7 Probiotic Foods Scientifically Linked to Better Health

7 Probiotic Foods Scientifically Linked to Better Health

Stomach well-being might appear to be an in-vogue theme, however, it's a long way from a prevailing fashion. Numerous health outcomes, including diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal disease, and depression, have been linked to the gut microbiome over time. One of the best places to start if you want to improve your health is with the trillions of bacteria in your digestive tract. If you keep them happy, you'll have a stronger immune system, more energy, a better mood, and better health as a result.

So how would you improve and keep a solid stomach? Eating foods that increase the number and diversity of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract is one aspect of the equation. Various strains of beneficial bacteria found in probiotic foods have the potential to establish colonies in your digestive tract after consumption. Beneficial bacteria that multiply through fermentation occur naturally in some foods, while probiotics are frequently added to other foods.

Continue to peruse to dive deeper into the advantages of probiotics, and for more good dieting tips to help ideal stomach wellbeing, figure out How Yogurt Helps Your Stomach.

What are probiotics and probiotic food varieties?

We frequently consider microorganisms a definite method for acquainting infection and endeavor to avoid them with antibacterial cleansers and hand sanitizers. In addition, we try to consume as little as possible while adhering to safe food practices. While these practices are perfect for keeping away from terrible microbes, you additionally maintain that should give a valiant effort to bring all the more great microorganisms into your framework — otherwise called probiotics.

The bacteria and yeast that have a beneficial effect on the body are known as probiotics. This beneficial bacteria can be found on every body surface, with as many as 10 to 100 trillion colonizing the digestive tract! Living among the great microorganisms is a lot of terrible microbes. Probiotic foods, on the other hand, can help maintain a healthy gut flora balance, minimizing the negative effects of harmful bacteria.

Through fermentation, probiotics are either naturally present in probiotic foods or have been added to them. Bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria are two of the most frequently added strains of beneficial bacteria to food. On the other hand, numerous other strains that are beneficial to health can be found naturally in foods or added to them.

Are every fermented food varieties probiotics?

Organic products, vegetables, and grains all have normally happening microbes on the skin, which duplicate during the maturation cycle. Fermented foods will contain varying amounts of beneficial yeasts or bacteria at some point during the manufacturing process. However, this does not guarantee that all fermented foods contain probiotics.

During processing, many fermented foods lose their probiotics. Due to the heat used during processing, foods like sourdough, chocolate, heat-treated fermented vegetables, and sauerkraut do not contain any live organisms when we consume them. Before it reaches your hands, the yeasts and bacteria that were previously present are removed during the fermentation of beer and wine.

Pressure-treating yogurt containing Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus casei only slightly reduced the amount of active culture in the food, according to a March 2020 Foods study. This suggests that beneficial bacteria may still be present in fermented foods that have not been heat- or pressure-treated for preservation.

Typically consumed fermented foods with beneficial bacteria, such as tempeh, kimchi, and kombucha, will contain some beneficial bacteria. However, the quantity and types of bacteria present in many of these foods are unknown.

How taking probiotics can help you stay healthy?

Overall, probiotics help the microbiome in your gut stay healthy, but each strain has its own potential health benefits, like making you feel better, easing diarrhea or constipation, and helping your immune system work better. Probiotics and the stomach microbiome are vivaciously being explored, and new potential advantages are as yet being found.

A barrier is created in the gut by friendly bacteria, preventing harmful bacteria from entering and causing illness. The probiotics additionally feed on prebiotics, certain undigestible filaments that we eat, and produce gainful results like short-chain unsaturated fats, which increment supplement assimilation and assist with battling irritation.

The seven best probiotic foods for a healthy gut

1) Yogurt

Although all yogurts contain some probiotics, not all of them are created equal.

According to Australia-based food scientist and specialist pregnancy dietitian and nutritionist Dr. Shy Vishnumohan, PhD, APD, "Look for ones with live cultures such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophillus". Some brands even specify the number of bacteria present to ensure that you have enough to withstand stomach acid digestion.

To underline the medical advantages of routinely remembering yogurt for your eating regimen, Dr. Vishnumohan references an April 2021 Nourishment Surveys article that investigated 76 examinations, showing a positive connection between eats less including yogurt and diminished hazard of type 2 diabetes, coronary illness, as well as bosom and colon malignant growth.

2) Cottage Cheese

In reference to the cottage cheese ice cream trend that has taken TikTok by storm, gut health nutritionist Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD says, "Cottage cheese is an under-loved fermented food that can be a source of probiotics and can also be the base of your ice cream."

Sauceda cites a December 2022 Scientific Reports study that identified the strain and its antimicrobial properties, despite the fact that not all brands of this curdled dairy have high levels of probiotics. However, one strain of lactic acid bacteria has been found in cottage cheese.

If you want to get the most out of cottage cheese's probiotics, look for a brand that uses processes to make the beneficial bacteria stronger. Sauceda advises, "Look for live and active cultures on the label to make sure it was made through fermentation."

3) Miso

Miso is a versatile and extremely delicious condiment because it can impart a rich, savory, salty, and umami flavor to any dish it is added to. However, this fermented soybean paste has numerous health advantages as well!

Jennifer Akimoto, MAN, RD, explains, "Miso can be used in marinades, sauces, and dressings, but the most traditional way is miso soup."

According to a review published in Food Science and Nutrition in September 2022, miso may have properties that, among other health benefits, combat cancer, high blood pressure, inflammation, and cholesterol regulation.

According to Akimoto, referring to the study, "those who eat miso soup daily have been shown to experience fewer stomach illnesses and reflux."

4) Sauerkraut

If you are of European descent, you may remember smelly kitchens and cabbage that tasted bad that was served on every holiday.

Maya Oueichek, MBA, RDN, explains, "Sauerkraut is a dish made with fermented cabbage that has been a staple in many European diets for centuries." The distinct tangy flavor of sauerkraut is due to the beneficial bacteria in it, making it a popular topping."

A review published in Current Opinion in Biotechnology in April 2017 states, "Sauerkraut contains beneficial bacteria that improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and enhance immune function." Oueichek refers to the article.

5) Kefir

Yogurt isn't the just matured, probiotic-rich dairy item available. Yogurt is similar to kefir. In any case, it's made with an alternate kind of bacterial strain and has a marginally unique surface and taste.

"You can easily enjoy [kefir] as a drink or in smoothies. Because of the fermentation process, it has a longer shelf-life than many other dairy foods," says Sauceda

The culture that is used to make yogurt and kefir are two different things. Kefir grains are gelatinous granules that aid in the fermentation of milk and produce lactic and acetic acids. They contain various strains of yeast and bacteria. Kefir's bioactive compounds, including lactic acid, have antimicrobial, cancer-fighting, and immune-boosting properties.

6) Kimchi

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish that is made by fermenting cabbage, radishes, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers.

According to Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, "the fermentation process promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, which can help improve digestion and support immune health."

One explicit probiotic strain found in kimchi called Lactobacillus plantarum has a high resilience to gastric juices, cell reinforcement movement, and resistant upgrading impacts.

7) Tempeh

Tempeh is a protein-rich fermented soybean product that is frequently consumed as a meat substitute made from plants. It has been found to improve cognitive function due to the microorganism's influence on the gut microbiome and its abundance of probiotics.

A little report distributed in Dementia and Geriatric Mental Issue found that more seasoned grown-ups who ate 100 grams of tempeh every day had further developed worldwide mental scores contrasted with the benchmark group who didn't eat tempeh.

In addition, a study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in June 2022 sought to determine whether the probiotics in tempeh alone could affect the cognition of a select group of elderly people. Specialists found that 107 CFU/mL to 108 CFU/mL of the tempeh probiotic expanded a mix of memory, learning, visuospatial, and verbal familiarity. In contrast, the memory of the control group only improved.