While the human study has not yet been performed, an experimental model has demonstrated that senile loss of muscle (“sarcopenia”) is dramatically reversed by oxytocin. Atrophied muscle cells in elderly mice plump up and grow, making old muscle virtually indistinguishable from young muscle.
I’ve previously discussed how aging in humans is associated with loss of 35-50% of total muscle mass, a phenomenon readily visible by looking at most people in their 70s and 80s. And we should view muscle mass and strength as biomarkers of aging, as greater muscle and strength are associated with better agility, less falls, fewer injuries, greater bone mass, higher levels of growth hormone, and other markers of youthfulness.
Does the restoration of muscle from consuming our oxytocin-boosting L. reuteri yogurt occur in humans? I believe it does. I’ve now witnessed this in a number of people, including myself.
I personally gained 13 pounds of muscle over a 3 week period while going to the gym once or twice per week for a brief 15-20 minute strength-training session. I also saw my strength increase. While I used to handle 130 pounds for 8-10 repetitions on the lat pulldown machine, for instance, I now handle 200 pounds for the same number of repetitions. I bench press 170 pounds, leg press 415 pounds (that’s as high as the machine goes, so I go for higher repetitions, as I no longer have the patience to stack plates on a barbell), two-arm deltoid row 190 pounds, all for higher number of repetitions. I’m 61 years old.
I’m not boasting. I am simply illustrating the breathtaking restoration of muscle mass and strength that results from the oxytocin burst we obtain from the L. reuteri yogurt. The increase in muscle and strength has made climbing stairs a snap, it makes shoveling snow or raking leaves child’s play.
The increase in muscle is much more dramatic if you engage in some form of strength training. Gains appear to be minimal without it. I believe that muscle/strength restoration is part of the panel of age-reversing effects the L. reuteri yogurt provides, effects that include thicker skin, increased dermal collagen, accelerated healing, and increased libido.
Note: This reply is posted here due to on-going technical issues with Wheat Belly Blog articles and comment serving over the last few days.
On the WB blog, a user wrote: «The two batches I’ve tossed just never turned to yogurt.»
There are a number of usual suspects for that. The top one might be an excess temperature excursion. If the temp gets much over 122°F, L.reuteri expire. Using the pulsed-oven technique is at some risk of this, I suspect. Many devices with yogurt cycles also run or wander too hot (over 115), which is no problem for conventional yogurt, but is for fermenting L.reut.
re: «…I consistently make yogurt using the crushed Gaia tablets usually boosted with a good dose of previous batch.»
Adding tablets should not be necessary, and adds needless expense. Dr. Davis has been using generational starter (saved from each batch), and is now up to batch 50 at last report. I make dedicated starter batches, cube and freeze them, then rely on them for many months.
re: «I’m mostly low catb (Daily small serving dark chocolate, fruit limited). and i May have a rare small serving of white rice, cooled but I’m mostly grain free. I’ve played with keto…»
Thanks for setting the context. That overlaps with, but is not the Undoctored or 2014+ Wheat Belly program. Doing the core program might well lead to a resolution, but in particular, the gut flora cultivation issue might be revealing. It seems there’s about an equal chance of that being promptly beneficial, or signalling the presence of SIBO or fungal overgrowth.
re: «A voracious appetite has plagued me for nearly 50 years.»
We have one subscription site member with a similar complaint, and SIBO presently is floating to the top of the suspect list in that case. Many people experience the anorexigenic effect of the yogurt, but not everyone. I personally can’t speak to it, because I what little appetite I had on starting Wheat Belly in 2011, retreated even further at that time.
I also can’t personally speak to the muscle growth effect, as I’m not presently doing strength training. I suppose I’ll need to start so I can have an informed opinion.☺ I might add that, to my recollection, this effect was first spontaneously reported by a subscription site member during one of the regular video meet-ups.
re: «My weight in the past 15 years…»
For people starting the program, there is a checklist of things to consider.
re: «Just thought I’d chime in as a not totally convinced lreuteri user.»
Individual results vary, and microbiome status seems to have a huge role in that. Personal reports are useful (and led to the caution list last year, as amended here). Cites to reference information are also welcome, and led to a shift in the recommendation for ideal ferment temp (97°F).
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I’ve gained just under 10 pounds presumably since I’ve started eating L. Reuteri yogurt. Around that time I was also eating ample home-fermented Yogourmet yogurt with half and half. It makes me wonder if the weight I gained was muscle mass (I’ve been lifting for the past 2-3 years, 3-4 times a week, so muscle mass gains are much slower at this point) or if it was fat from the excess calories in the half and half (suspected because I have metabolic distortions with a lot of hunger not amenable to the Undoctored program which I follow)
In order to reap the benefits of the l.r.yogurt for increased collagen, muscle mass, etc., does one have to follow the undoctored program to the tee? I am low carb but not 100% grain and sugar free
Terri wrote: «In order to reap the benefits of the l.r.yogurt for increased collagen, muscle mass, etc., does one have to follow the undoctored program to the tee?»
That’s an interesting question. Since this particular home-made fermented food exploration arose in the context of the Undoctored / Wheat Belly programs, we may have so far exactly zero visibility into effects on other diets.
What I can say is that if you want the manifold benefits of the core program, you do need to implement the core program. It might not be of much use to pick up any benefits of an L.reut food, but still have the optional ailments of unaddressed antagonists in diet.
re: «I am low carb but not 100% grain and sugar free»
Perhaps the key context, delivered by following the programs as a prerequisite, is that you’ll start the yogurt knowing quite a bit more about your microbiome status. The core diet up to 2014 removed a lot of gut antagonists. The gut flora cultivation added in 2014 also amounted to a challenge test.
If you look at the official side effects list for BioGaia® Gastrus®, such as on WebMD, you can see some. The product was tested on people following random (standard) diets (and with an over-representation of people with “bowel problems”). What that might suggest is that people trying this yogurt, who have not been on the Undoctored/WB program, might be at higher risk for some of those known side effects.
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Note: This reply is posted here due to on-going technical issues with Wheat Belly Blog articles and comment serving over the last few days.
On the WB blog, a user wrote: «My first batch of yogurt had the consistency of cottage cheese.»
That’s not at all unusual for a tablet-started batch. It seems to be due to the lower CFU counts, compared to using saved starter.
re: «For my second batch I used some of the first batch of yogurt as a starter. I pasteurized the milk, added unmodified potato starch, and added the starter. In the yogurt maker I kept the milk at around 104 F for 36 hours. This batch came out much thicker but with a good amount of thick whey on the bottom. Is this normal?»
In my experience, that’s a frequent outcome, and the potato starch may not be the ideal extender for this recipe. I’ve stopped using it, and rely only on inulin. In experimental batches, I’ve observed that the potato starch tends to congeal at the bottom of the mix very early in the ferment. Hitting it with a stick blender might be worth a try.
re: «Also, even after pouring off the whey, the yogurt is gelatinous which I find unappetizing. Is there anyway to make the yogurt be less gooey and gelatinous? »
That could be the potato starch again.
re: «The yogurt is also fairly sour but I can handle that by adding honey.»
My yogurt goes into the morning smoothie, and is sweetened with stevia glycerite. Any of the other program-approved non-caloric alternative sweeteners should also work, such as monk fruit, xylitol or erythritol. Adding more inulin might not be ideal.
Honey is not recommended. It’s always just a simple sugar, and thus a net carb. In today’s market, it’s also close to impossible to be sure that something sold as “honey” really is what you think it is.
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Thanks. Will try inulin. I have also noticed that the plastic lids I put on the yogurt seem to pop up presumably from gas being emitted from the yogurt. Is this normal or does this suggest yeast?
Christopher Moore wrote: «I have also noticed that the plastic lids I put on the yogurt seem to pop up presumably from gas being emitted from the yogurt.»
A quick search suggests that there are out-gas byproducts in lactose fermentation, but data for Lactobacillus reuteri fermentation on dairy substrate per se is not trivial to find.
I’ve never made a batch with a sealed lid, so have no anecdotal observations to share. I also don’t know, in general yogurt practice, if sealing during ferment is benefit, a hazard or a don’t-care. Perhaps other readers have insight there.
re: «Is this normal or does this suggest yeast?»
If there are no odd growths or markedly discolored spot on top, chances are there’s been no contamination. Yeasts might also result in an alcohol odor.
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Also honey contains antibacterial substances produced by the bees to protect their food supply from spoilage. Those antibacterial substances will also kill the reuteri bacteria in the yogurt, so not a good idea.
Thanks. I only put the lids on after they are done. I make the mistake of leaving them on when they were fermenting the first time and I think I did get a major yeast fermentation. I suspect they lids made the yogurt go anaerobic and yeast propagated. Now, if I can just get rid of the gelatinous texture I should be in business.
Batch made with inulin is the first batch to basically contain full jars of dense yogurt with almost no whey. The texture is still slightly gooey but is much improved from the gelatinous mess I had the last time using unmodified potato starch. It seems to get better each time using the previous batch as a starter.
I notice some mild stomach discomfort and gas after eating the yogurt. Nothing major. Is this normal when you first start eating the yogurt? I usually east about a cup at a time.
Christopher Moore wrote: «I notice some mild stomach discomfort and gas after eating the yogurt.»
Based on a remark in a recent subscription site video conference, the gas per se is not indicative of anything in particular.
The discomfort suggests further challenge with isolated elements, as the yogurt contains multiple things that cloud the picture. It could be due to dairy, the lactic acid, the bacteria, residual prebiotic fiber, etc.
How do you react to dairy, generally?
Any issue with retail full-fat no-sugar-added yogurt?
How do you respond to prebiotic fiber in the diet?
re: «I usually east about a cup at a time.»
That might be it. The suggested portion size for this yogurt is ¼ to ½ cup.
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I dont usually have a problem with dairy. I think the culture is good but my yogurt still has an elmers glue kind of gelatinous texture. Taste fine but hard to eat with that texture. Going to try to make another batch this weekend and drop temperature to 100 F in yogurt maker. I pasteurize whole milk for 10 minutes at 180 F. Not really sure what the problem is but it seems to get slightly better each batch.
Christopher Moore wrote: «I think the culture is good but my yogurt still has an elmers glue kind of gelatinous texture.»
Either omit the potato starch, or plan to re-stir at some point during the ferment. I’ve quit using PS, and just doubled up on the inulin. The PS seems to congeal at the bottom of the pot early in the process. We could name it Elmer.
re: «Going to try to make another batch this weekend and drop temperature to 100 F in yogurt maker.»
That’s nearly ideal.
re: «Not really sure what the problem is but it seems to get slightly better each batch.»
The conjecture is CFU count growth, batch to batch.
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Just made another large batch. I pasteurized the milk at 180 F for 10 minutes, used inulin and added the started. After 36 hours at 100 F, the yogurt is still like elmers glue. Im at a point where the only option I know is to start over from scratch with the tablets. I feel like the yogurt is fine but the texture is just to much for me to stomach. I have to assume now that even using the stuff as a started doesnt work.
Christopher Moore wrote: «After 36 hours at 100 F, the yogurt is still like elmers glue.»
I guess I’m confused now. Out of the bottle, Elmer’s glue is like heavy cream. Or do you mean it’s partially set, and has some different morphology? I might be able to productively speculate further once I have a clearer picture.
re: «I feel like the yogurt is fine but the texture is just to much for me to stomach.»
So chuck it into a smoothie, which is what we do.
re: «I have to assume now that even using the stuff as a started doesnt work.»
If it has a tangy taste, the unique aroma, and no odd growths, it’s likely not only suitable for starter, but more effective than tablets.
I’m still perfecting my process. If I get it to the point where it’s, to borrow a term, bulletproof, I’ll post an illustrated recipe.
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It just has a soft gelatinous texture. Elmers glue description is probably only good in the sense that you get strings of yogurt pulling away from the spoon when you scoop it. Its kind of slimy in texture that makes it hard for me to eat. It guess it sort of reminds me of the time I put too much okra in a gumbo that I made.
Christopher Moore wrote: «It just has a soft gelatinous texture. … strings of yogurt pulling away from the spoon when you scoop it.»
That’s not a report I’ve so far seen (nor experienced in my own processing).
Makes me wonder if there’s some thickener or emulsifier in the raw materials (common in retail half&half, by the way). This would be things like carrageenan, guar gum, locust beans, etc. But I suspect you’ve already checked for that.
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II am using inulin yet the yogurt still comes out gooey after 36 hours. Im at a point where the only option I know is to start over from scratch with the tablets. I feel like the yogurt is fine but the texture is just to much for me to stomach. I have to assume now that even using the stuff as a started doesnt work.