This post shares a Supergut yogurt for crowding out parasites recipe that is easy to make and delicious! This yogurt has been a game-changer for my health. My sleep, gut health, mental health, and even my libido have improved while eating this yogurt.
I follow the Supergut diet and it has helped to reduce inflammation and heal my gut after years of antibiotic use and the resultant SIBO.
The Supergut diet is based on Dr. William Davis’ book, Super Gut, which advocates using healing foods to heal the gut, such as homemade probiotic-rich yogurt.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
Why a Yogurt for Crowding Out Parasites?
I’ve written about my struggles with intestinal parasites here, and how parasite infections play a role in MCAS here. And, I recently underwent a month-long parasite treatment while I was doing a spring liver detox, hoping to knock back the parasite colonization of my gut. But as always, I noticed the uncomfortable signs of parasites returning after a few weeks.
My Osteopath wondered if Davis’ probiotic yogurt might help my MCAS, and I found the notion of healing the gut with probiotic yogurt intriguing. I have been experimenting with different probiotic strains for yogurt making as detailed in Super Gut. I first tried the three probiotic strains Davis suggests for getting SIBO under control, and I had some moderate improvement in symptoms.
Davis recommends using FOS as a sweetener for everyday foods, as well as using it as a food for probiotic cultures when making homemade yogurt. But I found that when I consumed FOS I had increased parasite discomfort. After doing a little bit of online research I found that FOS is indeed a food for parasites too.
Studies have indicated that the consumption of dietary inulin, or FOS, a type of fermentable fiber, can lead to an increase in parasitic worm infections in the gut. Specifically, research has shown that inulin feeding promotes the survival of parasitic gut worms, such as Trichuris muris (also known as whipworms).
Gah! I didn’t want to be feeding my parasites!
Probiotics for crowding out parasites
Probiotics to the rescue!
I also found that there is evidence that specific strains of probiotics, including Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecium, have the potential to help eliminate parasitic infections, while simultaneously strengthening the immune system’s response to parasite infections. These studies highlight the complex relationships between dietary components, gut bacteria, and parasitic infections, and suggest that dietary components like inulin may shape the gut environment and affect the presence of parasitic worms.
Mechanisms of Action of Probiotics in Eliminating Parasitic Infections
Probiotics, particularly Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecium, have various mechanisms to eliminate parasitic infections. These mechanisms involve direct and indirect actions to inhibit parasitic growth and reduce their harmful effects on the host.
Competing with Pathogenic Agents: Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecium probiotics compete directly with parasitic agents for resources and space within the gut. This limits the ability of parasites to establish themselves and proliferate in the intestinal environment.
Inhibition of Harmful Bacteria: These probiotics can also inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that provide an advantageous environment for parasites to thrive. This indirectly impedes the proliferation and establishment of parasitic organisms.
Modifying Intestinal Microbial Composition: Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecium can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and alter the microbial composition of the gut. This modification creates an unfavorable habitat for parasites, making it difficult for them to survive and reproduce.
Stimulating the Immune System: Both types of probiotics can stimulate the host’s immune system, enhancing its ability to recognize and combat parasitic infections. This helps the host mount a more effective defense against parasitic invasions.
Enhancing Gut Health: These probiotics promote overall gut health by reducing the competition for nutrients between parasites and the host, inhibiting the activity of enterotoxins produced by parasites, and improving the balance of the gut microbiota. These actions collectively create an intestinal environment less conducive to parasitic infections.
Direct Inhibition or Killing of Pathogens: Enterococcus faecium probiotics can secrete molecules that directly inhibit or kill parasitic pathogens, contributing to the elimination of parasitic infections in the gut.
Immunostimulatory Effects: Enterococcus faecium can also have immunostimulatory effects, reinforcing the host’s immune responses to parasitic infections and aiding in their elimination.
So, it appears that Bacillus sp. and Enterococcus faecium probiotics can collectively contribute to the elimination of parasitic infections and the maintenance of intestinal health.
Which probiotics crowd out parasites?
I use AOR Probiotic-3 because it contains both Bacillus sp. TO-A and Enterococcus faecium T-110 probiotics, as well as Clostridium butyricum TO-A. Clostridium butyricum helps the body to make butyrate, also known as Butyric acid. Butyrate is a four-carbon short-chain fatty acid that is produced through microbial fermentation of dietary fibers in the lower intestinal tract and is helpful for gut health.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS often experience significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.
MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Healthcare providers frequently do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.
Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
What about problems with dairy milk?
Many people with MCAS can’t tolerate dairy milk or yogurt, so you need to experiment to see if you can tolerate these things. I’ve found that the long culture time for this probiotic yogurt denatures the milk so I don’t have a problem with it. Using A2 milk also can be helpful, because it contains a form of protein that is easier to digest.
The bucket theory
The bucket theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.
Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but they combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.
Know your typical symptom progression
Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.
Get my free ebook, symptom log, and meal plan!
Want a tool to easily keep track of your symptoms? Sign up for my newsletter and you will receive my free 50-page ebook of lower-histamine, grain-free, sugar-free recipes, my free symptom log, and a free two-week meal plan!
Here is the recipe for Supergut yogurt to crowd out parasites
Supergut Yogurt for Crowding Out Parasites
Equipment
- 1 sous vide stick
- 1 large stock pot
- 1 glass quart mason jar
Ingredients
- 2 capsules AOR Probiotic-3 OR you can use 2 tbsp of yogurt from this recipe to seed subsequent batches
- 1 quart A2 Organic Whole Milk roughly, depending on your jar size
- 2 tbsp FOS or inulin
- ½ cup Grassfed Half-and-Half optional, but recommended
Instructions
- If you are using plain whole milk, I recommend doing this step to heat-shock the milk to avoid curd formation in your yogurt. If you are adding the half-and half then skip to step 2.1. Pour the milk into a pan and heat gently over medium-low heat until it reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the heat down slightly and hold the milk at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. You will need to frequently check the milk temperature with a thermometer to make sure the milk doesn't get too hot or too cool. Once the 20 minutes have elapsed, place the pan in the refrigerator and cool the milk to 112 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature every 10 minutes so it doesn't get too cool.
- 2. Clip the sous vide stick to a large stock pot and add tap water to the minimum water level indicator on the stick. Set the unit to preheat to 112 °F, and set the timer for 24 hours. Sterilize your jar.
- 3. When the milk has cooled to 112 °F (or if you skipped step 1), put about ½ cup of milk or the half-and-half, if you are using it, into the quart mason jar. Empty two capsules of the AOR probiotic capsules (discarding the capsule shells) into the milk and stir with a non-reactive spoon (wooden or silicone). Or use 2 tbsp of a previous batch of yogurt, whey, or curds as your starter culture. Add the 2 tbsp of FOS or inulin and stir the mixture. Add enough of your (heat-shocked) milk to reach the shoulders of the jar. Loosely cap the jar and place it into the water bath with the sous vide stick.
- 4. Once the time is up, remove the yogurt from the sous vide bath. Dry the jar and then place the yogurt in the refrigerator to cool and thicken for several hours.
Some tips for making yogurt at home
- When you make yogurt it’s important to control the culture so that you are growing the desired beneficial microbes in your yogurt and not growing random microbes from the environment. For this reason, it is a good idea to sterilize the jars you are using right before use. One quick and easy way to sterilize jars is to wash and clean the jars thoroughly before sterilization. Then wet the glass jars and cook on high for 60 seconds in the microwave. Allow the jars to dry on a clean towel. Metal lids can be sterilized by boiling them for 10 minutes and leaving them dry on a clean towel. You can find other sterilization methods online if you don’t have a microwave.
- AOR Probiotic-3 seems to grow best at between 108 and 112 degrees Fahrenheit so I suggest using a yogurt maker or sous vide stick where you can set and maintain an accurate temperature. For this recipe I provide instructions for using a sous vide stick as the heat source. In this post, I give instructions for making yogurt with a yogurt maker or Instant Pot.
- No matter which method of heat source you choose, it is best to use glass containers for culturing the yogurt as the acid content can leach chemicals from metal or plastic.
- This recipe calls for FOS or inulin to feed the probiotic strains during culturing. The FOS/inulin is completely consumed by the probiotics over the culture, so if you have issues with eating inulin it should not be a problem.
- This yogurt is cultured for 24 hours, so plan to be available when it’s done!
- This recipe calls for AOR Probiotic-3 specifically for issues with parasites. However, Davis’ book recommends many other beneficial probiotics for other specific conditions. Check out his book for recommendations for SIBO, skin issues, sleep, and other problems.
- If you want a delicious creamy easy-to-make yogurt, and if you want to avoid having to heat-shock your milk, you can use some half-and-half (half milk, half cream) mixed into the whole milk. Use a minimum of 1/4 cup of half-and-half mixed into whole milk, which will provide enough fat and protein so that curds won’t form as readily in your yogurt. Davis recommends making yogurt entirely out of half-and-half, but I find I gain weight rapidly when I consume that much fat. So, I experimented and found that if you use at least 1/4 cup of half-and-half in whole A2 milk, your yogurt will turn out creamy. I prefer to use organic A2 whole milk with about 1/3 cup half-and half to make this yogurt.
- If you make this yogurt with just whole milk, it may separate into curds and liquid whey, depending on the protein content of the milk you are using. It took some research to figure out that milk needs to be heat-shocked to prevent curd formation. Also, the probiotic capsules contain a bit of thickener that can contribute to the formation of curds.
- If you want to make the yogurt with just shole milk, here are the steps to heat shock the milk to denature the milk proteins and reduce the amount and hardness of curds. Heat shocking the milk adds several steps to your yogurt-making process, but it discourages the milk from separating into curds and whey. Here are the steps for heat-shocking: Pour the milk into a pan and heat gently over medium-low heat until it reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the heat down slightly and hold the milk at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. You will need to frequently check the milk temperature with a thermometer to make sure the milk doesn’t get too hot or too cool. Once the 20 minutes have elapsed, place the pan in the refrigerator and cool the milk to 112 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature every 10 minutes so it doesn’t get too cool. Once the milk reaches 112 degrees you can proceed with the yogurt recipe.
- Even with heat shocking whole milk, you may still have some large, soft curds in your yogurt. If your yogurt has curds, you can eat it just like regular yogurt. You can even lightly salt the curds and eat them like cottage cheese.
- The cloudy liquid that separates from the curds, called whey, can be used to inoculate subsequent batches of yogurt, or you can put the liquid in smoothies or other dishes.
- You can continue to make subsequent batches of yogurt by inoculating them with 2 tablespoons of yogurt, curds, or whey per quart of milk as the starter culture. Or you can use capsules of the probiotic as your culture medium, but you might have a greater chance of curd formation.
- The cloudy liquid that separates from the curds, called whey, can be used to inoculate subsequent batches of yogurt, or you can put the liquid in smoothies or other dishes.
- You can continue to make subsequent batches of yogurt by inoculating them with 2 tablespoons of yogurt, curds, or whey per quart of milk as the starter culture. Or you can use capsules of the probiotic, but you might have a greater chance of curd formation.
Leftovers
Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for several weeks. Serve this yogurt with granola, berries, in smoothies, or it can be used in recipes for the liquid in muffins, or strained to make yogurt cheese. I like to mix berry puree and a little monk fruit sweetener into jars of yogurt and freeze them for a cold dessert.
Serving suggestions
This yogurt is delicious when served with berries or granola on top!
My experience with using this Supergut yogurt for crowding out parasites
The first day I started by eating 1/2 cup of this yogurt. That night I slept better than I have in quite a while. I had been waking up every hour or two all night previously, but that night I slept for four hours straight!
I’ve gradually increased to eating 1 cup of this yogurt per day, spread out with about 1/3 cup at each meal. Over the last few weeks of eating it I’ve noticed:
- Temperature dysregulation (hot flashes and chilling) went from dozens of times per day to only once per day, with drastically reduced intensity.
- A fungal infection on my skin improved significantly.
- Continued improvement in my sleep.
- My joint pain and gout have gone away almost completely.
- Brain fog has lifted.
- Previously I had no libido whatsoever, and now I have a much healthier sex drive.
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) has disappeared.
- I’ve been able to add dozens of foods back into my diet. I’m still eating grain-free and sugar-free.
- Stable healthy mood.
- Neuropathy and restless leg symptoms have almost completely disappeared.
- Constipation, bloating, and reflux have all disappeared.
- My discomfort from parasites has almost disappeared.
Check out this powerful frequency device
Healy is an individualized specific microcurrent device (ISM) that runs beneficial electrical currents directed by an app on your phone. Healy can be used to magnify your intention and to get the most out of your life. Check out this post for more about Healy. And this post provides some tips and tricks for Healy.
Sign up for a session!
I provide one-on-one in-person and remote chronic illness and caregiver coaching and Sacred Self-Healing Sessions based on the Sacred Self-Healing Method, a proven novel co-creative healing modality detailed in my Books.
Click here for more information.
If you want help getting started with frequency healing sign up for a session with me and we will go over the basics of frequency healing!
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply below!
Disclaimer
The preceding material does not constitute medical advice. This information is for information purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, cure, or treatment. Always seek advice from your medical doctor.