Staying healthy is incredibly important, and it’s such a fine balance to fine-tune everything — diet, exercise, wellness, and more — in your life. Diet is so crucial to overall health and well-being. Health professionals, from experienced doctors to fresh graduates of RN to NP online programs, will tell you about the importance of gut health.
One diet tip for gut health that some people don’t know about is probiotic consumption. Most of us have heard the word probiotic and loosely know they’re good for us. With so many health supplements on the market and buzzwords in the industry, it’s hard to keep track and understand things properly.
So, this article gives readers a rundown on probiotics—what they are, how they benefit health, probiotics in food, and probiotic supplements. By the end, you’ll be an expert on all things probiotics. So, continue reading to learn more.
What Are Probiotics?
The World Health Organization (WHO), which is the gold standard of health information, defines probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” In simpler terms, probiotics are beneficial bacteria that support our health.
Probiotics naturally live in the body in what’s termed the “gut microbiome”. The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, that perform many functions essential to our health and well-being. The gut microbiome helps with digestion and helps our bodies absorb nutrients, supporting immunity and even having an impact on our overall brain function and mood.
Researchers are continuing to delve into all the benefits that probiotics provide the body, but what the science has established for now is that they:
- Support the right balance of healthy bacteria in the gut.
- Influence our healthy immune responses.
- Maintain the health of your gut barrier lining.
- Help prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, which can have negative outcomes for your health.
Some strains of probiotics have also been shown to support skin health, as well as reduce symptoms of medically diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and relieve gut symptoms such as gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort, as well as helping you to maintain urinary tract and vaginal health.
Probiotic Food Choices
Several types of fermented foods have naturally occurring probiotics or have them added to them as part of the processing or manufacturing of foods. These include:
- Yogurt
- Kombucha
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Miso soup
- Tempeh
- Kimchi
- Sourdough bread
- Some cheeses
Yogurt is considered the go-to choice of probiotic foods for Western consumers. However, the number and type of bacteria species in yogurt can vary depending on the brand. The probiotic content of yogurt products can vary from 90 billion to 500 billion CFU per serving. CFU is the acronym for colony-forming units, which is how many bacteria within the food divide and form colonies. Look for the words “live and active cultures” on the label when choosing yogurt to eat.
Why Choose Fermented Foods?
The reason is that fermenting is one of the oldest techniques for food preservation known to man. Foods that are fermented go through a process called lacto-fermentation, where natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food, creating lactic acid. This chemical reaction process creates an environment that both preserves the food and promotes beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids to appear, as well as various species of bacteria that are good for you.
Another way to look at fermentation is that it takes one kind of food and transmutes it into another kind. For instance, regular cabbage becomes sauerkraut, cucumbers become pickles, soybeans turn into miso, and milk can be transformed into dairy products such as yogurt, cheeses, and sour cream.
How many probiotic foods do you need to eat as part of your diet is a common question. There is no easy answer, as there is no generally recommended daily intake for probiotics. The general rule of thumb is to eat as many fermented foods in your diet as you can.
Supplements
One way that you can consume probiotics, aside from eating fermented foods, is to take supplements. Probiotic supplements, which are usually sold over the counter, are reserved to treat specific ailments or deficiencies, as suggested by your doctor. They are not recommended for everyday use. Plus, vitamins and supplements do not have the same FDA oversight as medications do, so there is not the quality control that you could expect from a prescribed medication.
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