Probiotics are very similar to the healthy bacteria that is already present in your body, so having a few of these good guys around can work wonders during the cold and flu season!
Adding more good bacteria to your body can help boost your immune system, support weight management and prevent occasional diarrhea or constipation.
If you don’t want to add a probiotic supplement to your routine, you’re in luck! There are many foods that happen to contain these naturally.
Kefir contains anywhere between 10 and 34 different strains of probiotics. It is like yogurt, but is fermented with yeast and more probiotics. Contrary to popular belief, not all yogurts contain probiotics. If you prefer yogurt over kefir, ensure that it is labeled “Live and Active”.
It’s also important to ensure that yogurt that comes from goat’s or sheep’s milk is grass fed and organic.
You can also find probiotics in some cultured vegetables such as Kimchi and Sauerkraut. Both are also high in enzymes that aid digestion.
Natto, a popular Japanese dish, also contains one of the best probiotics – Bacillus subtilis. It consists of fermented soybeans and has been proven to boost your immune system, among other health benefits.
A more common food that is rich in probiotics is cheese. There are only certain types of cheese that maintain their probiotic qualities during processing.
Make sure that you always buy raw, unpasteurized cheese if you want any type of probiotics. Cheddar, Gouda, provolone, and feta are among the top cheese sources for good bacteria.
The way that we process foods today includes soaking the food in bleach, which kills the probiotics that were once found in the average daily diet. In fact, most of our food today contains antibiotics that actually kill the good bacteria in our bodies.
To get the most benefit from probiotic foods, it is important to get different strains by mixing up your diet.
