Not knowing is such a waste!

Speaking of things good for bowel movements and the gut, many people probably think of lactic acid bacteria and yogurt first. I used to eat yogurt with several kinds of fruit for breakfast. But I eventually stopped, because I didn’t really feel any effects. Also, I’m actually sensitive to milk, the raw ingredient for yogurt. After all, no matter how beneficial something is said to be, if you don’t feel its effects or don’t like it, you won’t stick with it.

Then, last month, while researching fasting, I found a lactic acid bacteria culture extract called “Lactis.” I first saw it at the raw juice bar “Sky High” in Aoyama. I thought, “I’m not constipated, so I don’t need it, but…” yet I became curious and decided to buy a set of five, sold individually. I later learned the true benefits of lactic acid bacteria, but until then, I thought its only effect was relieving constipation. Not knowing is truly a waste!

When I got home and searched for the product online, I discovered that Professor Hiromi Shinya, whose book (Immunity Boost: The Life Plan for Health and Longevity, Magazine House) I had bought and found insightful (“Wow, I see!”), recommended it. Right after that, I found out that my favorite natural foods store in Shimoda City also carried it. That’s when I thought, “I really have to try this!” and bought a box of 30, determined to give it a serious try.

My skin became plump and firm, with a beautiful tone!

So, what is “Lactis”? It’s an extract that increases lactic acid bacteria in the gut, fights bad bacteria, improves constipation, boosts immunity, and regulates the intestinal environment. But you might think, isn’t that the same as yogurt or other lactic acid bacteria products? What sets it apart is that it’s an “extract that increases lactic acid bacteria, created by lactic acid bacteria.” In other words, it invigorates, protects, and nurtures the lactic acid bacteria already in your own body. And I also like that its raw ingredient is soybeans grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, not milk.

Now, about the effects after I started drinking it… honestly, for a while, I didn’t notice much. In fact, for the first three or four days after starting, I, who am not usually constipated, became constipated. After that, the constipation resolved, so perhaps it was a healing crisis. I only started to notice the benefits about three weeks after I began drinking it. Around that time, I thought, “My skin has been feeling really good lately.” I wondered if it was due to my raw food diet, which has become a habit, or the cosmetics I was trying. Of course, I believe those have an effect, but then it struck me: “That’s it! It’s because my gut is getting cleaner!”

At that moment, my skin had become plump and firm, with a beautiful tone. It reminded me of something. A long time ago, I was given medical-grade lactic acid bacteria to drink, and my skin tone became similar then too. It’s a unique, plump, beautiful skin tone. When you look at photos of healthy intestines taken during endoscopy, they are plump and have a beautiful color, and my skin became just like that. Professor Shinya calls this intestinal condition “intestinal appearance,” and says that the state of the gut is directly reflected in everything else. Everyone is born with clean, soft intestines, but as we grow, they change drastically depending on what we eat and drink, and how we eliminate. Therefore, he says, regulating the intestinal environment is the key to maintaining health and beauty.

Good for the Gut from All Angles!

I was even more convinced of its effects a few days later. I had finished the month’s supply and went to buy more at the natural foods store, but they were out of stock. They said it would arrive in two or three days, but since the store is in Shimoda City, I could only go the following weekend. That meant I couldn’t drink it for a week. I had heard it’s best to continue for two months, so I worried, “Will I go back to how I was?” And sure enough, two days later, after indulging in some food and drink, I broke out with bumps around my mouth! And three days later, my skin lost its firmness and tone (though I suspect only I could tell the difference). This is bad! I rushed to the juice bar that sold them individually and got some. The next day, the bumps had subsided a little, and the day after that, my skin’s plumpness and tone returned. I tend to react quickly to both good and bad things, which is probably why these symptoms appeared so rapidly…

Still, I never knew the gut had so much influence! Now, I have no choice but to aim for “Super Gut Beauty” by consciously doing things that benefit my gut from all angles, not just by ingesting lactic acid bacteria! Of course, the ultimate goal is “Super Skin Beauty.”