A DIY Vegan Probiotic for inflammation: E. coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor)
How I reduced inflammation of the small intestine in a few days
I am 58 years old, and I have been having more and more digestive problems in the past few months. I was bloated, had trouble digesting carbohydrates and meat, and sometimes felt tightness and pain in my stomach and liver area.
I went to the doctor, who said that this is normal at my age. My small intestine was inflamed (checked with ultrasound) and the treatment would be a simple small surgery and a strict diet.
I didn't want surgery, so I started looking into anti-inflammatory options.
After some research, I discovered a prebiotic called E. coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor). It is a product available at pharmacies that contains beneficial bacteria.
I hoped that this would help with the inflammation and I could avoid surgery.
After about 4 days, I noticed that the above symptoms were only minimally present, and after a few days, I felt my digestion was completely fine. I was following a carbohydrate- and meat-free diet all the while.
On the weekend, we had a small get-together at home, and of course, it's hard to resist (for me :) ) all the goodies. I ate carbohydrates (cookies). The next day, I was surprised that I had no symptoms after eating carbohydrates. (It wasn't just 1-2 cookies :))
Of course, I'm still following the diet, but not as strictly. I eat carbohydrates every day. No bloating, tension, etc.
I never skip my Mutaflor kefir for breakfast and before bed.
With DIY home fermentation, I can make yogurt and kefir to my liking with this amazing coli Nissle bacteria almost endlessly.
(This is not medical advice. Of course, everyone should consult with their doctor before using Mutaflor.)
What is E. coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor)?
E. coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor) is a probiotic strain that has been studied and used for over 100 years. It has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of gut conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea.
“The abundance and biodiversity of intestinal bacteria play a critical role in immune system. Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN), a tractable probiotic cell has emerged as a ‘smart microbe’ that can provide therapeutic modalities at the sites of disease. Additionally, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) represents one of the key probiotics in clinical studies with the ability to enhance intestinal immunity in symbiosis with other cells.”
“Recently, EcN has been developed as a “live medicine” for intestinal therapeutics chassis, which throws a new insight into probiotic therapies for human infections [3].”
ref.: Symbiosis culture of probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and...
One of the great things about Mutaflor is that it can be grown at home. This is a great way to save money and ensure that you always have a fresh supply of this beneficial bacteria on hand.
To grow Mutaflor at home, you will need the following:
A yogurt maker or thermos flask
A jar or container with a lid
Whole milk (I use plant-based milk like oat, coconut, hazelnut and almond milk, etc.)
A starter culture of Mutaflor capsules (I bought it in a pharmacy in the EU)
About the milks:
Since I am vegan, I do not use animal milk. So I tested a few types of plant-based milk to see which one tastes the most like yogurt or kefir.
I strive to eat organic foods, so I started my experiments with organic plant-based milks. I started with soy milk, but I had to pour it out :))), it tasted so bad for me. I've tried almost every plant-based milk, and hazelnut tasted the best in the end. My second favorite is coconut.
Sugary or sugar-free milk:
I started the test with sugar-free, organic milks from the products available to us. Unfortunately, I didn't like them. (soy, oat, etc.) (It's true that it's useful to add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to the culture during fermentation, but more on that later.) So I continued the test with sugar-sweetened drinks. I thought, if I'm going to add sugar during fermentation anyway, it doesn't matter. No, it does matter :) , who knows what kind of sugars and other ingredients are in the factory-sweetened plant-based milks. I trust natural, organic, sugar-free products more. In my test, I've stayed with the sweetened hazelnut for now, but the test is not over yet.
So, how to make yogurt and kefir at home?
Important note: It is important that the utensils (jar, yogurt maker) and the milk be sterile! Since we are fermenting, other bacteria that may enter from the milk or utensils will also grow, which we definitely want to avoid.
Instructions:
If you are using a yogurt maker, heat the milk to the temperature specified in the manufacturer's instructions. If you are using a thermos flask, simply heat the milk to 180°F (82°C) and then let it cool to 110°F (43°C).
Since I am using plant-based milks, which are preserved, they do not need to be sterilized. It is enough if they are at room temperature. When using fresh milk, it is necessary to use the above heating to avoid any bacterial infection.
Add the starter culture to the milk and stir gently to combine.
The starter culture for the first preparation:
Pour about 1-2 dl of milk into a glass or mixing bowl, then open the Mutaflor capsule and add the contents of the capsule. This is a powder, so gently stir it until it dissolves. If you are using unsweetened milk, then dissolve 1 teaspoon of cane sugar in it as well. After dissolving, add the remaining 8 dl of milk and mix well. Since I am using sweetened plant-based milk, I do not add extra cane sugar.
If it is not the first preparation, then pour the leftover yogurt into the mixing bowl (scoop out a few tablespoons of the previous batch), then add the 1 liter of milk, gently mixing.
I do not use the usual, 1-bowl yogurt maker, because I can portion out the daily consumption amount with this small jar-format maker.
The finished yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days, so the 8-jar format is just enough. I consume 1 jar in the morning and 1 jar before going to bed.
Pour the milk mixture into the yogurt maker jar or container and close the lid. If you are using a thermos flask, simply screw on the lid.
In the last picture, I pour warm water (about 40 degrees Celsius) into it. This helps the fermentation to start in the winter, during the colder period.
If you are using a yogurt maker, follow the manufacturer's instructions for incubating the yogurt. If you are using a thermos flask, wrap it in a towel or blanket to keep it warm.
Incubate the yogurt for 8-12 hours, or until it reaches the desired consistency.
Consistency:
Plant-based milks will never have the consistency of yogurt or kefir, because they do not contain protein. Without it, they will only be drinking yogurt or kefir.
As a next test, I plan to test plant-based proteins, which will thicken them to yogurt consistency. I have gotten used to the consistency of drinking yogurt, so I don't miss the original kefir consistency anymore.
Fermentation time:
The fermentation time determines whether the product will be yogurt (sweeter) or kefir (sourer). Of course, this is a matter of taste, so everyone needs to test for themselves what flavor they want to ferment the Mutaflor yogurt or kefir. Since I prefer kefir, I ferment it for 10 hours. And I love the result very much. The nutty flavor of hazelnut mixes with the sour flavor of kefir, which is heavenly for me. :)
Fermentation temperature:
Based on the recommendations I found, it is recommended to set the temperature between 37 and 42 degrees Celsius. I use 39 degrees Celsius.
Once the yogurt is done, refrigerate it immediately. Mutaflor yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
NOTES:
I fill the 8th jar with only 2-4 tablespoons of milk, which will be the leftovers that I will use for the next fermentation.
The consistency of the finished product may be uniform (for example, oat, coconut, soy), but it can also be layered (hazelnut). When the layers separate, just shake them together and they will become uniform again.
Since I don't put the mixed ingredients in a large bowl to ferment, but divide them into 8 parts, I was curious if they still contain coli Nissle after dividing. Or maybe I've been heating up just the pure milk for weeks :)), without the beneficial bacteria? Because the leftover jars don't have the coli Nissle? (because of not correct steering?)
That's why I did a test: This could be tested well with hazelnut milk. I poured the mixed ingredients I made from the leftover into the first 7 jars. I poured plain hazelnut milk into the 8th jar. I put them in to ferment for 10 hours. The result was reassuring, yes, the leftovers still contain coli Nissle bacteria. The difference is visible in the picture: the plain hazelnut milk did not become layered, and a brown hazelnut layer accumulated at the bottom. They also differed in taste: the jar containing the bacteria tasted like kefir, while the one containing the plain milk was sweet.
The hazelnut texture visible in the picture can be scary :) But it will be completely smooth after shaking.
Mutaflor yogurt can be eaten on its own or added to smoothies, cereal, or other foods. It is a delicious and nutritious way to boost your gut health.
Indications and dosage for Mutaflor and Mutaflor Suspension
from the mutaflor.com
Click here
LBA and DBA
I often look at live and dry blood tests with my own microscope. Inflammation can also be seen on a dry blood test. The white spot and the pink area indicate inflammation, while normal, non-inflammatory blood is red/dark red.
For more informations click:
More about why we only use Mutaflor as an anti-inflammatory probiotic
Mutaflor order:
Since I live in the EU and Mutaflor has not been marketed in my country since 2009, I continued my research in Germany for pharmacies that also offer international shipping. I found 2 such private pharmacies (there may be more).
I ordered a 20-pack of capsuled Mutaflor from them:
Click on Mutaflor ordering from one of the online international German private pharmacies.
It was packaged very carefully, and it arrived in 5 days. (Of course, this depends on the ordering country.)
This pharmacy also ships outside the EU, to the USA, Canada, etc.
Click for Shipping information
I have no interest in this pharmacy :) I just added it here in case someone in another country can't find Mutaflor anywhere else, they might be able to get it from here.
But you can find it on eBay, Canada, Malaysia, etc.
I found two types of Mutaflor, one is MUTAFLOR enteric-coated hard capsules and the other is MUTAFLOR gastro-resistant hard capsules.
Since I cut the capsule open and only used the contents, I didn't pay any special attention to the capsule.
I only spread the contents for the photo. When I use it, I carefully cut off the end of the capsule and sprinkle what remains in the capsule into the milk. (I try to prevent any other bacteria from contaminating the culture to be made.)
20-pack of capsuled Mutaflor
Mutaflor comes in a variety of packaging.
There is a suspension and a capsule. The capsule can be packaged in 20, 50, or 100 capsules.
I chose the 20-capsule capsule packaging as the cheapest option. Since only 1 capsule is needed to start the culture, 20 capsules can last for a long time. I used new capsules for example during testing, when I was testing the plant-based milks that were right for me, or I would need them again if the culture was accidentally destroyed.
The suspension may be an easier solution for those who don't want to bother with capsules.
Here are some additional tips for growing Mutaflor at home:
Make sure the milk is at the correct temperature before adding the starter culture. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the bacteria. If the milk is too cold, the bacteria will not grow properly.
Do not disturb the yogurt while it is incubating. This can disrupt the fermentation process.
Once the yogurt is done, refrigerate it immediately to slow down the fermentation process.
Safety precautions:
Mutaflor is generally safe for most people, but it is important to talk to your doctor before starting to take it, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.
Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding should avoid taking Mutaflor.
People with weakened immune systems should also avoid taking Mutaflor.
If you experience any adverse reactions after taking Mutaflor, stop taking it and talk to your doctor.
Well done, Keysi!
This looks very promising, thanks. I could make it in my yogurt maker if I can find Mutaflor. I've had digestive issues for most of my life. I started taking L. reuteri probiotic a few months ago and it has helped some. I also make natto (fermented bean paste) in my yogurt maker and I make and drink homemade bone broth. My body doesn't seem to like grains, whether whole or processed. Every body is different but my digestion and overall health is much better with minimal grains.