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Probiotics can support a healthy microbiome. These foods and supplements contain live bacteria that can benefit our health.
The bacteria in your gut make up a very important ecosystem, and if this becomes upset, it can lead to abnormalities in its composition and diversity. There are many things in life which can have negative consequences on your gut bacteria and intestinal health.
Studies have shown that probiotics can help to restore gut bacteria to healthy levels which protects us from inflammation. Live fermented foods are great sources of natural probiotics that you can eat and drink. Researchers think these traditional foods may play an important role in human health.
| Probiotic foods | Probiotic food ingredients |
|---|---|
| Cheese, yoghurt | Dairy products including milk and cream |
| Sourdough bread | Flour and water |
| Lacto-fermented pickles | Saltwater brine (not vinegar) and vegetables like cucumbers |
| Sauerkraut | Cabbage and salt |
A good gut diet requires lots of dietary fibres, called prebiotics. You know, the ones found in natural, plant-based foods? Your gut bacteria love them!
The probiotics we mentioned above thrive on prebiotics — many of which are the non-digestible carbohydrates in fruit, veg, seeds, grains, and pulses. However, the Western diet is low in foods that promote healthy gut flora, but high in fat, meat, and refined sugar.
Ultimately, this affects our health by reducing healthy gut bacteria and increasing our risk of weight gain, metabolic problems, chronic inflammation, and disease. Fortunately, it’s an easy problem to solve because your gut bacteria love edible plants.
When your microbes munch on these prebiotics, they boost your health and wellbeing by maintaining the gut lining, and preventing inflammation. Basically, a high-fibre diet is key to a healthy microbiome.
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