We are Pro Probiotics and Why People Ready to Strengthen Their Gut Health Should Be Too!

Everything gut health is still trending. You may be asking why and then wondering if you should pay attention too. So many key terms like probiotics, prebiotics and synbioticsaynbiotics are popping up. Here wewill will cover probiotics, what they are as well as how they work within the body. 

What are probiotics?

Probiotics are among the top buzz words you’ll hear when talking about gut health. But what are they, where do they come from and are they good for you? The World Health Organization describes probiotics as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”1. That’s a complicated way of saying probiotics are living tiny bacteria that supports gut health and have a positive impact on overall health. 

Where are probiotics found? 

Probiotics are found in many of the foods you are already eating, specifically fermented foods and also in supplements. The probiotics that are found in fermented foods are the result of   fermentation – the byproducts that occur when bacteria, yeast and fungi  break down sugars and starches in food to create acids, alcohols and gas2. You may have seen some of these examples in your local grocery store or farmers markets. Some common examples of fermentation include cabbage becoming sauerkraut, cucumbers becoming pickles, soybeans turning into miso and natto, and milk becoming yogurt, cheeses and sour cream. 

People have been fermenting food all around the globe for hundreds of years. In fact, there are thousands of different fermented foods that show up in cuisines around the globe.  Some traditional fermented foods include dahi bhalle and dosas that show up in some  Indian foodways, kefir and sucuk in Turkish culture, and kimchi in Korean culture2. Today, some of  the most common fermented foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, natto, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread, some cheeses and fermented tea. These foods not only contain additional nutrients but also may contain multiple types of probiotic strains. 

What are the health benefits of probiotics?

So, why should we incorporate probiotics into our pattern of eating? Here are the top 5 ways these tiny organisms are important for your health.

Probiotics are certainly beneficial for our gut health, but also for immune health, mental health, allergies, cholesterol and glucose maintenance. That means if you are thinking about ways to support healthy cholesterol levels and level blood sugars, probiotics may be helpful to you. Probiotics have the capability of changing the make up of microorganisms living in the gut and encouraging a better balance of health bacteria. In fact they help populate more of the good bugs and crowd out the bad bacteria. 3 

Gut Health

In our gut, probiotics improve digestion and reduce gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation. This is because the fermentation process effectively pre-digests foods and makes them easier for our bodies to process. 

This also helps people with lactose intolerance tolerate some fermented dairy products as the lactose has already been digested2,4. 

Immune Function

Probiotics also support our immune function. They help our bodies both stimulate and regulate immune responses by helping to eliminate pathogenic / harmful  bacteria2,5,6.

Mental Health

Probiotics’ impact on mental health has also been studied as the gut and brain have been found to be connected through the gut-brain axis. There is a conversation that happens between our gut and brain. A study in 2015 found that fermented foods containing probiotics were associated with improved mood and perception of situational anxiety.  7.

Glucose Regulation

Research shows that fermented food and beverages may also support healthy blood glucose levels. Specifically, consuming fermented milk reduces the risk of impaired glucose metabolism and lowers the risk of developing  type 2 diabetes8.

Cholesterol Management

Fermented foods may also help with the management of health cholesterol levels.  These foods are involved in the production of short-chain fatty acids that are involved in lowering total cholesterol levels2. Fermented dairy has also shown reductions in blood pressure9. 

What are 5 ways to incorporate probiotic foods into your pattern of eating:

1. Add fermented yogurt or kefir to your meals. You can enjoy either on its own, added to beverages, as a spread, or as a base for sauces and dressings.

1. On meat-free days, try using tempeh or natto  in place of animal proteins. You can use them  in a stir fry, in a stew, or in tacos!

1. Try sourdough bread as the base for a sandwich or as a side for a salad. And if you’re feeling adventurous, make sourdough bread from scratch! 

1. Enjoy a glass of kombucha or fermented teas for probiotic-filled hydration.

1. Add sauerkraut or kimchi to savory dishes, like this Polish dish or Korean dish.

If you are looking for ways to incorporate probiotics into your pattern of eating or have a question about your gut health, visit our website to learn more about how you can work with one of our dietitians!

References

1. Hill C, Guarner F, Reid G, et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2014 118. 2014;11(8):506-514. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66
2. Melini F, Melini V, Luziatelli F, Ficca AG, Ruzzi M. Health-Promoting Components in Fermented Foods: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2019;11(5). doi:10.3390/NU11051189
3. Parker EA, Roy T, D’Adamo CR, Wieland LS. Probiotics and Gastrointestinal Conditions: An Overview of Evidence from the Cochrane Collaboration. Nutrition. 2018;45:125. doi:10.1016/J.NUT.2017.06.024
4. Kisan BS, Kumar R, Ashok SA, Sangita G. Probiotic foods for human health: A review. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8(3):967-971. http://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2019/vol8issue3/PartR/8-1-588-704.pdf. Accessed December 17, 2021.
5. George Kerry R, Patra JK, Gouda S, Park Y, Shin HS, Das G. Benefaction of probiotics for human health: A review. J Food Drug Anal. 2018;26(3):927-939. doi:10.1016/J.JFDA.2018.01.002
6. Markowiak P, Ślizewska K. Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Human Health. Nutrients. 2017;9(9). doi:10.3390/NU9091021
7. Hilimire MR, DeVylder JE, Forestell CA. Fermented foods, neuroticism, and social anxiety: An interaction model. Psychiatry Res. 2015;228(2):203-208. doi:10.1016/J.PSYCHRES.2015.04.023
8. Eussen SJPM, Van Dongen MCJM, Wijckmans N, et al. Consumption of dairy foods in relation to impaired glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Maastricht Study. Br J Nutr. 2016;115(8):1453-1461. doi:10.1017/S0007114516000313
9. Khalesi S, Sun J, Buys N, Jayasinghe R. Effect of probiotics on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Hypertension. 2014;64(4):897-903. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.03469