5 Common Probiotic Health Foods
If you want to keep your digestive system healthy, you need to incorporate probiotic rich foods into your diet. Probiotics are the tiny microorganisms that live in food that provide a number of benefits for your gut health. The beneficial bacteria can have a number of healthy effects on your body including reducing depression, promoting heart health, and improving digestive health. Some studies even suggest that your skin will become clearer when you eat probiotic supplements. Probiotics increase your gut microbe levels
Using probiotic supplements is an easy way to add more probiotics into your diet. However, there are also a number of foods you can eat to get more probiotics into your gut:
1. Yogurt
Yogurt is one of the top probiotic rich foods on the market. They provide friendly bacteria that improve your health because the milk is fermented by good bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria, replenishing your gut microbe count. Eating probiotics in yogurt can help improve bone health and reduce high blood pressure. It is important to keep in mind that you need to choose your bacteria selectively, not all of them have live or active cultures. Sometimes the bacteria is killed when the food is being processed.
2. Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a delicacy that uses shredded cabbage. It has been fermented with lactic acid bacteria which is beneficial for gut health. Many countries in Europe love to eat Sauerkraut. Many people eat it as a topping on sausages. It has a salty, sour taste, and it can be stored for months in its container. There are also a number of other health benefits of Sauerkraut like vitamin C, B, and K, as well as high sodium, iron, and manganese. It also has antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein which help keep your eyes healthy.
3. Tempeh
Tempeh is known for providing protein for vegetarians and vegans, but did you know it is a great source of probiotics too? Tempeh is a processed soy product that ferments the soy to create an earthy flavor. Tempeh is originally from Indonesia, but vegetarians all over the world have been eating it. The fermentation lowers the amount of phytic acid found in soybeans that prevents your body from absorbing minerals. The fermentation process allows your body to absorb more of the mineral nutrients.
4. Kimchi
Kimchi is another great addition to the diet. It is typically used as a Korean side dish. The fermented side dish is often made of cabbage, but it can also be made of other vegetables. It is spiced with salt, scallions, ginger, garlic, and red chili pepper flakes. Kimchi has lactic acid bacteria, and it is also high in vitamin K, B2, and iron.
5. Kombucha
Kombucha is a favorite drink for those who want to add more probiotics into their diet. It is typically fermented green or black tea that provides yeast and friendly bacteria. It is consumed all over the world. Much of the internet has been going crazy over the health benefits of drinking kombucha. However, most of the studies have been conducted in test-tubes, so the results might not apply to humans.