Our intestine hosts 500 million bacteria, some of which are good and some bad. Researches have shown that the more good bacteria we have in our gut, the stronger our digestive health and immune system will be. Probiotics are living microorganism, often referred to as “good bacteria” and are necessary for optimal health and digestion. Probiotics help the body in absorbing essential minerals like vitamins, calcium, iron, chromium etc. Unfortunately, most of the foods we eat today are processed foods and are full of chemicals. Over consumption of anti-biotic and antibacterial things easily disrupts the internal balance we need to stay healthy. To boost your intestinal and overall health, include these probiotic foods in your diet. Here are 12 specific foods that contain gut friendly bacteria.
In recent years markets have been flooded with products containing probiotics- from yogurt, chocolate, granola bars to capsules and powder. But there are many probiotic foods which contains natural living strains of healthy bacteria. Along with probiotic qualities, these 12 foods also contain protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals to provide nourishment to your whole body.
Kefir is a kind of milk-based yogurt like beverage that contains a wide variety of probiotics. Not only this, similar to yogurt and other fermented dairy product, kefir also nourishes your body with calcium, vitamin B 12 and protein. This milk based product contains taste and flavor quite similar to yogurt. The fermentation occurs by adding kefir grains to milk. Supercharge your immune system by adding this nutritious food to your breakfast meal. But avoid adding too much sugar as they can damage the healthy intestinal bacteria. Instead of milk, you can add kefir to your cereal. It is easily available in health food stores.
The most popular and well known probiotic is lacto-fermented dairy product yogurt. The fermentation process of yogurt is carried out by two specific strains of bacteria Lactobacillus and acidophilus, Additional live cultures are often added for enhancing its probiotic benefits. Yogurt is great for maintaining the balance of bacteria which is necessary for keeping the digestive tract healthy. Not all the yogurt is created equal. Greek yogurt is considered best with 15 to 20 grams of protein per each 6 ounce servings and amino acids.
3. Unpasteurized Cheese
Different verities of cheese like chedder, Gruyere, Provalone and Gouda contains good bacteria and are ideal probiotics. The bacteria contained in cheese are helpful in protecting the beneficial bacteria from stomach acid which kills these microbes before reaching the small intestine. Along with probiotics, cheese is also good source of protein and calcium which helps to improve digestion and stabilize metabolism. Being high in calories, one should consume moderate intake of cheese.
Butter milk is excellent lacto-fermented dairy product which is extremely healthy because it contains live and active cultures of healthiest bacteria that can reduce the amount of unhealthy bacteria which exist in the digestive tract and provide protection against many digestive diseases. It also comes to our aid when repeated use of antibiotics kills the beneficial bacteria. Buttermilk helps to repopulate the digestive tract with healthy bacteria by converting it into lactic acid. Butter milk is also safe for people with lactose intolerance. Moreover, it is low in calories and fat and packed with several vitamins and minerals. By reducing stomach acids, it helps with digestion and immunity.
Kombucha is a probiotic rich beverage, made by fermenting bacteria and yeast with sweetened tea. Due to slightly carbonated taste it is a healthy and nutritious replacement for carbonated drinks. Containing beneficial bacteria it can protect the digestive tract from harmful bacteria and the fermentation process creates healthy B vitamins which help in boosting energy.
6. Fermented Cod Liver Oil
The health benefits of fish oil are familiar to everyone. But fermented Cod Liver oil can be regarded as a super food that is not only full of probiotics but also high in vitamin D and other nutrients like vitamin A, which is essential for cellular regeneration and eye health.
Miso is well known traditional Japanese seasoning made by fermenting cooked soybean with barley or rice. Besides being a good probiotic, Miso is also good source of protein and other nutrients. Miso can be used to substitute salt in different recipes like salad dressings, marinades, soups and dips. To get the maximum benefit of live cultures, get unpasteurized miso paste and add to cooked dishes after removing from the stove. They come in wide variety of flavors depending on the different fermentation process that has been used.
A fermentation method using salt and other spices to preserve vegetables like radish, beans, cabbage etc was practiced by Koreans and dates back thousands of years ago. Though there are countless variations of this staple Korean food, one thing is common among them: they are all healthy probiotic foods. This popular Korean dish contains fermented and pickled cabbage as the basic ingredient along with other ingredient like radish, ginger, onion and red pepper flakes. Along with good probiotics, kimchi also contain high amount of protein, minerals and vitamins.