Introduction
Probiotics are live bacteria that are good for your health but especially good for your digestive system. When we think of bacteria, we think about how they cause diseases and about how harmful bacteria can be. But the bacteria found in probiotics are helpful to your body – most specifically, your gut. They will help food go through your gut properly.
Probiotics have even been shown to treat bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious diarrhea, and antibiotic-related diarrhea. Some people have also said that probiotics help skin conditions like eczema, urinary and vaginal health, help prevent allergies, and maintain oral health. Studies have also shown that while taking probiotics, there is an increase in the efficiency and function of the brain.
With the right amount of probiotics in your system, it makes it harder for any harmful bacteria to make their way into your body and make you sick.
Food Containing Probiotics
Probiotics are naturally found in your body. You find them in the food and the supplements that you eat. Probiotics are mostly found in foods like:
- Yogurt – This is one of the most familiar sources of probiotics. When buying yogurt, look for the ones saying “live and active cultures.”
- Sauerkraut – Eat the unpasteurized sauerkraut because pasteurization will kill the active and good bacteria.
- Cheese – This acts as a carrier for probiotics. Eating cheese can help to boost your immune system.
- Sourdough bread – This is the best bread for you to eat because this bread helps the most with digestion.
- Sour pickles – Eating pickles without the use of vinegar in the pickling process is the best. Instead, look for pickles with a sea salt and water solution. This type of pickle will help feed the growth of good bacteria and will help with digestion.
Why Probiotics Keep Us Healthy
As mentioned, probiotics are so important for people to include in their diets because they has been shown to improve people’s health. They keep us healthy in a number of ways:
- After taking antibiotics, some of the good bacteria may be lost. Probiotics can help to replace the good bacteria that you lost.
- When taking probiotics, you are reducing the number of “bad” bacteria that can cause diseases in your body.
- They help to balance the good and bad bacteria in your body, which will help your body to work like it should.
Types of Probiotics
There are different types of probiotics. These include:
- Lactobacillus – This is the most important probiotic. You’ll find this one in food products like yogurt and some other fermented foods. This type of probiotic can help with diarrhea and may help people who cannot digest lactose.
- Bifidobacterium – This type of probiotic can be found in most dairy products. This type will most likely help with any symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotics have been shown to be very beneficial in many aspects of human health. They help to prevent future sicknesses and help to treat the symptoms of certain illnesses as highlighted above.
To help keep your body as healthy as it can possibly be, incorporating probiotics into your diet should be something to consider; if you need more, the best option is supplementing with good probiotics that contain a variety of clinically researched probiotic strains.