Probiotics
When you hear the word “probiotics”, you usually think about a pill sitting in a bottle that you buy, often for a hefty price, at a health store or pharmacy. But unrefrigerated probiotics are not actually as effective as we think. Healing the gut is a process. For those with gut inflammation or digestive issues, the results of balancing the micro-biome of your gut can be reducing inflammation in the gut,increased absorption of vitamins and minerals, prevention of leaky gut .
Even for those not suffering from chronic gut issues, balancing the micro-biome results in nicer skin, better digestion and has a positive cognitive effect, (Fun fact: 80 percent of serotonin is produced in the gut. So the more balanced your gut is, the happier you’ll be!)
Balancing your gut is not about taking a pill, but more of a lifestyle change. Beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, are living creatures found in many of the foods we eat. These good bacterias live in our gut and are hungry for specific foods to remain happy and doing what they do to keep us healthy.
If you do decide to take a probiotic supplement, it should be one that is kept in refrigeration, and also add these foods to your diet to ensure maximum healing.
Here is a list of foods rich in probiotics:
Pickles (brined - in salt, not vinegar)
Sauerkraut
Olives (brined - again salt, not vinegar)
Miso (another excuse to go for sushi - yay!)
Yoghurt - goat’s or sheep’s milk
Various other food that are harder to get a hold of: Kimchi, Tempeh, Natto, Kefir, Kombucha
You can read further about how fermented foods improve your health here in a study just published in Cell.
Here is a list of foods that are PRE-biotic,, which are what help the beneficial bacteria already in our gut remain there:
Chicory Root
Banana
Asparagus
Artichoke
Jerusalem Artichoke
Leek
Garlic
Onion
Dandelion leaves (and root as a tea)
For more info, see gastroenterologist Dr. Robynne Chutkan’s book
