Best Foods Containing Probiotics

With all of the antibiotic soaps, it’s easy to start to think that bacteria is the enemy of health. However, that is not always the case. Within the digestive system are probiotics, bacteria that stimulate the generation of digestive enzymes and fluids.

Doctors and other nutrition experts are increasingly recommending probiotics to their patients. Although probiotics are available as supplements, they also occur naturally in various foods, as reported in August by Chris of World Healthcare Blog.

5 Probiotic foods

• Yogurt – Goat dairy is supercharged with probiotics. Chris cites Idaho hospital executive Louis Kraml, who said that goat yogurt is high in four probiotics: acidophilus, bifidus, bulgaricus, and thermophilus. Chris also notes to choose plain yogurt over flavored options, which “may contain a lot of corn syrup [that] is not at all beneficial for a healthy diet.”
• Kefir – This probiotic drink, which has a similar consistency to yogurt, includes small grains of kefir. You can use it to replenish both probiotics and antioxidants (the latter of which are also dense in berries). Usually the type of kefir available at a grocery store is low-fat, appealing to those on weight loss programs.
• Sauerkraut – Fermented cabbage contains high quantities of probiotics, along with plentiful amounts of vitamins A, B, C, and E.
• Dark chocolate – A dark chocolate bar, containing 70% or more cocoa, can offer as much as 300% the probiotics of cow yogurt.
• Pickles – Note that pickles, like sauerkraut, are fermented. Fermentation increases probiotic counts, so fermented foods are often associated with strong health.
• Apples – Chris references a recent study that suggested apples boost probiotic numbers within the gut.

A diet and nutrition plan that includes the above foods optimizes helper bugs within our bodies. Probiotics eat prebiotics, which you can also get from whole foods: fresh produce and whole grains. On supplement labels, you may sometimes see the term synbiotics, which means that both probiotics and prebiotics are present.

Fermentation & assisting digestion

As noted above, fermented foods are typically probiotic-rich. Yeast helps to keep nutrients intact throughout fermentation. Heat kills many probiotics, though, so you want to consume sauerkraut and other fermented items raw. Many probiotic enthusiasts even argue for eating unpasteurized, raw dairy, since pasteurization kills the organisms.

Chris advises that it’s critical to keep probiotic levels high since the digestive tract houses 70% of the immune system: “We should either help the organism create them, or eat the proper foods that contain them.”

Probiotics aren’t just beneficial to health but are also suitable to weight loss, since they can improve the functionality of the digestive system.

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