The Power of Probiotics
Looking for a way to improve your gut health? You may have heard of the term “probiotics,” and think it seems counter-intuitive to consume bacteria on purpose. Today, we’re going to break down how these live cultures are truly on your side and can help maintain a healthy environment inside your body’s gastrointestinal tract.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are “good” bacteria, similar to those naturally found in your gut. There are over 500 different strains of probiotics that can be found naturally through foods, beverages, and supplements. Not all probiotics affect our health in the same way. Similar to vitamins and minerals, each strain has its own unique health benefits.
What are the benefits of probiotics?
The active cultures in probiotics help keep our gut flora in balance. This can also improve our immune function and digestive health. Probiotics have been shown to help treat diarrhea, vaginal infections, and can help prevent milk allergies, heart attacks, and hypertension. Probiotics can assist in preventing symptoms of inflammatory diseases such as, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and colitis.
Where can you find probiotics?
You may not know it, but you probably consume probiotics in your everyday diet. Foods like yogurt, cheese, and kefir products naturally contain probiotics. Other fermented, non-dairy foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and tempeh also have beneficial probiotics. For those who do not include enough of these foods in their diets, probiotic supplements are available.
Be on the lookout for our next blog post sharing all about the unique types of fermented foods and how to boost your probiotic intake with them!