I have suffered with gut issues for as long as I can remember. My symptoms over the years have included bloating, cramps, irregular bowel movements and nausea. I have always treated this ailment with over the counter medicines which work for a few days only.

A few months back I was sent some VSL #3  to review.

VSL#3 is the world’s most concentrated poly-biotic¹ with 450 billion bacteria in every sachet. These bacteria come from not one but eight different bacterial strains, making it a combination poly-biotic.²

It must have been good karma as the same week I was diagnosed by my GP as having the stomach infection h. pylori which had been causing me immense pain. I was put on two lots of antibiotics and tablets to reduce the acid in the stomach.

Antibiotics are known for stripping your gut of good and bad bacteria. So I started taking the VSL #3 alongside my antibiotics. The sachets are really handy and I just added them to my cold glass of water every morning. Or I carried them in my bag to have at home.

During the first 10 days of taking VSL #3 I suffered from digestive issues but by the second week I started noticing a positive change included less bloating and pain. My stomach normally takes a few weeks to get used to any new probiotic that I try.

I can’t tell you enough about the relief it is to find something which has worked so well for me. As I work at a health store I have tried numerous probiotics, which work initially for me then stop. This is frustrating when they seem to work well for everyone else who tries them.

After noticing the positive changes to my gut health I decided to look into gut health more and ways I could continue to improve mine. These changes have included switching to a mostly plant based diet. I eliminated meat for 2 weeks then introduced it back into my diet and noticed that I was struggling to digest animal fats. So now my diet is mainly vegetarian. I’ve also been having apple cider vinegar twice a day and Kombucha every few days.

I’m sleeping much better and my overall mindset is more positive and I’ve been doing lots of research by professionals like Dr Megan Rossi who specialises in gut health to learn more about to improve and maintain good gut health.

For now I am going to stick to the changes which I have made and I am planning on following this post up with a more detailed look at how I am working to improve my health. I’m lucky that with the resources I have available at work I can do a trial and error and hopefully help others in a similar position. Although as always, make sure you see a Dietician or GP before starting any new supplement.