The
Power of Probiotics
What
is a Probiotic?
Probiotics are a group of live, active
microorganisms (mostly bacteria, but some other microbes like yeast) that have
intended health benefits within the GI tract
What
do Probiotics do inside our bellies?
Probiotics can ferment, decompose, and help to
digest the foods you eat. The bacteria must be live cultures in order for us to
get the benefits of probiotics.
What
can probiotics do for our health?
Research has been emerging on probiotics and shows
that those with lesser amount of “good” gut bacteria are more susceptible to
diseases of the GI tract like Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, Irritable Bowel, and
even has been linked to greater risk of obesity. Having appropriate amounts of probiotics in
the diet and in the gut are linked to a healthier immune system, improved
cardiovascular health, better nutrient absorption, and lessened risk of
obesity.
Where
do we get Probiotics?
We start acquiring gut microbes when we are born,
and continue to acquire more depending on our environment. In fact, if you have
a pet, you have more gut microbes than someone who doesn’t! Your food and drink
choices, as well as, overall health, stress and antibiotic use can impact the
gut microbe amounts. Antibiotics kill all of the bacteria in the gut, whether
good or bad, in attempt to help fight off illness!
Sources
of Probiotics
Fermented foods are all great sources of
probiotics. Fermented foods are cheese, kefir, and yogurt. The good bacteria is
used in the fermentation process, which helps yield the final product. To know
if you’re getting good bacteria, the label on the product will say “live and
active cultures”. There are other food sources of probiotics that go beyond
dairy; these are any pickled vegetables, some soybean products, and
unpasteurized sauerkraut. Another source of probiotics is Kombucha, which is a
yeast fermented tea drink. It provides the good bacteria, while in a drinkable
tea form.
Eating
and Storage of Probiotics
-
Most probiotics need to be kept in a
refrigerator, so be sure to store them between 34-38 degrees.
-
Probiotics come in different strains,
check the label to see what type you’re getting (there’s Lactobacillus
rhamnosus, L. casei, Bifidobacterium lactis, L. bulgaricus, and S.
themophiles.)
-
Cooking and eating will destroy the
live and active cultures
-
If you have a milk allergy, be careful
because some probiotics are grown in a dairy medium, even if the product is in
a dairy product
-
Try to have probiotics in your diet
every day since they cannot be stored, they only pass through
the GI tract
