For items like antibiotics and probiotics, I have for a long time been a strong advocated for continuous rotation. The original source for this attitude was Cecil Jadin’s treatment protocol for occult rickettsia (which originated with the Pasteur Institute for Tropical Medicine). This was followed by reading studies finding that rotating or even just pulsing (2 weeks on/ 2 weeks off) was more effective in reducing bacteria than continuous. Probiotics often function via the natural antibiotics they produce (a lot of prescription antibiotics originated with bacteria); hence probiotic rotation became part of my preaching.

If you have microbiome related issues, my soapbox has been “your goal is make the stable dysfunctional microbiome, unstable“. Today I read a study on Nature that further clarifies what may be needed.

Together, these findings suggest that the human gut microbiome’s metabolic potential reflects dietary exposures over preceding days and changes within hours of exposure to a novel nutrient. The dynamics of this ecological memory also highlight the potential for intra-individual microbiome variation to affect the design and interpretation of interventions involving the gut microbiome.

Ecological memory of prior nutrient exposure in the human gut microbiome [2022]

If the goal is to make the microbiome unstable, then this gives some clear indication of strategy.

• Every two weeks change the dominant starch – for example, if pasta is a regular meal item then
  • Made from glucomannan—a starch found in the konjac yam/ Konjac Flour (Source)
  • Made from red lentils and quinoa (Source)
  • Made from white rice flour, organic amaranth flour (Source)
  • Made from chickpea flour, organic yellow lentil flour, organic red lentil flour, organic kale powder, organic spinach powder (source)
• Every two weeks change dominant proteins source
  • Fish
  • Pork
  • Lamb
  • Duck
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
• Change vegetables and fruit too…
• Change main spices used….

The key aspect is that every new addition results in a change of the microbiome. If you have microbiome issues, that is what you want to do. You do NOT want to take the same supplements, herbs, spices, vitamin or comfort food – continuously. You want to shake things up!