Best sources of probiotics to support gut health

Probiotics are one of the types of benign bacteria found in the intestines, which line the digestive system,
and these vital aids support the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and facilitate digestion,
and they contribute to supporting the immune system and preventing many diseases,
besides all that, eating may be Probiotic-rich foods have hundreds of other health benefits that many people don’t know about.
According to some studies, probiotics can help lower cholesterol, protect against allergies, help prevent cancer, and more. We’ll talk about the 17 best sources of probiotics to support gut health.

In most cases, getting more probiotics doesn’t require buying expensive pills, powders, or supplements.
Probiotics are available in a number of delicious and versatile foods, making them easy to enjoy and add to a healthy diet.

Today, we will talk about all the foods that contain probiotics, which must be added to the diet because of their many benefits.

What is the importance of probiotics?

Since probiotics play a key role in maintaining health and preventing diseases, not getting enough of them may result in some side effects such as digestive problems, skin and candida problems, autoimmune diseases, and frequent colds and flu.

Since ancient times, people have derived many of their probiotics from eating fresh foods from good soil, and by fermenting foods to keep them from spoiling.
Nowadays, dangerous agricultural practices and poor diet quality have led to a significantly reduced proportion of probiotics in food, and worse.
In addition, many foods today actually contain antibiotics that kill the beneficial bacteria in our bodies, but fortunately,
there are many foods rich in probiotics, along with probiotic supplements, that can be taken to help provide these essential microorganisms.

Benefits of probiotics

By adding more foods rich in probiotics to the diet, several health benefits can be observed which include:

Strengthening the immune system.
improve digestion;
Energy saving thanks to the production of vitamin B12.
Prevention of infections of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.
Promote skin health, and contribute to the treatment of eczema and psoriasis.
Cold and flu relief.
Treating leaky gut and inflammatory bowel disease.
Weight control.

To get all of these benefits, you should eat a variety of foods that contain probiotics, as each type offers a different type of good bacteria that benefits the body.

Types of probiotics

Here are the best types of beneficial gut bacteria that the body needs:

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Bifidobacterium bifidum
Bacillus subtilis (Bacillus subtilis)
Streptococcus thermophilus
Yeast Boulardii (Saccharomyces Boulardii)

When choosing to take probiotic supplements, you should make sure that they contain these beneficial types, to achieve the maximum benefit for your intestines.

The best sources of probiotics

Here are the top foods that are rich in these good bacteria:

1- Kefir (Indian mushroom)

A fermented milk product, kefir is a unique blend of fermented milk and kefir grains, has a slightly acidic and pungent flavor, contains between 10 and 34 strains of probiotics, and is a suitable choice for those with lactose intolerance.

2- Sauerkraut _

It is made from fermented cabbage and other vegetables that are rich in probiotics.
While the probiotics in sauerkraut are not as diverse, they are rich in organic acids that support the growth of beneficial bacteria.
It is high in vitamin C and digestive enzymes. It is also a good source of natural lactic acid bacteria, such as lactobacilli.

3- Kombucha

Also known as tea mushroom. It is a fermented drink made of well-known types of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. It helps support the digestive system, increase energy, and detoxify the liver.

4- coconut kefir

Made by fermenting coconut juice with kefir grains, so it tastes great, coconut kefir contains many beneficial probiotic strains.

5- NATO

A popular dish in Japan made from fermented soybeans, natto also contains an extremely powerful type of probiotic, Bacillus subtilis, which has been shown to strengthen the immune system, support cardiovascular health, and aid the absorption of vitamin K2, and natto also contains a powerful anti-oxidant enzyme.
It is loaded with a protein called nattokinase, which has been shown to prevent blood clotting.

6- Yogurt

Yogurt made from cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk may be the most common source of probiotics, and it can even rank as the number one probiotic food if it’s made from grass-fed animal products.

7- Kvass

It is one of the most popular fermented drinks in Eastern Europe since ancient times, and is made by fermenting barley, and is useful in filtering the blood and liver, in addition to its light sour flavor.

8- raw cheese

Probiotics are mainly found in goat’s milk and sheep’s milk, but raw and unpasteurized cheese should be purchased to obtain probiotics, as the pasteurized and processed varieties lack beneficial bacteria.

9- Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar provides a good source of probiotics, in addition to its benefit in controlling blood pressure, lowering cholesterol levels, controlling insulin, and even facilitating weight loss.

10- Pickled cucumber

It is also a good source of probiotics.

11- Salted olives

Salted olives are an excellent source of probiotics, but you should choose an organic product and make sure it doesn’t contain sodium benzoate, a food additive that can negate many of the health-promoting properties of olives.

12- Tempe

It is a fermented soybean product from Indonesia, and it is a wonderful food rich in probiotics.

13- Miso

A traditional Japanese condiment found in many traditional foods, it is made by fermenting soybeans, barley, or brown rice with koji mushrooms.

14- The fermented buttermilk

Also called fermented yogurt, it is a fermented drink made from the liquid left after mixing butter, and is one of the best probiotic-rich Indian foods.

15- Kefir water

Made by adding grains to sugar water, resulting in a fermented soft drink full of probiotics.

16- Raw Milk

17- Kimchi

Traditional Korean food is prepared by mixing a main ingredient, such as Chinese cabbage, with a number of other foods and spices.

Best sources of probiotics to support gut health