker so it’s at the same level as your mixture. Set the temperature to 99°F and the time to 36 hours. If you have a different machine, just adjust accordingly.
- Chill: Once the 36 hours are up, put the containers in the refrigerator for a few hours to cool down.
- Enjoy! Consume about half a cup of this L. reuteri “yogurt” every day. You can eat it plain, or add berries if you like. It’s rich, delicious, and packed with benefits.
This method helps you get hundreds of billions of L. reuteri microbes per serving, which is a thousand times more than what you’d get from a typical supplement. This high amount is what really helps to push back against bad microbes and restore your gut health.
⚙️Another Smart Idea: Probiotic Soda
Dr. Davis also shared another clever way to get beneficial microbes: by making your own probiotic soda! This uses a different microbe, Saccharomyces boulardii, which is a cousin to the yeast used in wine and beer. You can find this probiotic at most drugstores.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose your juice: Pick any fruit juice you like, but make sure it doesn’t have preservatives like potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate.
- Add the probiotic: Open a capsule of Saccharomyces boulardii and add it to the juice. The amount of juice doesn’t matter too much.
- Ferment: Cap the bottle lightly (you don’t want it to explode from the gas!) and leave it on your kitchen counter for at least 48 hours. You’ll see it bubbling as the microbe eats the sugar and produces carbon dioxide.
- Taste and enjoy: Taste it after 48 hours. If it’s still sweet, let it ferment for another 12-24 hours until it’s no longer sweet. The microbe will have eaten all the sugar, leaving you with a fizzy, sugar-free drink that’s full of good bacteria.
This probiotic soda is a great way to protect your gut, especially if you ever have to take antibiotics. It’s not a full shield, but it’s one of the best things you can do to help maintain your gut’s health during and after antibiotic use.
✅Key Takeaways
- L. reuteri is a crucial keystone microbe that many people are missing due to antibiotic use.
- It can amplify your immune system, increase muscle mass, and help with wound healing.
- L. reuteri boosts oxytocin, leading to improved mood, empathy, and better body composition.
- Restoring L. reuteri can help with food allergies and skin issues by improving overall gut health.
- You can make your own L. reuteri “yogurt” to get high amounts of this beneficial microbe.
- Probiotic soda made with Saccharomyces boulardii can help protect your gut during antibiotic use.
Understanding and restoring your gut health, especially with microbes like L. reuteri, can make a huge difference in your overall well-being. It’s about giving your body what it needs to thrive, rather than just treating symptoms. So, why not give it a try and see how this tiny microbe can change your life?
