PROBIOTIC FOODS
In the first article in the series, I covered basic information about probiotics. Now I want to talk about what I consider to be the best source of these beneficial organisms: probiotic foods. I'll also explain why some of your food cravings are coming from your gut, and how probiotics can change what you crave.
What are probiotic foods?
Probiotic foods are foods that host colonies of bacteria and fungi that are beneficial to our digestion and overall health. Kimchi is a good example. Kimchi is cabbage covered in a spicy sauce that is left in urns in the ground to rot... but it just so happens that the bacteria and fungus that decompose kimchi are not only edible, but good for us. Another good example is yogurt, which is teeming with friendly bacteria that consume the milk sugar we call lactose, and give yogurt its signature taste. When we eat these living foods, some of the organisms survive our stomach acid and colonize our intestines. And, because most probiotic foods are a rich source of prebiotics - the resources the bacteria need to survive once they reach the gut - many will survive to reproduce.
Probiotic foods often contain a wide diversity of organisms; many more strains of beneficial organisms than probiotic supplements do, and this is one reason I prefer them. Diversity is beneficial when it comes to gut bacteria. When any one strain dominates and overpopulates the gut, we run into problems like diarrhea, nausea, yeast infections, and even serious blood infections. When we have many colonies battling it out over space in the gut, they keep each other at safe levels, while serving beneficial functions. Most supplements contains 1 to 3 dozen strains of organisms, at best. While a single spoonful of miso can contain over 140 different strains. Another benefit of probiotic foods is that they give us a naturally low dose of diverse strains of probiotics, allowing us to slowly build up many healthy colonies in our intestines.
Why do we need them?
They aid in digestion, and are involved in keeping harmful, and often inflammatory substances out of our bloodstream, like large undigested proteins which leak through the unsealed intestinal wall of a person with a poor gut biome. Many believe a "leaky gut", as it is called, to be a major contributor to auto-immune disease. Our gut flora also produce several of the B vitamins and vitamin K, which are essential to energy production, blood formation and function. Probiotics suppress harmful bacteria in the gut, often responsible for diarrhea and other issues. They also help reduce sugar cravings and boost cravings for healthy foods. For a more complete list of benefits, see the first article in the series.
A more important reason? You crave what you eat. At least partially
Whatever you eat is feeding the bacteria already in your gut. Your food choices are cultivating colonies of bacteria that prefer those foods, and starving colonies that need other foods. And, research has shown that your gut bacteria can make you crave the foods they need. In a nutshell: eating junk food feeds the organisms in your gut that thrive on the sugars in junk food, and your cravings for junk increases. On the flip side, eating whole, plant foods leads to craving whole, plant foods, because your environment favors the bacteria that thrive on plants. So seeding your gut with healthy bacteria can jump-start the process of suppressing the unhealthy colonies, and reduce your cravings for sugar. There are even studies that suggest that alcohol cravings are influenced by gut bacteria, so probiotic foods may be beneficial for addiction as well. Is there more to what we crave than the health of our gut biome? Absolutely. But every step in the right direction helps.
Which foods are probiotic?
There are many probiotic foods:
To some degree, all organic, fresh veggies and fruits are probiotic. The thin gray film we find on grapes, plums, and the stems of kale is actually a probiotic bio-film that will happily ride those foods into your gut. Most foods have a bio-film of microbes that specialize in the eating those foods. Bananas and other fruit that quickly ferment if left on the counter are also mildly probiotic. Even sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles are simply fermenting in their own bacteria, no starter culture is required.
The beauty of these foods is that they are both a vehicle for beneficial bacteria, and are altered by the bacteria they contain, making them even healthier than they were before fermenting. Probiotic organisms often consume, and therefore lower, the sugar content of the host food. They reduce gluten in fermented breads, like sourdough. They reduce anti-nutrients called phytates, that if left in food prevent us from absorbing some of the minerals in those foods. And, in some cases they are down-right medicinal: red-yeast rice is a probiotic food that is the original source of statin drugs which many people take to lower cholesterol.
How should they be used?
I recommend eating a small portion of one to three probiotic foods a day. A little organic yogurt at breakfast perhaps, followed by a few bites of kimchi with dinner. Maybe throw a teaspoon of miso into your salad dressing.
I home-make some of my probiotic foods, and encourage you to do the same. There are many great tutorials on Youtube for creating your own yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, etc. Start with one that you like, and when you've got it down, add another. Of course, you can always purchase them too. Avoid probiotics with added sugar, like most store bought yogurts. Buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fruit.
Long-haul, auto-pilot
Using probiotic foods for health requires a long-haul perspective. You may see benefits in the first month, but health really improves over a year or two of consistently eating these living foods. My recommendation is to make a habit of eating them, put that habit on auto-pilot, and eat them for the rest of your life. You will keep yourself well-stocked with beneficial organisms, and they, in turn, will help to keep you healthy.
Up Next
In part three of this series I'll discuss probiotic supplements, the pros and cons, safety issues, and when they may be useful.
May All Beings Be Happy and Well,
Craig Swogger, L.Ac.
Sources: See the sources for the first article in the series.
Probiotic foods are foods that host colonies of bacteria and fungi that are beneficial to our digestion and overall health. Kimchi is a good example. Kimchi is cabbage covered in a spicy sauce that is left in urns in the ground to rot... but it just so happens that the bacteria and fungus that decompose kimchi are not only edible, but good for us. Another good example is yogurt, which is teeming with friendly bacteria that consume the milk sugar we call lactose, and give yogurt its signature taste. When we eat these living foods, some of the organisms survive our stomach acid and colonize our intestines. And, because most probiotic foods are a rich source of prebiotics - the resources the bacteria need to survive once they reach the gut - many will survive to reproduce.
Probiotic foods often contain a wide diversity of organisms; many more strains of beneficial organisms than probiotic supplements do, and this is one reason I prefer them. Diversity is beneficial when it comes to gut bacteria. When any one strain dominates and overpopulates the gut, we run into problems like diarrhea, nausea, yeast infections, and even serious blood infections. When we have many colonies battling it out over space in the gut, they keep each other at safe levels, while serving beneficial functions. Most supplements contains 1 to 3 dozen strains of organisms, at best. While a single spoonful of miso can contain over 140 different strains. Another benefit of probiotic foods is that they give us a naturally low dose of diverse strains of probiotics, allowing us to slowly build up many healthy colonies in our intestines.
Why do we need them?
They aid in digestion, and are involved in keeping harmful, and often inflammatory substances out of our bloodstream, like large undigested proteins which leak through the unsealed intestinal wall of a person with a poor gut biome. Many believe a "leaky gut", as it is called, to be a major contributor to auto-immune disease. Our gut flora also produce several of the B vitamins and vitamin K, which are essential to energy production, blood formation and function. Probiotics suppress harmful bacteria in the gut, often responsible for diarrhea and other issues. They also help reduce sugar cravings and boost cravings for healthy foods. For a more complete list of benefits, see the first article in the series.
A more important reason? You crave what you eat. At least partially
Whatever you eat is feeding the bacteria already in your gut. Your food choices are cultivating colonies of bacteria that prefer those foods, and starving colonies that need other foods. And, research has shown that your gut bacteria can make you crave the foods they need. In a nutshell: eating junk food feeds the organisms in your gut that thrive on the sugars in junk food, and your cravings for junk increases. On the flip side, eating whole, plant foods leads to craving whole, plant foods, because your environment favors the bacteria that thrive on plants. So seeding your gut with healthy bacteria can jump-start the process of suppressing the unhealthy colonies, and reduce your cravings for sugar. There are even studies that suggest that alcohol cravings are influenced by gut bacteria, so probiotic foods may be beneficial for addiction as well. Is there more to what we crave than the health of our gut biome? Absolutely. But every step in the right direction helps.
Which foods are probiotic?
There are many probiotic foods:
- organic yogurt
- coconut milk yogurt
- kefir
- kombucha (a drink containing fermented fungus)
- miso (which comes in different types: soy, brown rice, barley, and garbanzo)
- sauerkraut
- kimchi
- natto (fermented soy)
- tempeh (fermented soy)
- pickles and pickled vegetables (pickled in brine not in vinegar, so check labels)
- fermented vegetables
- buttermilk
- creme fraiche if made with buttermilk
- raw, organic milk is naturally probiotic before it is pasteurized
- sourdough bread is probiotic prior to cooking, but once cooked no longer contains living organisms. However, during the fermentation process, the probiotics reduce or eliminate gluten.
To some degree, all organic, fresh veggies and fruits are probiotic. The thin gray film we find on grapes, plums, and the stems of kale is actually a probiotic bio-film that will happily ride those foods into your gut. Most foods have a bio-film of microbes that specialize in the eating those foods. Bananas and other fruit that quickly ferment if left on the counter are also mildly probiotic. Even sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles are simply fermenting in their own bacteria, no starter culture is required.
The beauty of these foods is that they are both a vehicle for beneficial bacteria, and are altered by the bacteria they contain, making them even healthier than they were before fermenting. Probiotic organisms often consume, and therefore lower, the sugar content of the host food. They reduce gluten in fermented breads, like sourdough. They reduce anti-nutrients called phytates, that if left in food prevent us from absorbing some of the minerals in those foods. And, in some cases they are down-right medicinal: red-yeast rice is a probiotic food that is the original source of statin drugs which many people take to lower cholesterol.
How should they be used?
I recommend eating a small portion of one to three probiotic foods a day. A little organic yogurt at breakfast perhaps, followed by a few bites of kimchi with dinner. Maybe throw a teaspoon of miso into your salad dressing.
I home-make some of my probiotic foods, and encourage you to do the same. There are many great tutorials on Youtube for creating your own yogurt, pickles, sauerkraut, etc. Start with one that you like, and when you've got it down, add another. Of course, you can always purchase them too. Avoid probiotics with added sugar, like most store bought yogurts. Buy plain yogurt and sweeten it yourself with fruit.
Long-haul, auto-pilot
Using probiotic foods for health requires a long-haul perspective. You may see benefits in the first month, but health really improves over a year or two of consistently eating these living foods. My recommendation is to make a habit of eating them, put that habit on auto-pilot, and eat them for the rest of your life. You will keep yourself well-stocked with beneficial organisms, and they, in turn, will help to keep you healthy.
Up Next
In part three of this series I'll discuss probiotic supplements, the pros and cons, safety issues, and when they may be useful.
May All Beings Be Happy and Well,
Craig Swogger, L.Ac.
Sources: See the sources for the first article in the series.
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