Lately the topic of Healthy Gut has become very popular as we understand more and more how important our gut is and how connected it is to the rest of the body, how much influence it has on our health. There are plenty of factors that can influence our gut health. We have all heard about the impact of antibiotics; however, everyday foods that we eat, medicine we take, lack of exercise, plenty of factors also impact our microbiome.

Now if you are recovering from a course of antibiotics, taking more concentrated doses of probiotics in a form of a capsule or a tablet is definitely a way to go. But if you are simply looking to expand a diversity of your microbiome and help maintain healthy diet, then probiotic foods may be a better and more natural option.

Benefits of probiotic foods

Here are a few good reasons to consume more probiotic foods each day. The main one is improved gut health: while probiotic foods help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut, it can also lessen the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), reduce constipation or diarrhea. Other reasons to include probiotic foods:

• Improved skin conditions, such as eczema
• Prevention of yeast infections
• Decreasing low grade inflammation
• Boosting immune system
• Improving nutrient absorption
• Improved mood

Fermented goodness

Fermented foods have been consumed for centuries in different cultures. In fact, there is such a variety of fermented foods that many of them we may not even heard of. Let’s take a look:

• Many people know sourdough bread. It is made by using fermentation and that makes bread easier to digest. Fermentation gives bread tangy flavor, lowers amounts of gluten and makes it more nutritious.
• Yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, some types of cheese – these are dairy based fermented foods.
• There are also fermented foods that are made from grains and legumes such as miso, tempeh, soy sauce.
• Most vegetables can be fermented as well, most popular that can be bought in store are sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles (not vinegar based) and olives.

How to choose the right foods

There are a few things to know when buying probiotic foods:

• When looking for sourdough bread, make sure it is actually made using a starter. It is best to buy it from a local bakery that you trust.
• When buying sauerkraut, look for the one that is refrigerated and the only ingredients are cabbage, salt and maybe carrots.
• Pickles can be difficult to find as most are made using vinegar and do not contain beneficial bacteria. If you do look for it, it will always be refrigerated.
• When buying yogurt, look for a sign on the package that yogurt contains live bacteria, also buy the unflavored type.

Maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut is useful for the whole body and consuming probiotic foods daily can have a great impact to our overall health and wellbeing.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5483960/
2. https://www.gesundheitfermentations.com/fermented-foods-a-short-history#:~:text=One%20source%20says%20that%20fermentation,of%20an%20oft%2Drepeated%20myth
3. https://www.needhamgastro.com/articles/the-benefits-of-fermented-food-and-probiotics