The Probiotic Yogurt Protocol
300 Billion CFU. In a Bowl.
The complete protocol for L. reuteri and L. gasseri yogurt — the two strains backed by the most research and the most stories. Equipment, starters, step-by-step. And the sequence that has to come first.
If you have SIBO or active gut symptoms — read this first.
Most people skip this section and regret it. Probiotic yogurt is a high-dose, live-bacterial intervention. If you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or unresolved gut dysbiosis, adding more bacteria — even good ones — and adding prebiotic fiber to feed them will usually make symptoms worse, not better.
Here's the mechanism: SIBO is bacteria where they shouldn't be — overgrown in the small intestine instead of the colon. Adding probiotic-rich yogurt and inulin (the fiber that fuels reuteri/gasseri fermentation) to that environment is like throwing fuel on the existing fire. The fermentation that's supposed to happen in your colon happens upstream instead. Result: more gas, more bloating, more pain, more brain fog.
The same logic applies to active dysbiosis — when the wrong bacteria are dominant in your colon, adding probiotic species on top doesn't displace them. It just adds noise.
The summary: if you have bloating, gas, food sensitivities, brain fog, or other digestive symptoms — work the Microbiome Balance protocol for 30+ days first. Once symptoms reduce, then start fermenting. The yogurt will land in a gut that's actually ready to receive it.
A bowl of homemade yogurt has more CFU than 10 probiotic pills.
This isn't marketing. It's arithmetic. The reason most people don't feel anything from probiotic capsules is that capsules cap out at 10–50 billion CFU. A well-fermented batch of L. reuteri yogurt delivers roughly 300 billion CFU per half-cup serving — and unlike a pill, the bacteria arrive alive, in a food matrix that buffers them through stomach acid, with the postbiotic metabolites already produced.
Why the gap is this big
Fermentation multiplies. Encapsulation freezes. A probiotic pill is a snapshot — whatever CFU were in it at the factory, minus die-off during shelf storage. Fermentation is exponential growth: you start with 200 million CFU from the starter, hold them at 100°F for 36 hours, and they double every few hours until they exhaust the substrate. By the end, every milliliter of yogurt contains billions of live bacteria.
The fat matrix protects them through digestion. Half-and-half is roughly 12% fat. That fat coats the bacteria and buffers them through stomach acid — far more arrive alive in the small intestine than a powder pill releases.
You get the postbiotics for free. The bacteria don't just sit in the milk — they produce vitamins (B12, folate, K2), short-chain fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, and signaling peptides. Capsules deliver bacteria. Yogurt delivers bacteria and what those bacteria have already made.
The cost math is brutal. A high-end probiotic supplement runs $1.50–$3.00 per day. Once you've made the starter investment, a quart of L. reuteri yogurt costs about $8 in ingredients and delivers 14 daily servings. That's $0.57 per dose — for 6–30x the active bacterial count.
Why these three strains specifically.
Of the dozens of probiotic strains commercially available, three have a research base deep enough to justify a dedicated 36-hour fermentation: Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus gasseri, and Bacillus coagulans. The first two are native human gut commensals that have largely disappeared from modern populations. The third is a spore-forming transient strain with the deepest research base for IBS symptoms specifically. Together, they're the basis of Dr. William Davis's "SIBO yogurt" — the canonical home-fermentation protocol for gut recovery.
L. reuteri — the ancestral strain
What it is: A native commensal bacterium that lived in the human gut for the entirety of evolutionary history. In pre-industrial populations, nearly every adult carried it. In modern Western populations, fewer than 10% test positive — a consequence of antibiotics, chlorinated water, processed food, and C-section deliveries that bypass vaginal seeding.[1]
The strains worth using: The two best-studied are L. reuteri DSM 17938 (originally isolated from Peruvian breast milk) and L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 (isolated from Finnish breast milk). Cutting Edge Cultures' L. reuteri starter and Dr. Mercola's L. reuteri probiotic both deliver verified strains in formats designed for either direct supplementation or home fermentation.
What it does (the research):
- Treats SIBO with methane signature. Vaccaro et al. demonstrated L. reuteri reduced methane production in SIBO patients — methane is the marker for the constipation-dominant SIBO subtype.[2]
- Increases oxytocin. L. reuteri upregulates pituitary oxytocin release via vagal pathways. The downstream effects: deeper sleep (oxytocin and GH surge together in slow-wave sleep), improved social bonding, faster wound healing, lower cortisol.[3]
- Improves skin density and dermal thickness. In animal models, oral L. reuteri increased dermal collagen and hair follicle density. The mechanism is IL-10-mediated — reuteri shifts the immune system toward an anti-inflammatory profile.[3]
- Reduces inflammation. L. reuteri downregulates TNF-alpha and IL-6, both of which are upstream of most chronic inflammatory conditions.[4]
- Supports gut barrier integrity. Reuterin (the small antimicrobial molecule reuteri produces) selectively inhibits pathogenic species without harming commensals. The strain also strengthens tight junctions.[4]
L. gasseri — the visceral-fat strain
What it is: Another native human gut commensal, with a research base built largely around the BNR17 strain isolated from Korean breast milk in 2007.
The strain worth using: L. gasseri BNR17 is the most-studied strain for body composition. Cutting Edge Cultures sells gasseri-specific starter pouches that include BNR17.
What it does (the research):
- Reduces visceral and abdominal fat. Kadooka et al. ran a 12-week randomized trial on 210 adults with elevated visceral fat. Daily fermented-milk consumption containing L. gasseri SBT2055 reduced abdominal visceral fat area by 4.6% and waist circumference by ~1.8 cm versus placebo.[5]
- Lowers BMI in overweight populations. Multiple follow-up trials replicated the body-composition effect, with reductions consistent across both visceral and subcutaneous fat depots.[6]
- Suppresses H. pylori colonization. L. gasseri inhibits H. pylori — the bacterium responsible for most peptic ulcers and a significant cofactor in gastric cancer.[6]
- Supports glucose handling. Effect sizes are smaller than the fat-loss data, but L. gasseri trials consistently show modest improvements in fasting glucose and HbA1c.
Bacillus coagulans — the SIBO-friendly spore
What it is: A spore-forming bacterium that's been historically misclassified as a Lactobacillus (some products still label it "L. sporogenes" — that's the same organism). Unlike reuteri and gasseri, it's transient: it does its work passing through your digestive tract and exits without colonizing. For people with SIBO, that's a feature, not a bug — you get the probiotic benefits without adding another colonizer to an already-overgrown environment.
The strains worth using: The two with the deepest research base are B. coagulans GBI-30 6086 (sold commercially as Ganeden BC30 / Kerry BC30) and B. coagulans MTCC 5856 (LactoSpore). Cutting Edge Cultures and Dr. Mercola both carry research-grade B. coagulans products that work as starter culture.
What it does (the research):
- Reduces IBS symptoms — pain, bloating, stool consistency. Hun et al. ran a placebo-controlled trial of B. coagulans GBI-30 6086 in IBS patients and showed significant reduction in abdominal pain and bloating versus placebo. Multiple replications have confirmed the effect.[9]
- Improves IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant) specifically. Majeed et al. published an 8-week RCT of B. coagulans MTCC 5856 in IBS-D patients — significant improvement in stool frequency, abdominal pain, and quality of life scores.[10]
- Survives stomach acid at high rates. The spore form is essentially shelf-stable and acid-resistant. While vegetative probiotics lose 90%+ of their CFU to stomach acid, B. coagulans spores arrive nearly intact in the small intestine and germinate there.
- Produces lactic acid and bacteriocins in transit. As the spores germinate and the bacteria become metabolically active in your intestine, they produce the same beneficial metabolites that lactobacilli produce — without needing to colonize.
- Doesn't add to SIBO load. The single most important property for the audience this page is written for. Reuteri and gasseri colonize. B. coagulans visits.
The one thing you can't skip: temperature precision.
L. reuteri and L. gasseri are picky. They want 100°F sustained for 36 hours. Above 106°F, you start killing them. Below 95°F, they grow too slowly and the wrong organisms take over. Standard yogurt makers run at 110°F — fine for traditional yogurt strains, fatal for reuteri and gasseri. This is why the equipment matters more than the recipe.
Two ways to do this
Ultimate Probiotic Yogurt Maker
The simplest, most affordable option built specifically for the 100°F / 36-hour protocol. Adjustable temperature and a long-cycle timer that handles the full ferment without intervention. At under $70, this is the lowest-friction way into the protocol — buy it once, use it for years.
View on Amazon →Instant Pot
If you already own an Instant Pot, you can run the protocol in it without buying anything else. Use the "Yogurt" function on the "Less" setting (Duo Plus and newer) — it holds around 91–95°F, which is on the cool side of ideal but workable for reuteri and gasseri. CFU will be slightly lower than a dedicated maker, but you'll still get a real probiotic dose. Don't buy an Instant Pot for this; just use one if it's already on your counter.
View Instant Pot on Amazon →Supporting gear
- Quart-sized glass mason jars with two-piece lids — for sous-vide setups and for storing finished yogurt. Avoid plastic during fermentation.
- Small whisk and a 1-cup glass mixing bowl — for making the starter slurry.
- Digital kitchen thermometer (optional) — useful for verifying your yogurt maker is actually holding temp. The cheap probe thermometers from any kitchen store work.
- Cheesecloth or nut-milk bag (optional) — if you want to strain to a Greek-yogurt thickness.
The two starters that matter — and what to avoid.
Where most home-yogurt protocols fall apart is the starter. Most generic "yogurt starter" packets contain S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus — fine for traditional yogurt, useless for the protocol you're trying to run. You need a starter that actually contains the strain on the label, at viable counts.
For L. reuteri yogurt
Two trusted sources. Either works. If you want maximum potency in a single dose, go with Dr. Mercola. If you want the cheapest cost-per-batch and a starter designed specifically for home fermentation, go with Cutting Edge Cultures.
Cutting Edge Cultures L. Reuteri Superfood
Purpose-built reuteri starter pouch designed for home fermentation — no tablet excipients or binders to interfere with the ferment. Multiple batches per pouch. The single cheapest option per batch and what most home fermenters in the protocol community use.
View at Cutting Edge Cultures →Dr. Mercola L. Reuteri Probiotic
Dr. Mercola's L. reuteri product carries pharmaceutical-grade strain identity (DSM 17938 + ATCC PTA 6475 in most of his formulations) with verified CFU. Open the capsules and use the contents directly as starter — typically 2 capsules per quart batch. Slightly more expensive per batch than the Cutting Edge pouch but a faster way to get going if you want a single-purchase option.
View at Mercola Market →For L. gasseri yogurt
The cleanest source for the BNR17 strain — the one with the visceral-fat research behind it — is Cutting Edge Cultures. Dr. Mercola's probiotic line carries L. gasseri as well if you prefer to source both your reuteri and gasseri from the same vendor.
Cutting Edge Cultures L. Gasseri Starter
Contains L. gasseri BNR17 plus complementary strains designed to ferment together at 100°F. The easiest commercially available source for the BNR17 strain. Cheapest per batch.
View at Cutting Edge Cultures →Dr. Mercola L. Gasseri Probiotic
If you'd rather source both strains from the same vendor, Dr. Mercola's L. gasseri product works as a starter — open the capsules and use the contents directly. Slightly higher cost per batch than the Cutting Edge pouch.
View at Mercola Market →For B. coagulans yogurt (and the triple-strain SIBO blend)
The cleanest commercial sources are Cutting Edge Cultures' B. coagulans starter and Dr. Mercola's B. coagulans probiotic. Either will produce a B. coagulans-rich yogurt batch on its own, or fold into the triple-strain SIBO blend with reuteri and gasseri.
Cutting Edge Cultures B. Coagulans Starter
Purpose-built spore-forming starter designed for the 100–106°F protocol. Pairs with their reuteri and gasseri pouches for the canonical Davis triple-strain SIBO blend. Most cost-effective per batch.
View at Cutting Edge Cultures →Dr. Mercola Bacillus Coagulans Probiotic
If you'd rather source all three strains from the same vendor, Dr. Mercola's B. coagulans product works as a starter — open the capsules and use the contents directly. Typically 2 capsules per quart batch.
View at Mercola Market →The other thing you need: inulin
Both protocols call for 2 tablespoons of inulin (chicory root prebiotic fiber) per batch. The bacteria need it as a food source to reach therapeutic CFU during the 36-hour ferment — skip the inulin and you end up with a thin, low-CFU batch. Dr. Davis recommends powdered inulin specifically, not the chewable bars or fiber gummies.
Anthony's Organic Inulin Powder
The most-used inulin in the home fermentation community. Pure chicory root fiber, no fillers, gluten-free certified. A 2-lb bag yields roughly 30 batches of yogurt — about 50¢ of inulin per quart. Also useful in coffee, smoothies, and as a general gut-friendly fiber supplement.
View on Amazon →After your first batch — save your starter
Once you have a finished batch of reuteri or gasseri yogurt, save a half cup in a clean jar in the fridge. That half cup is your starter for the next batch — no need to buy fresh starter every time. You can typically reuse the same culture for 8–10 generations before viability drops and you need a fresh starter pouch or capsule. This is what makes the protocol cheap long-term.
The 36-hour L. reuteri yogurt — step by step.
This is the foundational recipe. The Dr. William Davis "Super Gut" protocol, refined over thousands of home batches. Once you have the equipment and the starter, the actual work is about 10 minutes of hands-on time.
What you need
- 1 quart (4 cups) organic half-and-half — not regular milk. The fat content (~12%) is critical for the fermentation profile and final texture. Whole milk works in a pinch but produces a thinner, less successful batch.
- 2 tablespoons inulin (chicory root fiber) — the prebiotic food source. Reuteri is slow-growing and needs the substrate to reach therapeutic CFU. Alternatives: oligofructose, raw potato starch, or 2 tsp dextrose (less effective but works).
- Your L. reuteri starter — either 1 packet of Cutting Edge Cultures L. reuteri starter, OR 2 capsules of Dr. Mercola L. reuteri opened into the slurry. (After your first batch, use ½ cup of your previous yogurt as starter instead.)
- A clean glass yogurt-maker jar or quart mason jars — sterilized with boiling water and dried.
Make the starter slurry
In a small glass bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the half-and-half, 2 tablespoons of inulin, and the contents of your starter (1 Cutting Edge Cultures packet OR 2 opened Dr. Mercola L. reuteri capsules). Whisk thoroughly until the inulin dissolves and the slurry is uniform — no lumps. This step is what gets your bacteria evenly distributed through the larger batch.
Combine with the half-and-half
Pour the remaining half-and-half into your yogurt-maker jar. Add the slurry. Whisk gently for 20–30 seconds — just enough to integrate. Don't aerate aggressively; you're not whipping.
Set the temperature to 100°F
This is the single most important variable in the protocol. Not 105°F. Not 110°F. Exactly 100°F. If your yogurt maker doesn't let you set this precisely, you have the wrong equipment. (See §04.)
Set the timer to 36 hours
Reuteri is a slow grower. The 36-hour window gives the colony enough time to fully convert the lactose and reach therapeutic CFU. Anything under 24 hours is undercooked — you'll have low CFU. Anything over 40 hours starts to over-acidify and curdle.
Wait. Don't open the lid.
Every time you open the lid, you cool the batch and risk contamination. Leave it alone. At ~12 hours: no visible change. At ~24 hours: slight thickening. At 36 hours: the consistency of soft yogurt or thick crème fraîche, with a mild tangy-sweet smell.
Save ½ cup as your next starter
Critical step. Transfer ½ cup of the finished yogurt to a clean glass jar with a tight lid and refrigerate. Label it with the date. This is your starter for batch #2 — no need to open a new starter pouch or capsule. Reusable for 8–10 batches.
Refrigerate the rest
Cool the remaining yogurt fully — at least 4 hours in the fridge. It thickens significantly as it chills. Store in glass with a tight lid. Lasts 3 weeks refrigerated, though you'll eat it faster than that.
L. gasseri yogurt — same equipment, different starter.
The L. gasseri protocol is identical to L. reuteri in equipment, time, and temperature. The only differences are the starter culture and (optionally) a separate jar so you're not cross-contaminating your two strains.
What you need
- 1 quart (4 cups) organic half-and-half — same as reuteri.
- 2 tablespoons inulin — same prebiotic substrate.
- 1 packet Cutting Edge Cultures L. gasseri starter — OR ½ cup of a previous gasseri batch.
- Clean glass jar — ideally a separate jar from your reuteri batch, so the two strains stay distinct over generations.
The protocol
- Slurry: 3 tbsp half-and-half + 2 tbsp inulin + 1 gasseri starter packet (or 2 opened Mercola L. gasseri capsules). Whisk smooth.
- Combine: Pour remaining half-and-half into jar. Add slurry. Whisk briefly.
- Set: 106°F, 36 hours. (See temperature note below — this is different from reuteri.)
- Wait: Don't open. Don't stir. The visual progression is similar to reuteri but slightly faster — gasseri grows more readily at its preferred temperature.
- Save ½ cup for next batch.
- Refrigerate the rest 4+ hours before eating.
If body composition is your goal
The Kadooka trials that established the visceral-fat effect used roughly 200g (~7 oz, just under a cup) of fermented dairy containing L. gasseri daily for 12 weeks. That's a half-cup serving twice a day. The fat-loss effect is dose-dependent and accumulates over weeks — short trials show smaller effects than 12-week protocols.[5]
B. coagulans yogurt — and the canonical triple-strain SIBO blend.
B. coagulans can be fermented on its own, but the more common application — and the version with the most clinical rationale for SIBO and IBS audiences — is folding it into a triple-strain batch with reuteri and gasseri. This is the recipe Dr. William Davis publishes as his "SIBO yogurt."
Option A: B. coagulans solo
What you need
- 1 quart organic half-and-half.
- 2 tablespoons inulin.
- 1 packet Cutting Edge B. coagulans starter OR 2 opened Dr. Mercola B. coagulans capsules.
- Clean glass jar.
- Slurry: 3 tbsp half-and-half + 2 tbsp inulin + starter. Whisk smooth.
- Combine: Pour remaining half-and-half into jar. Add slurry. Whisk briefly.
- Set: 100°F, 36 hours. (B. coagulans is forgiving — it tolerates 95–110°F well.)
- Wait: Don't open. The texture will be looser than reuteri or gasseri yogurt — B. coagulans doesn't acidify the milk as aggressively, so expect a thinner consistency.
- Save ½ cup for next batch.
- Refrigerate the rest 4+ hours before eating.
Option B: The triple-strain SIBO yogurt (recommended)
This is the version with the strongest clinical logic. All three strains in one jar, fermented at the temperature that keeps all of them productive.
What you need
- 1 quart organic half-and-half.
- 2 tablespoons inulin.
- L. reuteri starter: 1 Cutting Edge L. reuteri packet OR 2 Dr. Mercola L. reuteri capsules.
- L. gasseri starter: 1 Cutting Edge L. gasseri packet OR 2 Dr. Mercola L. gasseri capsules.
- B. coagulans starter: 1 Cutting Edge B. coagulans packet OR 2 Dr. Mercola B. coagulans capsules.
- Clean glass jar.
Combine all three starters into one slurry
In a small glass bowl: 3 tablespoons half-and-half + 2 tablespoons inulin + the contents of all three starters (one packet from each, or 2 capsules from each Mercola SKU — 6 capsules total opened into the slurry). Whisk until uniform.
Combine with the half-and-half
Pour the remaining half-and-half into your yogurt-maker jar. Add the triple-strain slurry. Whisk gently for 30 seconds.
Set the temperature to 106°F
This is the temperature compromise that keeps all three strains productive. Reuteri runs slightly above its 100°F optimum but still ferments well. Gasseri is at its preferred 106°F. B. coagulans is comfortable across this entire range.
Set the timer to 36 hours
Same as the single-strain protocols. The 36-hour window lets the slowest grower (reuteri) reach therapeutic CFU. The other two would finish faster on their own but tolerate the longer ferment without issue.
Save ½ cup as your triple-strain starter
Transfer ½ cup to a clean glass jar. This becomes your starter for the next triple-strain batch — no need to open three fresh starter packets every time. Reusable for 8–10 generations, then refresh with new starters from all three strains.
Refrigerate and eat
Cool fully — at least 4 hours. The triple-strain version tends to be slightly thinner than reuteri-only yogurt and a bit tangier from the B. coagulans contribution. Texture and flavor are still mild relative to commercial yogurt.
Dosing, timing, and what to expect.
Start slow
If you've prepped your gut properly (§11), reuteri/gasseri yogurt is unlikely to cause issues. But the change in microbial signaling is real, and starting with a full cup on day one is a setup for a few days of mild bloating or shifted bowel habits while the colony establishes. The slow ramp:
- Days 1–3: 2 tablespoons per day, with a meal.
- Days 4–7: ¼ cup per day.
- Day 8 onward: ½ cup once or twice per day (a half cup = approximately 300 billion CFU).
When to eat it
With a meal that contains fat. The dairy fat in the yogurt already buffers it through stomach acid, but pairing with additional fat from the meal further increases survival rates of the live bacteria reaching your small intestine.
For reuteri specifically: try evening dosing. The oxytocin-mediated effects on sleep depth and overnight wound healing are reported most consistently when the yogurt is consumed at dinner or as a late-evening snack. Trial it for a week and compare to morning dosing.
For gasseri: morning or with main meal. No strong timing preference in the research. The body-composition effect is cumulative across daily exposure, not time-of-day-dependent.
What to mix it with
Reuteri yogurt is a thinner, custard-like base — easy to incorporate into things. What works:
- Plain, with a few fresh berries — the simplest application. The fat in the yogurt + a small amount of natural sugar.
- Drizzle of raw honey or maple syrup — adds enough sweetness without overwhelming.
- Stirred into oatmeal or a baked sweet potato — uses the yogurt as a fat-and-protein layer on a complex-carb base.
- Smoothie base — blends well. Don't heat (you'd kill the bacteria).
- Sub for sour cream — works on chili, tacos, baked potatoes. Don't cook it — add at the table.
What to expect in the first 30 days
Most people report subtle changes over 2–4 weeks: deeper sleep, slightly thicker hair, skin that looks less inflamed, fewer late-afternoon energy crashes, more consistent bowel habits. The visceral-fat effects from gasseri are slower — the Kadooka data showed measurable change at 8 weeks, peak effect at 12. Don't expect a transformation in week one. Do expect that by week 6 you'll notice something has shifted, even if it's hard to name.
When something goes wrong.
First batches often disappoint. Here's the diagnostic for every common failure mode.
If your batch is fine but you don't feel anything
Probiotic effects are real but usually subtle and cumulative. Two things worth checking: your dose — make sure you're at the full ½ cup once or twice daily, not 2 tablespoons; and your timeline — most reported effects show up in week 3–6, not week 1. If you're at full dose, 6+ weeks in, and feeling nothing, your gut may still need the prep work in §11 before the colony can establish.
The protocol that comes before the protocol.
If you took one thing from §01, take it again here: probiotic yogurt is the finishing move, not the opening one. Throwing 300 billion CFU per day onto a gut that's overgrown, inflamed, or leaking doesn't help. It feeds the existing problem.
The sequence that works — the one we'd recommend to anyone with any active gut symptoms — has three steps. The first two are what Luna Lab builds. The third is what this page teaches.
Restore microbial balance
Microbiome Balance is the antimicrobial and reseed phase. Berberine, oregano oil, and other targeted botanicals reduce the overgrown populations that drive SIBO and dysbiosis symptoms. The probiotic blend reintroduces the right strains in their right ratios. Run this for at least 30 days, or until your digestive symptoms have meaningfully reduced — whichever takes longer.
View Microbiome Balance →Repair the gut barrier
Gut Lining Reset works alongside or immediately after Microbiome Balance. L-glutamine to repair the epithelial cells. Quercetin and triphala to calm inflammation. A 200:1 aloe concentrate plus marshmallow and slippery elm to soothe the mucosa. A multi-strain probiotic with prebiotic FOS to reseed. The job here is making sure the gut barrier is intact before you flood it with high-dose live cultures.
View Gut Lining Reset →Now ferment the yogurt
With a balanced microbiome and a repaired barrier, the gut is finally a hospitable environment for high-dose L. reuteri and L. gasseri to colonize, signal, and produce their downstream effects. This is when the yogurt protocol delivers what it's actually capable of — the deeper sleep, the skin changes, the visceral fat shift, the long-term resilience.
Start with the L. reuteri recipe (§06). Once you've got that running, add a parallel gasseri batch.
The whole arc takes about 90 days. Days 1–30: restore balance. Days 30–60: repair the barrier. Day 60+: start the yogurt and stay on it indefinitely. That's the protocol.
References
Every claim above is cited. The list below is APA-format with DOI links to the source studies.
- Walter, J., Britton, R. A., & Roos, S. (2011). Host-microbial symbiosis in the vertebrate gastrointestinal tract and the Lactobacillus reuteri paradigm. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(Suppl 1), 4645–4652. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1000099107
- Vaccaro, J. A., et al. (2018). Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Open Journal of Gastroenterology, 8(11), 396–404. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojgas.2018.811042
- Poutahidis, T., Kearney, S. M., Levkovich, T., Qi, P., Varian, B. J., Lakritz, J. R., Ibrahim, Y. M., Chatzigiagkos, A., Alm, E. J., & Erdman, S. E. (2013). Microbial symbionts accelerate wound healing via the neuropeptide hormone oxytocin. PLoS ONE, 8(10), e78898. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078898
- Mu, Q., Tavella, V. J., & Luo, X. M. (2018). Role of Lactobacillus reuteri in human health and diseases. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 757. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00757
- Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., Imaizumi, K., Ogawa, A., Ikuyama, K., Akai, Y., Okano, M., Kagoshima, M., & Tsuchida, T. (2010). Regulation of abdominal adiposity by probiotics (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055) in adults with obese tendencies in a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64(6), 636–643. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2010.19
- Kim, J., Yun, J. M., Kim, M. K., Kwon, O., & Cho, B. (2018). Lactobacillus gasseri BNR17 supplementation reduces the visceral fat accumulation and waist circumference in obese adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Medicinal Food, 21(5), 454–461. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2017.3937
- Marco, M. L., Heeney, D., Binda, S., Cifelli, C. J., Cotter, P. D., Foligné, B., Gänzle, M., Kort, R., Pasin, G., Pihlanto, A., Smid, E. J., & Hutkins, R. (2017). Health benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 44, 94–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2016.11.010
- Davis, W. (2022). Super Gut: A Four-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight. Hachette Go. (Reference text for the 36-hour L. reuteri / L. gasseri / B. coagulans fermentation protocols used by the home-fermentation community.)
- Hun, L. (2009). Bacillus coagulans significantly improved abdominal pain and bloating in patients with IBS. Postgraduate Medicine, 121(2), 119–124. https://doi.org/10.3810/pgm.2009.03.1984
- Majeed, M., Nagabhushanam, K., Arumugam, S., Majeed, S., & Ali, F. (2018). Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 for the management of major depression with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled, multi-centre, pilot clinical study. Food & Nutrition Research, 62. https://doi.org/10.29219/fnr.v62.1218
