Mary wrote:

> I wondered what inulin was and how easy it was to digest and if it
> was paleo or not.

I believe inulin either is one of, or is similar to, the
fructooligosaccharides (FOS) - and yes, these carbs have become a
popular medium for probiotic supplements (promoted as feeding "only"
the beneficial bacteria).  There are those who advise caution, however
- including Elaine Gottschall (_Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal
Health through Diet_ / Specific Carbohydrate Diet for inflammatory
bowel disease), and Natasha Trenev, probiotics guru and president of
Natren.  In her book _Probiotics: Nature's Internal Healers_, Trenev
wrote:

"Avoid Probiotics with FOS

"Fructooligosaccharides, more commonly known as FOS, is a class of
simple carbohydrates found naturally in certain plants, such as
Jerusalem artichokes, onions, and bananas.  Virtually all of the FOS
added to probiotic products in the United States is chemically
manufactured.  A Japanese process is utilized in turning white,
bleached cane sugar, by the action of a fungal enzyme, into FOS - a
sugar polymer that our bodies cannot digest.

"FOS, known in Japan as Meioligo and in scientific terms as neosugar,
is used as a sweetening agent, flavor enhancer, bulking agent, and
humectant.  As a low-calorie sucrose-replacement, FOS is used in
cookies, cakes, breads, candies, dairy products, and some beverages.
FOS is also added to some Japanese health foods to promote the growth
of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

"In 1990, Coors Biotech, in an effort to introduce FOS into the food
chain of the United States, prepared a GRAS (generally recognized as
safe) petition to include FOS as a human food ingredient.  As several
years of FOS-safe food sales are needed before this approval, the
probiotic market was chosen as an easy, nonthreatening way to get the
product 'out there.'  The health food industry became an ideal test
market.

"The addition of FOS in probiotic products is becoming a common
practice.  Many probiotic manufacturers claim FOS is beneficial in
that it feeds friendly bacteria.  Those who manufacture high-quality
probiotics, however, do not believe in using FOS.  Instead, their
products require one important component - the valuable supernatant,
which naturally and specifically provides food for the bacteria.

"Prudent probiotic manufacturers are concerned with the safety issue
of FOS.  According to a study conducted by the Joint Expert Committee
on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agricultural Organization
and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), the consumption of FOS may
cause intestinal problems, such as bloating, abdominal pain, and
copious amounts of gas.

"There are a number of additional reasons why some manufacturers of
high-quality probiotics do not add FOS to their products.  They are:

    "FOS is manufactured by chemical synthesis.  The ingredient is,
    therefore, not natural, but a chemical additive and may pose
    toxicological dangers.

    "FOS is a sugar derivative, therefore, those with a yeast
    infection should avoid it.

    "The stability of FOS is poor.  The industrial production of
    purified FOS is a problem and still in the developmental stage.

    "FOS is inert in the mouth and small intestine because it is not
    digestible (similar to olestra).  It is digested in the colon by
    the bacteria and may, therefore, change the metabolic activity of
    the colon, resulting in abnormal functions.

    "FOS stimulates the growth of Klebsiella and possibly other
    pathogenic organisms.  In one study, Klebsiella has been
    associated with the autoimmune disease ankylosing spondylitis.

    "FOS is known to be species as well as strain specific.  In other
    words, not all beneficial bacteria like the FOS diet."

> The other material that non dairy acidophilus is often cultured on
> is garbanzo beans, a legume.

I know... including one of Trenev's Natren products.  :-(

> But peanuts make me so sick now I hesitate to give him  this
> acidophilus, either? So what is left?

Check out Custom Probiotics at http://www.customprobiotics.com - it's
been getting positive reports from people on the SCD list and the
Candida Forum.  It's sold in a gelatin capsule with nothing added
except microcrystalline cellulose, or as a pure powder with nothing
added at all.  The president, Harry Bronozian
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>, himself a veteran of the yeast wars,
is very knowledgeable and accessible, and will answer any questions
you may have.  I have no connection with, nor financial interest, in
this company... just passing along what I've picked up in my own
research.  Harry sent me a free sample bottle for me to try for my
Crohn's disease, and I must say I noticed a beneficial effect, in
addition to the SCD diet.  My sample is almost gone, so I plan to
place an order ASAP.

--
Deanna