Life after Whole30 still requires probiotic?

[gtinari]

So I've done two Whole30s in my life, both during which I experiment for a little bit taking and not taking probiotics. I've been taking them every day for 6 years because I've had bad digestive issues since I was a kid. I experiment with not taking them because I thought the Whole30 was supposed to heal my digestion anyway.

However, despite healing plenty of other things for me, the Whole30 didn't seem to do much for my digestion. I still need to take probiotics every day even in life after Whole30 (which is mostly paleo/primal) and when I don't take them, I consistently have diarrhea. My question is: why does it seem like I'm going to have to take probiotics for the rest of my life? Shouldn't all the good bacteria and clean eating have started to heal things to the point that I wouldn't have to take a pill every day?

Thanks.

[jmcbn]

Have you tried getting your probiotics from food rather than from a supplement? Kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut etc will have up to 100 times more probiotics than a tablet and less pricey too... !!

Personally I don't tolerate high FODMAP foods well, and whilst Whole30 helped me identify that it doesn't change the sensitivity, just like it won't cure coeliac disease for instance in someone who suffers from it. Yes, it allows the gut to heal, but it is not a miracle cure and so if you are still needing the probiotics on a daily basis so as to avoid diarrhea then it seems likely you are eating something to which you are sensitive.

What do your typical meals look like?

[Tom Denham]

I have settled into taking probiotics. I have eaten sauerkraut and kombucha on a daily basis for years, but notice an improvement when I add a probiotic supplement too. 

[decker_bear]

Might be worth a trip to the doc as well. Could be an underlying issue like a food allergy or medical condition.  I had both - and when the W30 didn't fix it for me, the doc found it. I'm about as anti-Western Medicine and pro-Improve-Your-Life-With-Food as they come, but if changing your food didn't fix it, could be worth at least exploring.