#183

What is the protocol you are currently using, with or without food, dairy products, etc.?

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#184

N=1, but matches their clinical trial:

Here is my data (from the more quantitative/“medical grade” GDX test).

IMG_7133
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Increased by half an order of magnitude in absolute levels / a 5.8x increase after 3 months (I had 5 days of non-supplementation/“wash out” before the post pendulum stool test):

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#185

Take with food in AM. I eat berries steelcut oatmeal eggs Greek yogurt

#186

I have enteric-coated empty capsules at hand. The akkermansia capsule fits neatly inside. Do you think there might be any benefit to using this to get more bacteria through the stomach acid and into the gut?

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#187

I have been taking metformin for decades. Maybe I should take a GDX test to see if I need supplementing at all.
“Metformin and vancomycin also significantly promote A. muciniphila.”
(From the paper @Joseph referenced)

How do you obtain the test (which lab) and how much does it cost?

#188

It’s not cheap if only want to measure that, but has a wealth of information that can be valuable for optimizing health more broadly

Historically you had to order via a doctor, but now you can also do it online (from most jurisdictions):

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#189

Yeah, I recently did Thorne with the wipe and there is no way they got an accurate measurement with that tiny, one time sample. Garbage in Garbage out. But I believe them that it is in there.

#190

I couldn’t guess. Unless your stomach is unusual, I would go with the design engineered by Pendulum. But as long as the capsules would definitely dissolve in time, I can’t see how it would hurt.

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#191

At least for their flagship product they keep hyping how much investment they have made in their capsules to achieve exactly that

#192

FWIW, I made one of my soy yogurt batches with my pendulum glucose control probiotics and it didn’t work… immediately went down the drain

I just randomly found this while looking for the yogurt starter someone (maybe you) once recommended to me…

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#193

Did you happen to try any other brands of Akkermansia to compare?

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#194

No. I have stayed with what worked. The discount I get keeps the cost tolerable.

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#195

Summary: A recent study has mapped how molecules in food interact with gut bacteria, revealing why people respond differently to the same diets. By examining 150 dietary compounds, researchers found that these molecules can reshape gut microbiomes in some individuals, while having little effect in others.

This breakthrough could enable personalized nutrition strategies to better manage health risks. The findings offer a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome’s role in health and diseas

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#196

Did you make any dietary changes in the hope of maintaining the benefit if pendulum?

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#197

@L_H No I didn’t. I eat a wide variety of plants (fruit and veg and herbs/spices) every week (target of 30) which naturally comes with a decent amount of fiber (soluble and insoluble). I also eat a lot of omega 3’s (omega index of ~10%) which I’ve read helps with Akkermansia as well.

I recently shifted away from a heavy Greek yogurt intake and, relatedly, reduced my berry intake (calorie control). Im not sure what the effect on akkermansia will be as a result, but I’m trying to:

  • lose all visceral fat (weight loss, HIIT)
  • lower protein consumption (200–>100 g/day)
  • speed up bowel transit time (fiber, mgox, <calcium, etc)
  • maintain/ lower blood sugar (Akkermansia, zero high glycemic index foods on empty stomach while sedentary, metformin, etc)
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#198

If you want to speed up bowel transit time, take 4 mg of magnesium citrate daily. You get your magnesium, citrate and speedy bowels. :wink:

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#199

@DeStrider i use magnesium oxide for this effect. I take about 3 grams. I also take Senna regularly. I walk a fine line between too much and too little, and I choose to err on the side of too much.

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#200

I listened to the latest and greatest Optispan podcast last night.

If I read between the lines correctly, Matt Kaeberlein seemed to suggest, while carefully not calling out any company or molecule, that he wonders if trying to focus on one single strain in our gut could have unseen consequences. Akkermansia, wink wink. I respect him, so it does give me pause!

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#201

Yes - I listened to that too and suspected he’s talking about Pendulum. Interesting commentary:

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#202

Ha, YES!
“I won’t mention any particular company, COUGH , PENDULUM, COUGH COUGH”

:slight_smile:

I did enjoy the episode!

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