Probiotics

by melodiccolor Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:05 pm

I've been interested in probiotics but also a bit leary of all the marketing claims, knowing the right course to take. I've opted to eat yogurt with live cultures and it seems to be working. Now I found this article on probiotics that was interesting. The last paragraph is particularly useful and pretty much confirms my approach plus it's good to know the foods that are normally in my diet promote probiotics naturally.

"My point is not to rubbish probiotics," Reid says. He recommends them and takes them every day. "Even if there's a placebo effect with these products, that's great." He just hopes that regulatory agencies will step up to the plate and start requiring more of food companies, asking them to test their products so that consumers are less confused by the shopping process.

His final recommendation? Eat as many probiotic-rich whole foods as you can, such as yogurt, homemade sauerkraut and kimchi (not the bottled stuff, though, which has usually been pasteurized, killing all the good bacteria), sourdough bread, and kefir. Also bolster your diet with foods containing prebiotics, nondigestible carbohydrates that help spur the growth of probiotics in your gut. You'll get those from whole grains, bananas, onions, garlic, honey, and artichokes.