Why Probiotics?

Here’s a riddle: Which foods, if added to your diet, can improve your general state of health, starting with your digestive health but positively affecting other systems in your body too? If you thought probiotic-containing foods, you’re right!

According to a recent review published in Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine in the fall of 2013, probiotics can positively affect the human body in several ways: by increasing the concentration of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, by preventing intestinal infections and easing symptoms of irritable bowel disease, and by aiding in lactose digestion. They also help in cancer prevention, maintaining proper oral health and they were shown to help strengthen the immune system and even play a role in cancer prevention.

With so many benefits the best thing one can do is locate all probiotic-rich foods and include them in the daily diet. Here are some of them.

Yogurt and/or kefir

Make it yourself or buy the best you can buy. Look for clean, local and organic yogurt if possible, and with no additives (thickeners, sweeteners, colours or flavours,) just plain milk and bacteria culture. Even if you are lactose intolerant, you will find that fermented dairy does not have a troubling effect on your digestive system.

Sauerkraut

No, we’re not talking about the stuff you find on the shelves of any food store, which is usually pasteurized and likely has few if any probiotics. The probiotic-rich sauerkraut is found in the cold section of the store. If you want to have it fresh all the time, you can make it yourself. That way you can adjust the salt content, mix some red cabbage in or add spices to the mix. Pickles are also a great fermented food, as long as they are prepared using only salt and kept at cold temperatures in order to preserve the beneficial bacteria.

Kimchi

Similar to sauerkraut but spicy. You can find great recipes on the internet and, just like with sauerkraut, you can adjust the spiciness.

Kombucha

A fermented tea-based drink which is, again, best if prepared at home. You can buy a starter kit or look for starter among your acquaintances. People get hooked to this delicately sweet, fizzy drink as soon as they taste it. Some include fruit to the mix and they get a more flavourful version.

Tempeh, miso and soy sauce

These fermented products derived from soy are all great in creating nutritious, probiotic-rich dishes, just as long as you don’t cook them at high temperature. Look for organic, non-GMO soy beans. Some people find tempeh too strong-tasting and use in it in small amounts only.