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Our digestive tract is responsible for about 70% of your body’s immune system, and so keeping it balanced is a must. Ensuring that you are supporting our gut is so important for energy, ability to fight colds and flus and to keep your energy levels at their optimal capacity. More and more people are incorporating probiotic-based foods into their diets in order to support they gut health, and with good reason, they provide tons of health benefits.
Probiotics: A Key to Your Gut Health
In the spring, after all of the cold dreary days of winter, spring cleaning is top of mind. Although we spring clean everything from the windows, closets and cottages, not many of us pay the same attention to our bodies. Our digestive tract is responsible for about 70% of your body’s immune system, and so keeping it balanced is a must. Ensuring that you are supporting our gut is so important for energy, ability to fight colds and flus and to keep your energy levels at their optimal capacity. More and more people are incorporating probiotic-based foods into their diets in order to support they gut health, and with good reason, they provide tons of health benefits.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that are considered good for our health. The word probiotic is the compound of two words; pro meaning “in favour of”, and biotic meaning “life”, defining probiotics as life-promoting. The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested. Probiotics are essentially an army of beneficial bacteria present in the body, specifically the digestive tract, which support general health and wellbeing. These friendly bacteria are present in the billions in our body, in fact, our human cells are outnumbered ten to one by bacteria. There are a variety of different strains of probiotic bacteria, lactobacillus being the most well know, however other strains include bifidobacteria, saccharomyces, streptococcus, and many more which all have vitally important functions in the body.
Why do we need probiotics?
Probiotics, or our gut bacteria, make up our body’s microbiome which has many important influences on the body. In fact, research continues to show how incredibly interconnected our bodies are to our microbiome, some research even considering our microbiome an organ itself. Here are some of the many benefits of a healthy microbiome:
Researchers are still discovering how exactly probiotics work in the body and their many benefits, however there is growing evidence that our gut health can impact everything from digestive disorders like IBS and IBD to skin conditions, allergies and even weight loss. Every individual’s microbiome is incredibly unique and diverse, much like our fingerprint, however is equally as important. Probiotics have been present in us from the moment we entered the world, although our external environment and lifestyle can have a negative, and positive, impact on the health of our microbiome.
What impacts our microbiome?
Our internal bacterial environment is very lively and complex; at any one moment there are thousand of moving pieces and reactions occurring, and while our intestinal bacteria is pretty resilient, their health can be compromised when exposed repeatedly to environmental factors. There are many factors that can impact the health of our gut and microbiome, however some of the most common include diet, lifestyle and stress. A poor diet high in refined sugars, processed foods, alcohol and low in fibre can have a negative impact on microbiome, as well as high levels of stress and repeated antibiotic use. The word antibiotic is literally the opposite of the word probiotic (anti meaning “opposed to”, biotic meaning “life”) so although antibiotics can help to kill of any harmful bacteria, they also kill off any beneficial bacteria as well. In order to ensure we have a flourishing microbiome, it is important to focus on whole foods and limit processed foods to ensure that our beneficial bacteria greatly outways our “bad” bacteria as they help to keep out fungi and yeasts.
Where do we get probiotics?
Most often, probiotics are made via fermentation, and it is important to note that probiotics are not a new concept. Throughout history, cultures have produced and consumed at least one form of fermented food in their diet, as fermentation was a form of preservation long before refrigeration. Fermentation not only helps to increase beneficial bacteria but can help to remove anti-nutrients, ensuring that it is more easily digested. Nowadays, many of us consume little (if any at all) probiotics in the form of food, and although the word probiotic might conjure up images of yogurt, there are many more foods that are rich in probiotics:
Note that not all forms of fermented foods are created equal. In order for pickled vegetables and sauerkrauts to be rich in probiotics, they must be naturally fermented and not contain vinegars, while yogurts must be free of added sugars, additives, and their ingredients should only contain “whole milk and live bacterial culture”. Not only are the ingredients in these foods important, but their natural preparation method is important as well.
In addition to probiotic rich foods, probitoics are also made naturally in our digestive tracts from consuming foods rich in prebiotics such as onions, leeks, garlic, bananas, apples, pears, asparagus, artichokes, yams, yicama and oats. These types of food are rich in prebiotic fibres, namely inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides, that allow probiotic bacteria to grow and thrive .
What about probiotic supplements?
Probiotics can also be found in supplemental form varying in bacterial type (strain), quantity (CFUs) and format (capsule vs. liquid) and they can be beneficial in some cases. It is important to note that not all probiotic supplements are created equal, you get what you pay for, so not all forms are as beneficial. Additionally, the benefits experienced from one probiotic strain may be completely different from the benefits experienced from another strain so it is best to know what strain you need. For instance, if you are sensitive to dairy, don’t opt for a probiotic grown on a dairy strain, as it can make your digestive symptoms worse. If you are unsure, look for a trusted reputable brand with diverse strains without any additives or speak to a health care practitioner to learn what is best for you.
In general, you can support your digestive health and microbiome by eating a diet rich in whole foods, prebiotic rich foods and incorporate fermented foods daily to help ensure you are thriving with beneficial bacteria.
Article By: Stephanie Kay Nutrition
Posted on September 14th, 2018