How To Seamlessly Add Probiotics Into Your Diet
We've all heard about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. Having a healthy diet means getting the right amount of nutrients and vitamins through your meals to help your body stay well, and an important aspect to include in your daily nutrition is probiotics. Cleveland Clinic defines probiotics as "a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body." This good bacteria "helps keep your body healthy and working well" by "fighting off bad bacteria." Probiotics are often overlooked as an essential part of the diet, but they are vital for the function of the digestive system.
Typically, we see probiotics marketed to consumers in the form of supplements. However, another effective option is to add them to our diets through the food and drink we consume. Additionally, adding probiotics to our diets through our food choices gives us a better picture of exactly what we're ingesting and helps us avoid taking endless supplements.
Probiotic foods to add to your diet
Adding probiotics to your diet is not a challenging task; you'll find that many of the foods you already enjoy contain plenty of probiotics. Dr. Axe recommends several ways you can naturally add probiotics without completely changing your diet, often through substituting everyday items. Probiotic-rich foods include raw milk, tempeh, kombucha, and apple cider vinegar, and these can be introduced easily. For example, you can swap out soft drinks for kombucha or have raw milk and cheese instead of processed milk and cheese. Probiotic yogurt is another popular item that you can easily incorporate into your daily life as a way to get your probiotics.
Living Goodness suggests adding fermented vegetables to your meals as a way to get probiotics (and add some flavor and spice to your meals). Sauerkraut is a popular food to add good bacteria to your body and is commonly used in meals, as is kimchi. It isn't necessary to fill all of your meals with these items, but slowly substituting a few ingredients will help your body obtain more good bacteria.
Why you need probiotics
We already know that probiotics deliver good bacteria to various parts of the body. One of the effects of this, Novant Health explains, is decreasing inflammation and bloating. Probiotics are often prescribed to help with gut health and can provide relief from indigestion and stomach cramps. As well as helping with digestion, probiotics can help combat urinary tract infections and life-threatening illnesses, such as heart disease or stroke. The website also cites new research that suggests probiotics may boost serotonin production and fend off tooth decay.
Healthline adds that probiotics can also help aid the immune system and fight against the bad bacteria responsible for everyday illnesses. Probiotics can also help fight against antibiotic resistance, which is when the body becomes used to antibiotics to the point where it no longer works. Additionally, probiotics may help people in their weight loss journey, though more research is needed to determine exactly how this works. Probiotics help your body regulate and fight against common issues, and anyone can reap the benefits of taking them through some simple diet changes.