These Are The Best Natural Probiotic Foods You Should Be Eating – Are you eating enough foods that are high in probiotics? Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you aren’t. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your gut and are involved in everything from food absorption to immunological health.
Not only are probiotics necessary for digestion, but did you know that eating probiotic-rich foods has hundreds of other health benefits that you may not be aware of? For example, probiotics may also help decrease cholesterol, defend against allergies, and prevent cancer, according to a review published in the journal ISRN Nutrition.
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Adding more probiotics to your diet does not always necessitate purchasing pricey pills, powders, or supplements. In truth, there are a variety of probiotic foods available that are tasty, varied, and simple to incorporate into a healthy, well-balanced diet.
In this article, we’ll go over a comprehensive list of all probiotic foods you should eat, as well as how they can help you. We’ll also look at ways to include these fermented foods into your meals to get the most out of probiotics’ gut-boosting properties.
What Are Probiotic Foods and Why Should You Eat Them?
Probiotic bacteria are a type of helpful bacteria present in the gut microbiome. These bacteria have an essential role in health and disease, as well as immunological and digestive functions. Digestive problems, skin problems, candida, autoimmune disease, and repeated colds, and flu are just a few of the side effects of not having enough probiotics.
We had lots of probiotics in our diets in the past because we ate fresh foods grown in healthy soil and fermented our foods to protect them from rotting. Today, however, unsafe agricultural practices and poor nutrition quality have resulted in a considerable reduction in probiotics in our food supply. Worse, many everyday foods contain antibiotics, which wipe out the healthy bacteria in our bodies.
Although we are taught from an early age that bacteria is harmful and that we should destroy it with sanitizer and chemical aerosol sprays, the truth is that not all bacteria are created equal. Contrary to popular belief, there are many different types of bacteria, some of which are not only “good” but also “essential.” Probiotics are one of these more beneficial bacteria, and they’re crucial for gut health.
Okay, but what precisely does that imply? “Some of these helpful bacteria aid digestion, but others can affect the immune system or battle against bad bacteria that can cause diseases like strep throat and gingivitis,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, author of the 2-Day Diabetes Diet. Others can even affect one’s mood.”
While probiotic pills are available, most nutritionists agree that consuming probiotic-rich foods helps nourish the bacteria already present in your body.
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Now that you know what probiotics are, you might be asking how to incorporate them into your diet. These are some natural probiotic foods that you can easily include in your diet to boost your gut health.
Kombucha
Kombucha is having a moment: the probiotic drink has evolved into an $800 million industry, with over 350 distinct kombucha companies producing it. Kombucha is a somewhat bubbly fermented tea that contains living microorganisms that aid your digestive system.
Yogurt
Yogurt is renowned for carrying bacteria from the lactobacillus family, which can aid with digestion. Just make sure you get the plain kind; otherwise, you’ll be ruining the health benefits with a lot of sugar.
Kefir
Kefir is prepared by combining milk with kefir grains, which are living yeast cultures. Kefir, like yogurt, contains Lactobacillus kefir, a probiotic that helps protect the stomach from dangerous bacteria. However, it has a different consistency than yogurt and may not be to everyone’s taste.
Miso
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans and koji that is commonly used as the base ingredient in Miso soup. Koji is a sort of mold that grows on rice and is entirely safe to eat. Miso “contains millions of germs comparable or identical to those healthy bacteria that live in your big intestine,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Saurkraut
Although sauerkraut is commonly used as a hot dog topping, it also has health advantages. Even though it’s merely fermented cabbage, it packs a powerful punch. Live bacteria are formed as the cabbage ferments. These bacteria help to improve intestinal health. Cabbage is a good source of fiber as well.