With gut health and the microbiome becoming trendy in the wellness world in recent years, probiotics have also become a topic of conversation.
Officially speaking, the term probiotic refers to live organisms in amounts known to provide health benefits. You can score probiotics through supplements and certain fermented foods, though not all fermented foods can be characterized as containing probiotics.
Learn why you should be getting probiotics from your food and how to tell which ones have them.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are good bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance in the gut. Everyone’s gut is unique — like a fingerprint — but one of the most important features of a healthy gut is the diversity of microbes that reside there. Think of these beneficial bugs as having unique jobs, so you need many different critters to form a strong team.
Are probiotics good for you?
Your gut environment is intricately tied to your physical and mental health. For instance, the majority of your immune system cells originate in the gut, as do most of your mood-regulating chemical messengers. The varied roles of probiotics include producing certain vitamins or help you absorb nutrients better, aiding in digestion, and keeping bad microbes from causing harm. Aside from these general benefits, certain bacterial strains may have specific perks, such as relieving constipation or traveler’s diarrhea, or helping with stress and anxiety.
What are fermented foods?
Fermented foods are made using microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeast or mold. Fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi and sourdough bread. However, depending on how the product was produced, the microbes may or may not be present in the final product. For example, heat destroys microbes, so the live cultures aren’t present in baked goods (such as sourdough bread) or canned sauerkraut. Technically, wine and beer are fermented, but unless you’re buying a specialty…
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