Healthy Probiotic Food- To ensure overall health, maintaining the health of your gut is arguably the first thing. The bowel needs to be in excellent condition every time because the body is like an interlinked ecosystem, and an imbalance in one area can manifest in another.
Thankfully, some healthy probiotic food and drinks help you to heal your gut and maintain it. It is becoming increasingly clear that an unhealthy gut can compromise things like immunity, cognitive function, healthy weight, hormonal balance, and much more.
Therefore, one of the fastest ways to keep up with gut health is to include beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, to your daily diet.
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Probiotics are good bacteria that primarily line your gut. They aid your body in nutrient absorption and support your immune system. Also, probiotics assist digestive health.
Side effects of the lack of probiotics include gastrointestinal disorders, skin issues, candida, autoimmune disease, and frequent colds and flu.
Historically, probiotics get into our diet from eating fresh foods from good soil and by fermenting our foods to keep them from spoiling. However, in recent times, refrigeration and dangerous agricultural practices, like soaking our foods with chlorine, leave foods with little to no probiotics.
Most foods even contain antibiotics that kill off the good bacteria in our bodies.
Here is a list of super healthy probiotic foods. They are mostly natural and entirely organic.
1. Yogurt
As one of the top sources of probiotics, yogurt is a product of milk that has been fermented by friendly bacteria. The bacteria which act on yogurt mainly include lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria.
Eating yogurt as a healthy probiotic food comes with benefits such as improved bone health and health for patients with high blood pressure.
In children, yogurt has been suggested to help to reduce the risk of diarrhea as a result of antibiotics. It also helps them to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Also, because the bacteria in yogurt turns some lactose into lactic acid, it may be beneficial to consume than milk. However, this causes the yogurt to be sour. It may be more suitable than milk for people who suffer from lactose intolerance.
In choosing yogurt, put in mind that not all yogurt contains live probiotics as some get lost during processing. Therefore, always go for yogurt that contains live or active probiotics that help to heal your guts.
Also, always read the label on yogurt to be sure that it is low-fat or fat-free. Even if it carries a low-fat tag, you should also check for the amount of added sugar.
2. Kombucha
Kombucha is a brewed fermentation of black tea. It is started by using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha originates from Japan and has been around for over 2,000 years.
Many users suggest it to be healthy probiotic food that supports the digestive system primarily, increases energy, and detoxifies the liver.
However, human evidence for these claims is lacking, and studies that exist are animal and test-tube studies. As a result of its fermentation by bacteria and yeast, it contains potent health benefits that relate to its probiotic properties.
3. Kefir
The word ‘kefir’ is from the Turkish word ‘Keyif,’ which means ‘feeling good’ after eating. Kefir is a fermented probiotic milk drink that is produced by adding kefir grains to cow milk or goat milk. Kefir grains are not like cereal grains.
They are cultures of lactic acid bacteria and yeast that look like cauliflower.
Kefir is a healthy probiotic food that provides several health benefits. Studies suggest that it helps to improve bone health, protect against infection, and help with digestive problems.
Unlike yogurt, Kefir is a better source of a probiotic nutrient. It possesses different major strains of friendly bacteria and yeast, which makes it a more diverse, robust, and healthy probiotic food. Also, kefir is useful for people who are intolerant to lactose.
4. Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a product of finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria. It is among the oldest traditional foods favorite in European countries.
Often, people eat Sauerkraut as a side dish or on top of sausages. It has a salty and sour taste, and you can store it in an airtight container for months.
Apart from being a healthy probiotic food, it also contains a generous amount of fiber and is high in sodium. Sauerkraut is rich in vitamins K, C, and B, as well as iron and manganese nutrients.
It has lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants that help to improve eye health. It also gives food a sour taste while supporting the growth of good bacteria.
In choosing Sauerkraut, make sure you go for the unpasteurized sauerkraut types. This is because the process of pasteurization kills the live and active bacteria present in sauerkraut.
5. Kimchi
Kimchi is a cousin to sauerkraut and may be said to be the Korean take on cultured veggies. It is a spicy and fermented Korean side dish. Its primary ingredient is usually cabbage, but it can also be made from other available vegetables.
Kimchi is a product of a mix of seasonings such as garlic, red chili pepper flakes, scallion, ginger, and salt as its flavors.
It contains lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus kimchi, and other lactic acid bacteria that benefit digestive health.
Kimchi uses cabbage as its vegetable ingredient contains vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and iron.
It is also high in enzymes that are ideal for digestion and overall digestive health. All of these make it a super healthy probiotic food.
6. Natto
Natto is a favorite Japanese dish which consists of fermented soybeans. It is usually mixed with rice and served as breakfast. Natto possesses a distinct smell, a strong flavor, and a slimy texture.
Also, Natto contains a healthy probiotic food bacterial strain called Bacillus subtilis. This bacteria strain can improve the immune system, enhance the digestion of vitamin k2 for bone health, and support cardiovascular health.
It also contains Nattokinase, a potent anti-inflammatory enzyme that fights cancer.
A study on older Japanese men finds that taking natto regularly provides for a higher bone mineral density. Other studies suggest that it may help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in women.
7. Some Cheese Types
Cheese is a highly nutritious and excellent source of protein as well as a healthy probiotic food. It is also rich in essential vitamins and minerals. These include calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and selenium.
Cheese such as Goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, and A2 cow’s soft cheeses are unusually high in probiotics like thermophilous, bifudus, bulgaricus, and acidophilus. Also, always buy raw and unpasteurized cheeses if you want to receive any probiotics.
However, not all fermented cheese types contain probiotics. There is a need to search for live and active probiotic cultures on the food labels. The good bacteria that survive the aging process in some cheeses include Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, and cottage cheese.
Studies suggest that the moderate consumption of dairy products, such as cheese, may lower the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.
8. Salted gherkin pickles
Pickles are fermented tasty treats that are little known as a healthy probiotic food. They are a product of cucumbers that have been pickled in a saltwater solution.
Cucumbers are left to ferment over a period using their natural lactic acid bacteria, and this process makes them sour.
Pickles are a viable source of healthy probiotic food bacteria that helps to improve guts and overall digestive health. They are low in calories and are an excellent source of vitamin K, a nutrient essential for blood clotting. Also, pickles are often high in sodium.
In choosing the best brand of pickles, go for the ones made by smaller manufacturers that use organic products. Importantly, do not pick pickles that are made with vinegar as they do not contain active probiotics.
Healthy Probiotic Drink Recipes To Heal Your Gut
9. Gut-Friendly Blueberry Probiotic Smoothie
If you wish to keep this recipe entirely vegan and plant-based, you can swap the dairy for coconut kefir. It is available at most health food stores and tastes delicious.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of kefir
- One tablespoon of chia seed
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- One slice of fresh avocado
- One ripe banana
How To:
- Grind all ingredients until you achieve a smooth pulp
- Drink fresh or refrigerate.
10. Probiotic Strawberry Limeade
You may substitute Seltzer water instead of kombucha. You can also add Raspberries.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 C water
- One serving of stevia
- 1/2 C maple syrup/honey
- 1.5 c of strawberries
- 4c of unflavored kombucha
- 1.5c of fresh lime juice
How To:
- Add water, berries, and sweetener to pan
- Leave to simmer until soft (this should take about 10 minutes
- While waiting, squeeze limes to make juice.
- Once soft, blend berries in a small food processor until liquid
- Chill lime juice and berries together
- Add kombucha right before serving. (Check tartness and add more stevia if needed)
11. Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
Ingredients:
- Two tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Two tablespoons of organic apple juice with no sugar
- a sprinkle of cinnamon
- Four drops of vanilla stevia
- 6 ounces of cold water
- Two cubes of ice
How To:
- Combine all ingredients in a cup
- Stir or shake to combine
- Taste and add more stevia if necessary
- Serve chilled.
12. Probiotic Green Juice Recipe
Ingredients:
- One handful of spinach leaves
- One handful of parsley
- Two stalks of celery
- One handful of kale leaves
- One probiotic capsule
How To:
- Place all ingredients apart from the probiotic capsule in a juicer and juice thoroughly
- Then, open the probiotic capsule and empty into juice
- After this, stir juice well and enjoy chilled!
13. Herbal Kefir Iced Tea
Ingredients:
-
- Water kefir grains that have been re-hydrated according to package instructions
- Non-chlorinated water
- Unrefined sugar
- One handful of fresh or dried herbs
- Fresh stevia leaf
How To:
- Culture water kefir grains according to package instructions
- Then, prepare an herbal infusion by simply pouring boiling water over herbs (and stevia)
- Allow to steep for 15 minutes to 1 hour, and then strain
- Once cooled to room temperature, mix one-part herbal infusion with one part water kefir
- Allow to set out on your countertop for at least 6 hours, preferably longer
- Chill and enjoy cold.
Final Thoughts
As earlier stated, unhealthy guts could compromise things like immunity, cognitive function, healthy weight, hormonal balance, and much more. However, to treat your guts, this list of healthy probiotics foods are super effective and powerful. Besides, they are mostly natural and entirely organic.
Do well to thank me later.
