GAPS Diet and Cod Liver Oil Safety?

[Athora80]

I am going to start the GAPS diet as soon as I read the book (ordering it friday). I know she suggests Cod Liver Oil but I have read it can be bad because there is too much vitamin A, is this true? Also, I believe she recommends Bio-kult for probiotics but it's so expensive. Can someone point me in the direction of something just as good but not so pricey? Anyone else doing the GAPS diet or has in the past and wants to give me some tips? Thanks!

[BubblingBrooks]

Originally Posted by Athora80 

I am going to start the GAPS diet as soon as I read the book (ordering it friday). I know she suggests Cod Liver Oil but I have read it can be bad because there is too much vitamin A, is this true? Also, I believe she recommends Bio-kult for probiotics but it's so expensive. Can someone point me in the direction of something just as good but not so pricey? Anyone else doing the GAPS diet or has in the past and wants to give me some tips? Thanks!

The only bad vitamin A is the synthetic A. Real A is found only in animals. Liver has the highest amounts, and is ideal for the body.
Do not be afraid of fermented cod liver oil. Blue Ice is the very best, and it is truly traditional.
Other brands are low in vitamins due to processing, and most contain synthetics as well, regardless of labeling. It is standard policy now, to heat or steam treat all liver oils for human consumption now.
Green Pastures is making theirs from scratch, so they are not under the same import laws.

As to the BioKult. Are you doing GAPS because you are in real bad shape?
If so, then take the Biokult at least for awhile.
If things are not too bad, then go to your nearest health food store, and look over the various brands of super probiotic powders they have in the fridge. Choose one that looks the best to you.

[Ravenlunatic]

great advice from the PP.  ON the probiotic question... I am on Gaps because of serious digestive issues and adhere to the diet firmly.  I did not start taking this expensive probiotic until 8 or 9 months into the diet and can say I find it to be the single most important thing I take and do for myself.  (Aside from being on the diet in general.).  I find it so valuable that I gladdly shell out the cash, and in fact pay the extra shipping to ensure I get it in one day (and it doesn't sit in the heat in someones warehouse).  So to that end, I would ask the same question... how bad off are you?  If you can squeak by with store  bought I would do at least that... if you have serious issues I would invest in the mail order (although I recommend the SCD brand from the 'breaking the vicious cycle" website above the 'biocult' brand.

[Athora80]

I am in pretty bad shape, suffered a dairy allergy since I was an infant and now I have esophagitis, reflux and gastritis, vit d deficiency, exhausted allllll the time, memory loss, brain fog, can't concentrate, etc. I almost choked twice because my esophagus is so inflamed the food wouldn't go down. 

I have tried almost all the natural remedies out there and none have worked and the more I read about GAPS the more it makes sense and I think it could really help me. I can't fathom having another baby when I feel like this. It's just trying to convince the hubby about one more thing that costs money since I have tried so many things these past 6 months. I am pretty sure the Bio kult is more important than the cod liver oil but not sure (need to read the book). I just don't know if I can afford both, can someone tell me how long they last?

One thing that I don't understand is if she says to avoid soy why would she promite Biokult when it has traces of soy and dairy which is an allergen for me :(?

[BubblingBrooks]

Go ahead and buy a dairy free probiotic for now, to get you started. The cod liver oil is not added till later on in the diet. It lasts close to 6 months at one dose per day.

Traces of soy are not usually a problem for most people. Biokult is the best on the market, hence the reason is is rec.

[cassidy336]

Sounds like my old issues.  I found out that I had celiac.  Check out www.celiac.com and see if it makes sense for you.  I found a wonderful supplement that got rid of it all in 4 days. I  know it sounds crazy but several people in my family had celiac and we are all fine. www.cytolog.com.  It comes from colostrum and is amazing!

[Athora80]

@cassidy- interesting! I have an appointment for my physical in a few weeks so what should I ask them to do? I am tired of doctors not wanting to test you for things because they think they know best. I just changed doctors for that reason so this one is fairly new, but I like him so far!

[Athora80]

@cassidy- did you have brain fog before you went gluten free? I have had this unreal feeling that is not getting any better and usually occurs mid day. It's like I'm on drugs or drunk but I'm not. I was thinking it was being sleep deprived from co sleeping but I am reading it can be from celiacs. I can't gain weight no matter what I eat and now that I think of it, the really bad episodes with my esophagus came from eating bread and drinking beer or eating cookies that were not gluten free. Would celiacs affect my esophagus like that?

[nicolelynn]

Different probiotics work for different people, due to we all have unique gut flora. GAPS and SCD are very strict on their "legal" probiotics though. BioKult didn't work for me (had colitis from a parasitic/yeast infection for 1 1/2 yrs), I had better luck with Primal Defense by Garden of Life (only with 12 capsules per day), but the best results with Pharmax HLC Intensive Caps (and that was only 3 per day). Alas for me after all my natural remedies/diets only medication kicked out the infection and I've been well for a year now, but the Pharmax caps really helped fully heal my gut. Only make sure it is the FOS free one, I am with GAPS and SCD that that stuff is nasty....I'm pretty sure fed my infection with other formulations. I also get really good results with Florastor when I have to take antibiotics or am feeling my digestion is off. I know the saccharomyces boulardii in it is GAPS/SCD legal but not sure if there are any "illegal" ingredients in the capsule, etc. 

[flightgoddess]

YES! I had unexplained chronic fatigue before going gluten free. My sister had malabsorbtion issues before she went gluten free. Neither of us had 'traditional' gastrointestinal symptoms. Get tested!