Probiotic foods contain beneficial microorganisms that promote intestinal health and aid digestion. They can be found naturally in some foods, added intentionally by manufacturers, or taken as supplements. However, they may cause adverse reactions in some people and have a limited shelf life.
Probiotic food is any food that contains microorganisms known to be beneficial to human digestion. Scientists and health experts use the word “probiotic” for a number of organisms that promote intestinal health by balancing digestive acids and helping with the breakdown and transport of waste. Some foods, such as some seaweeds and seaweeds, naturally contain helpful bacterial cultures; they can also grow as a result of fermentation or pickling. Even food manufacturers may add them intentionally, as is often the case with yogurt and other dairy products.
Beneficial properties
Unlike antibiotics, which kill harmful bacteria in the body, probiotics add helpful bacterial cultures, almost always to the digestive tract. The intestines are naturally teeming with bacteria that help process food and eliminate waste, but these processes aren’t always as efficient as they could be. Poor diet, imbalanced hydration, illness, and other environmental factors can also lead to a variety of digestive problems. Not all medical professionals agree that probiotics can cure problems like diarrhea, persistent constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome, but there is broad agreement that they can at least help in most cases.
Prevalence in dairy products
Food manufacturers in many countries artificially introduce probiotics into milk, yogurt and some cheeses to make them easier to digest. Raw cow and goat milk contains some of these bacteria, but not always a lot. Human breast milk, on the other hand, typically has very high levels of probiotic cultures, which many experts say help ripen infants’ digestive tracts.
Researchers began experimenting with adding Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria to commercial milk in the early 1900s in Europe and North America after medical professionals began noticing an increase in patients with lactose intolerance and other digestive problems thought to are caused by dairy products. Adding cultures can make milk more easily digestible without affecting its taste or nutritional makeup, so people are still getting benefits, like calcium and protein, without too much stomach upset. Modern manufacturers don’t usually automatically fortify milk with cultures, although probiotic milk – usually called acidophilus milk – is available in many markets, often as an alternative to those with lactose intolerance.
However, bacteria are helpful additions to most yogurt products. Any yogurt that says “live and active cultures” on its labeling contains probiotics. These cultures are usually added to help the yogurt thicken during processing and the digestive benefits are often an added bonus for the consumer. Some yogurt manufacturers add more cultures than strictly necessary to increase the probiotic effect of the final product; many of these are sold with promises of improved regularity or marketed as digestive “wonder food,” although the accuracy of these claims is somewhat disputed.
Fermented foods
L. acidophilus is just one of many bacteria that can help regulate digestion. Other bacterial strains in the genus Lactobacilli, as well as some species of Bifidobacterium, grow in fermented foods. These bacteria generally occur naturally, although some food manufacturers take steps to encourage their presence. Miso, sauerkraut, and the fermented soy product sold in many places such as tempeh are some common examples of rich foods from these cultures.
Preserved and pickled vegetables
Pickled vegetables can also be good sources of probiotics. Homemade pickles typically have higher concentrations of beneficial bacteria than mass-produced or commercially prepared products, as many of the preservatives common in store-bought foods limit bacterial growth. However, a lot depends on the process and the vegetable in question.
Marine plants
The marine plants pyrulina, corella and blue-green algae, which are consumed in many cultures, are naturally rich in bifidobacteria bacteria when eaten fresh. The probiotics in these plants usually don’t survive long once removed from the ocean, meaning they must be eaten relatively quickly to provide any digestive benefit. It is also important that they are eaten raw, as cooking plants usually kills bacteria.
Lifespan concerns
Seaweed isn’t the only probiotic food with a limited shelf life. Like most living things, bacteria thrive only under certain conditions and will eventually die. As a result, many of these foods have very strict expiration dates. People who eat outdated products won’t necessarily be harmed by them, but they can’t produce any benefit either. The most active cultures will remain alive under refrigeration, pressure, or liquid suspension for anywhere from one week to 10 days after being exposed to oxygen. Heating, freezing and aggressive shaking can cause the bacteria to die faster.
Product supplements
Some people choose to take probiotic supplements as well as seek out foods rich in these cultures. Most are marketed as “combo pills” that contain a number of different bacterial strains. Medical professionals sometimes recommend these to patients with chronic digestive problems, especially those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, and when taken with food, they can sometimes help the body work more smoothly. There isn’t a lot of evidence that this type of regimen is any better than just eating foods that contain live, active cultures, but that hasn’t stopped many people from giving supplementation at least a chance.
Potential side effects
Probiotic foods aren’t always beneficial for everyone, and adverse reactions have been documented, particularly in people who begin aggressive diet plans with no prior exposure to the bacteria. Stomach pain, flatulence, and loose stools are some of the symptoms people may experience when they suddenly introduce large amounts of bacteria into their diet. Most health experts recommend starting slowly, often eating a single serving of probiotic-fortified food at a time. Over a period of days or weeks, amounts can be slowly increased to build tolerance and condition the gut.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
