Strengthen your microbiome by regularly reviewing these options.
Probiotics may be a buzzword these days, but people have been eating probiotic-rich foods for thousands of years. Probiotics are live beneficial microorganisms (including bacteria and yeast) that multiply in food through the fermentation process, common in ancient civilizations around the world as a means of preserving food.
How do probiotics work?
Probiotics help the body achieve and maintain a healthy balance of bacteria, especially in the intestinal lining. After taking antibiotics (which unfortunately don't differentiate between good bacteria and infection-causing bacteria), they can help restore the "good" bacteria in your body, ultimately protecting more bacteria intestinal harm and strengthening your gut. microbiota in general.
Related: The 5 Best Fermented Foods for a Healthier Gut
The benefits of probiotics for the brain and body
Evidence shows that probiotics are extremely beneficial to overall health and well-being due to their role in the gut microbiome. Probiotics have been shown to support digestive health, mental health and overall immune function.
"Probiotics are good for the gut, but they can also be beneficial for overall health by strengthening your immune system and reducing the risk of infection, aiding digestion, reducing the risk of harmful microorganisms, aiding the absorption of nutrients and even in the production of vitamins. ". says Amy Archer RDN, CLT, CHWC, registered nutritionist and owner of Wellness RD.
A growing body of research is also emerging that shows the mental health benefits of probiotics due to the two-way connection between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. In fact, the gut has been called the "second brain" because of all the neurotransmitters it produces, including serotonin and dopamine, which help regulate mood.
"Components of the microbiome are critical to mental health research and treatment," says Dr. Drew Ramsey, psychiatrist, author and mental health advocate. "Mental health depends on properly digesting our food and absorbing many minerals and phytonutrients. [New science] reveals the active biological processes and communication between organisms living in the gut and the rest of our body."
best probiotic food
In short, the entire body benefits from a healthy and balanced gut, and one of the most effective ways to achieve a healthier gut is to eat more probiotic foods on a regular basis. Here are 20 of the best probiotic food options to choose from (you'll never be bored).
kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink made from kefir grains. Native to the Caucasus, where Asia and Europe meet, it is one of the richest food sources of probiotics because it is fermented with bacteria and yeast. Kefir can be consumed on its own as a drink or even added to smoothies or overnight oats. plant based? no problem Kefir Lab offers a coconut-based vegan version with 17 different types of probiotics.
Yogurt and yogurt drink
Cultures around the world have different versions of yogurt and yogurt drinks. Yogurt is made by heating milk, cooling it, and then combining it with two live cultures, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus . Some yogurts may also contain other types of beneficial bacteria, which will be listed in the ingredients. Whether you prefer plain or flavored yogurt, a yogurt drink like Greek yogurt, French yogurt, Icelandic skyr, lactose-free yogurt, or Indian lassi is probably a good source of probiotics. Be careful with added sugar in yogurt, some are much higher than others.
Related: The 7 Healthiest Yogurt Brands You Can Buy, According to an RD
seeded cheese
Cheese is made by culturing milk with bacteria, then filtering the curds, but loosely (not pressed) to retain some of the milk. Not all cheeses contain probiotics, so look for those with "Live Active Cultures" on the label, this one from Good Culture.
Related: 5 ways to cook with cheese for more protein, according to TikTok
labne
Labneh is a thick, creamy Middle Eastern yogurt cheese made from strained yogurt. Greek yogurt is also strained yogurt, but labneh is even more strained and more like cream cheese than yogurt. As long as labnehu is made with yogurt that contains live active cultures and is not heated, labnehu will retain the same probiotic benefits. Store-bought varieties are available, but they're also so easy to make at home!
kimchi
Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish, or banchan, made with fermented napa cabbage and daikon radish, and seasoned with garlic, ginger and Korean pepper. Kimchi is a staple of Korean cuisine and is often made at home. Due to its recognition as a superfood and its unique flavors, nowadays it has become more common and can be found in almost every supermarket in the country.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut dates back to the Roman Empire and is believed to have been a part of the American diet since its inception. It also happens to be one of the best food sources of probiotics. Sauerkraut is made from sauerkraut that undergoes natural lacto-fermentation over time. The only ingredients needed to make sauerkraut are cabbage and salt, as well as the right environment and the right time. Salt is an essential ingredient because it draws the water out of the cabbage, creating a natural brine. Sauerkraut is one of the simplest fermented foods, but one of the most powerful; In addition to probiotics, sauerkraut offers a number of health benefits and may be the tastiest condiment, making it a favorite among nutritionists and chefs. Make your own or look for store-bought, refrigerated varieties like those from Cleveland Kitchen.
kombucha
One of the most popular fermented beverages is kombucha, which has been around for centuries and has become popular in recent years. Kombucha tea is a slightly carbonated tea made from sugar and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (or SCOBY). Its taste is usually sweet and sour, although some are sweeter than others (check the label to get an idea of the sweetness of the sugar grams). Kombucha has a very low alcohol content (low enough for most brands to be legally sold as a soft drink), but still has a trace due to natural fermentation (about 0.5% ABV). Want to give your kids alcohol-free kombucha? TIM TAM TUMMY offers the first kombucha for kids: it's low sugar, alcohol-free and comes in a kid-friendly box with a variety of fun flavors (you'll love it, too).
some aged cheeses
Probiotics will be present in aged but unpasteurized cheese. Examples include Swiss, Gouda, Edam, Gruyere and Raw Cheddar.
Related: 9 Cheeses You Can Eat Even If You're Lactose Intolerant
kvass
Kvass is a low-alcohol (0.5-1% ABV) fermented beverage that originated in Northeastern Europe and has been popular in countries like Russia and Ukraine for centuries. Made from grains, it can taste similar to beer, but we recommend beet kvass, which has a slightly salty, sweet and earthy balance. Along with the benefits of live bacteria (also called probiotics), you get the added nutrients from the beets themselves.
tepache
Alongside supermarket fridges stocked with kombucha, you may start to see another canned drink called tepache, like De La Calle's. Originating from Mexico and the Mayan culture, tepache is made from fermented pineapple skin and traditionally sweetened with sugar called piloncillo , or Mexican brown sugar. Tepache is fermented for less time than kombucha, so it has a milder taste and less alcohol.
miso
Miso is one of the most versatile probiotic food sources. Miso is made by mixing soybeans with a starter culture known as koji, a form derived from rice. Over the months, the result is delicious, umami-filled fermented eggs that can be used in many delicious dishes, including salad dressings and marinades, soups, sauces and stews for the perfect balance in baking. and salty In addition to probiotics, miso is also a source of vitamin K, manganese, zinc and calcium and is also a complete protein, meaning it contains all the amino acids essential for health. For maximum probiotic benefits, use miso in raw food preparations or add it after cooking so the heat doesn't destroy the good bacteria.
Related: Avoid Food Intake: Here's How to Make Miso Soup at Home
niton
Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It is a source of probiotics and one of the few sources of vitamin K2, a vitamin that is important for bone and heart health because of its role in calcium metabolism and blood clotting. Natto is full of umami flavor and has a unique texture, often described as slimy, sticky and stringy, but if you're open-minded, we encourage you to give it a try! Try a small amount (a little goes a long way) with rice and top with soy sauce and Japanese yellow mustard for a traditional experience. You can find nato in most Japanese or Asian specialty supermarkets in the refrigerated section or online.
my name is shoyu
Unlike most pasteurized soy sauces, nama shoyu is freshly pressed raw Japanese soy sauce. Since it is not pasteurized, it retains the beneficial bacteria alive and can be a source of probiotics.
gochujang
Another sourdough, gochujang, is a staple in Korean cuisine. Gochujang is mainly gochugaru (Korean chili powder), glutinous rice and fermented soybeans and is sweet and spicy. Gochujang can be used in protein marinades, such as Korean bulgogi, added to sauces, soups and stews.
fermented olives
Olives don't immediately come to mind when we think of probiotic foods, but the process that turns freshly picked olives into the olives we know and love is fermentation. However, not all olives contain probiotics: most are drained, heat-treated and packed in a vinegar brine for a short period of time. Be sure to check the label for signs that the olives are naturally fermented, like those from Big Picture Foods, which have never been chemically accelerated and are packed in a probiotic-rich mother brine, meaning the olives contain all the beneficial bacteria that have evolved. those. . during fermentation
Advice
Avoid extra virgin olives that contain additives such as acetic acid, ascorbic acid and lactic acid, which do not have the same probiotic benefits.
sour vinegars
Lacto-fermented vinegars are an excellent source of probiotics. But not all pickles provide probiotics. Many products labeled as pickles are not fermented; instead, they're quick-harvested, meaning they've been soaked in a sweet and salty brine, but contain no active live bacteria (it's tasty, but not high in probiotics). For truly fermented vinegars, choose those that say fermented on the label (try Bubbies, for example); or choose bitter cucumbers, because they get a bitter taste from the natural fermentation process, instead of vinegar.
fermented seaweed
Seaweed is already known for its many nutrients and environmental benefits, but fermentation gives it an extra nutritional boost. For example, by combining gochujang with fermented seaweed, Atlantic Sea Farms' Spicy Gochujang Seaweed Salad hits the right notes and is a powerful probiotic food. If spice isn't your thing, there's also a gochujang-free fermented seaweed salad.
fermented hot sauce
Fermented hot sauce is made by, you guessed it, fermenting chili peppers. Many hot sauces are made by combining peppers with vinegar and salt, and sometimes with additional spices. Others are made by mixing the peppers with salt and water and storing them in a sealed container, which causes lacto-fermentation; They are good sources of probiotics. Look out for versions like Alive Ferments, which claim to contain active live cultures.
Fish sauce
A staple in East and Southeast Asian cuisine, fish sauce is a flavored liquid made by fermenting small fish (usually anchovies) and salt; Fish can be fermented for months or years, and the fermentation will contain live bacteria if the fish sauce is not pasteurized.
umeboshi
Umeboshi, commonly known as salted or pickled plums, is a mixture of ume plums, salt and red shiso (which gives it its distinctive red color) that undergoes fermentation. A traditional Japanese seasoning, umeboshi is a great addition to rice or a richer meat dish.
Common questions
Do other foods considered good for the gut also contain probiotics?
Although sourdough bread is a leavened food and may be an easier bread to digest, the heat in which the bread is baked will destroy the live bacteria in the sourdough. Tempeh, a fermented soybean product, is not on this list for similar reasons. It is technically a source of probiotics, but large numbers of these live bacteria are unlikely to survive the cooking process when they are ready to be eaten.
Is this the ideal amount of probiotics needed to be beneficial to health?
Probiotics are measured in Colony Forming Units (CFU). It's not always listed on the label, but for reference, yogurt can have anywhere from 90 to 500 million CFUs per serving. By comparison, kimchi can contain about 15 billion CFUs per cup (150 g). Many probiotic supplements contain 1 to 10 million CFU per dose or more. But don't stop at specific numbers. Instead, focus on variety. Archer recommends that people eat more than 30 different types of food per week (including a mix of probiotic and prebiotic foods) to increase the diversity of their gut microbiome. Research supports this recommendation: The American Gut Project found that participants who ate more than 30 types of plants per week had more diverse gut microbiomes than those who ate 10 or fewer types of plants per week. Dr. Ramsey encourages people to start stocking their kitchens with probiotic-rich foods, "and even make their own fermented foods to support gut health and personal growth as an eater." You want to focus on becoming more curious about these nutritious fermented foods, rather than being fooled by specific types and amounts. Bottom line: mix it up as much as possible: When it comes to gut health, variety in the diet is key.
Should you pay attention to the specific types of bacteria that live in a food?
When choosing a probiotic supplement, it can be helpful to consult with a dietitian or other medical professional who specializes in digestive health to find out which ones have been studied to be most effective for specific digestive health issues. But when it comes to probiotic foods, the current consensus is that variety and increased intake are generally the most important things to consider. "Eating a variety of plants and a variety of fermented foods makes sense [not only] from a practical standpoint to avoid food fatigue, but also from a biological standpoint," says Dr. Ramsey. Eating probiotic-rich foods shouldn't be your only priority: It's also important to eat foods that are sources of prebiotics, which act as probiotic foods. Dr. Ramsey notes that "different organisms eat different types of fiber," and reiterates the importance of eating tons of plants and a general variety.
Advice
What to look for on food labels to identify probiotic foods
The term "active living culture".
The actual names of the bacteria in the ingredients list (for example , Bifidus, Streptococcus Thermophilus , Lactobacillus Acidophilus , or Lactobacillus Casei )
Indications that the product has not been pasteurized after the introduction of live bacteria
Avoid probiotic-rich foods at temperatures above 120 to 130F, the temperature at which most live probiotic bacteria are destroyed.
New to incorporating probiotic foods into your diet?
Probiotic beginners should start with smaller amounts and gradually increase depending on how they feel. Some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who are sensitive to FODMAPs may need to limit their intake of certain high-FODMAP fermented foods. Archer agrees, adding that "some people with digestive issues may not be able to tolerate probiotic-rich foods at first, but after working on gut healing with a health professional, they may be able to tolerate them more." good these foods".
People who are immunocompromised or pregnant should also be careful with unpasteurized foods because of the potential food safety hazard.
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