Improving Your Digestion With Probiotics
Probiotics are live microbial organisms naturally found in the digestive tract and other parts of the body. It’s widely believed that there must be a balance of good bacteria to keep the immune system functioning.
The history of probiotics often begins with Nobel Prize winning Russian scientist Eli Metchnikoff, who first posited that it was possible to modify gut flora with the addition of useful bacteria.
Advocates say “friendly bacteria” probiotics can suppress an overabundance of harmful bacteria, improve immune system functioning, enhance the protective barrier in the digestive tract and help produce vitamin K. Given these benefits, American spending on probiotic products tripled from 1994 to 2003. We may also get our daily dose from probiotic foods, like yogurt or probiotic supplement.
People use probiotic products to naturally treat a number of conditions, particularly antibiotic-induced diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, ulcerative colitis and vaginal yeast infections.
food probiotics
Some foods probiotic claim to bolster the immune system, prevent colds, treat allergies, stop tooth decay, address skin conditions like eczema, reduce the occurrence of bladder cancer, and prevent colon cancer and Crohn’s disease. Most clinical trials regarding probiotics revolve around diarrhea treatment, which lactobacillus and bifidobacterium are proven to treat.
Probiotic foods include yogurt like Dannon Activa, Ricera and Stonyfield Farm, as well as Horizon milk, sour cream and cottage cheese. Refrigerated sauerkraut like Cortland Valley Organic, Bubbies Old Fashioned Sauerkraut and Wills Valley Sauerkraut also contain probiotics cultures.
Salted gherkin pickles and brine-cured olives contain decent amounts of Lactobacilli. Kashi Vive Probiotic Digestive Wellness Cereal is one of the best sources of probiotics acidophilus, with thousands of units per serving. The FDA mandates that food probiotics be safe for the body and not overstate their benefits, but they do not have to perform as advertised.
probiotic foods
To be effective, food probiotics must contain live cultures of healthy bacteria, which can be a challenge when working with canned, jarred or marketed food that must have a long shelf life. That is why yogurt and other refrigerated products are the ideal hosts for bacteria.
To promote healthy digestive processes, most people purchase probiotic foods, although supplements like Align Probiotic or Culturelle Probiotic are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for the lactose intolerant.
