• Smoothing of skin wrinkles due to an explosion of dermal collagen.
• Accelerated healing, cutting healing time in almost half.
• Reduced appetite, the so-called “anorexigenic” effect; food still tastes good, but you are almost completely indifferent to temptation.
• Increased testosterone in men.
• Increased libido.
• Preservation of bone density. Obtaining L. reuteri is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis.
• Deeper sleep. Though this benefit is enjoyed by less than 20 percent of people.
• Increased empathy and desire for connectedness with other people.
• Probiotic effects that may include prevention of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

You Will Need:

• Glass or ceramic bowl or other vessel large enough to hold at least one quart of liquid
• 2 tablespoons of prebiotic fiber such as inulin or raw potato starch
• Starter: Either 10 tablets BioGaia Gastrus or 2 tablespoons previous batch of L. reuteri yogurt (whey or curds or mixture of both)
• 1 quart of half-and-half or other liquid (to make with coconut milk, several additional steps and ingredients are required)
• Some method of maintaining at 100 F

Directions

1. Make sure your bowl or other vessel is clean after washing with hot soap and water.
2. Add 2 level tablespoons of prebiotic fiber.
3. Add 10 crushed tablets of Gastrus (that provide 200 million CFUs of L. reuteri, a relatively small number). Crush the tablets with a mortar and pestle or by putting into a plastic bag and crushing with a rolling pin or heavy bottle/glass until reduced to a coarse powder. (The tablets are flavored with mint and mandarin, but the taste does not show in the final product, nor in subsequent batches.) Once you have made your first batch, make subsequent batches with 2 tablespoons of the prior batch, rather than crushed tablets; it can be any mixture of whey or solid curds, as both contain L. reuteri.
4. Mix either crushed tablets or 2 tablespoons prior yogurt with prebiotic fiber.
5. Add a little (e.g., 2 tablespoons) of your choice of dairy; I used organic half-and-half, as this yields the best texture. Make a slurry by stirring; this prevents clumping of the prebiotic fiber. (Whole milk—NEVER low- or non-fat—yields a thinner end result, while cream yields something close to butter, too thick for my taste.)
6. Stir in remainder of half-and-half or other liquid.
7. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or other means. Ferment by maintaining at 100 F for 36 hours. Prolonged fermentation—far longer than the 6 or so hours of commercial yogurts that explain why the bacterial counts are so low—in the presence of prebiotic fibers yields far higher bacterial counts in the tens to hundreds of billions per serving.
8. I used a basin-type sous vide device, but you can use a stick sous vide, yogurt maker with adjustable temperature control, or Instant Pot. (Just be careful with the Instant Pot or yogurt makers without adjustable temperature, as they are set to be compatible with conventional yogurt microorganisms and are often too hot and kill L. reuteri; if your device heats to 110 F or higher, it will likely kill L. reuteri, and you should find an alternative means of heating. If in doubt, turn on your device and measure the temperature reached with a thermometer first before you ruin a batch.) Keep your materials out of the way of fans, heating/cooling vents, or other sources of air contamination.
9. The end result for me is rich, thick, and delicious, better tasting—and with far higher probiotic bacterial counts—than anything you can buy in a store. Once refrigerated, the “yogurt” is so thick that it can stand upright on a plate: