You’ve probably come across several commercials that make use of terms like ‘probiotic formulas.’ In case you didn’t know, probiotics consist of live good yeast/bacteria that live in our bodies as part of our natural system.
Your body has both good and bad bacteria that are constantly battling it out. The goal here is to make sure the good bacteria outnumber the bad. Infections, for instance, ruin balance by increasing the bad bacteria in your body. Good bacteria helps fight off additional bacteria that is not good for you, to restore and maintain a balance.
Let’s understand what probiotics are and what foods can significantly increase the good microbes (probiotics) in your body.
What are probiotics?
Since they are a category of bacteria, people may misunderstand probiotics as the bad guys that can make you sick. This is not true. There are two kinds of bacteria/yeast. The first has beneficial properties while the other may not. A key to keeping your body healthy is the functioning of good bacteria, getting rid of the excess bad bacteria.
Probiotics are part of something bigger that relates to your body and the bacteria it has, which is your microbiome. A microbiome is a system containing diverse organisms working collectively to improve your health. The system is made up of microbes, which consist of:
- Protozoa
- Fungi (inclusive of yeasts)
- Bacteria
- Viruses
Everyone’s microbiome is different, and for a microbe to come off as a probiotic, it must have many traits, including:
- Being beneficial
- Be able to consume safely
- Surviving in your body after ingestion
Common types of probiotics
Several kinds of bacteria fall within the probiotic category, all of which have a diverse range of benefits. Two groups are home to most of them.
- Lactobacillus– often found in fermented foods like yogurt and can help those who are lactose intolerant.
- Bifidobacterium– A common probiotic you can find in a few dairy products. It may assist in easing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms and other illnesses.
Yeast that is common and found in a lot of probiotics is Saccharomyces boulardii—proven to help with diarrhea and indigestion.
What are the advantages of probiotics, and what they do to your body?
Apart from impacting nerves controlling your gut movement and sending food there, probiotics assist in the treatment of certain health conditions like:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Diarrhea due to antibiotics
- Infectious diarrhea
- Oral health
- Allergy prevention
- Eczema and other skin conditions
Here’s what you can consume to increase good probiotics in your body
You can easily multiply the good microbes working in your body by increasing your intake of certain foods, drinks, and supplements!
Fermented foods, such as pickles or yogurt, are a natural source of beneficial bacteria. Several fermented drinks, like kefir or kombucha (dairy and non-dairy), introduce good probiotics in your body.
Aside from food, an easy way to add good probiotics to your diet is by using a dietary supplement. Users can mix probiotic supplements with a prebiotic (symbiotic) that act as a food source for the microbes in your gut.
Powder supplements like our Raw Green Juice Powder are enriched with probiotics and 53 other nutrients. These strengthen your immune system and assist it in eliminating toxins from your body. Just a scoop a day is enough to rejuvenate your health for the better!