Advice On Good Sources Of Probiotics
posted on 10/22/2009
Probiotics are a popular health food topic these days. Effective probiotics products contain live bacteria cultures that can help restore "good" bacteria to a digestive system that has been damaged by overuse of antibiotics or poor eating habits. Products marketed by two major yogurt brands, Yoplait and Dannon, have increased consumer awareness of the health benefits of probiotics. More companies are jumping on the probiotic bandwagon and there are a growing number of products available on the market today. Although these widely marketed brands contain probiotic cultures, there is a debate on how much probiotic benefit is really available from these brands. There are many other great sources of probiotics that might yeild more beneficial results.
Two sources of probiotics made popular overseas that are now gaining recognition in the United States are miso paste and tempeh. Miso paste, originated in Japan, is made from fermented grain or soybeans and can be added added to soups or stews used in many other dishes. Tempeh, originally from Indonesia, is similar to Miso, but contains whole fermented soybeans formed into a cake. Since tempeh uses the whole soybean it is also an excellent source of fiber and protein. Temperh is frequently used as a meat substitute and is described as having a nutty, meaty, or mushroom flavor. Both miso and tempeh are excellent probiotic sources, but longer cooking times can blunt the benefits so they should be lightly cooked or added towards the end of the cooking process for soups and stews.
Another good source of probiotics is pickled or fermented vegetables. Some of the most popular versions would be pickles or sauerkraut, although again many grocery store brands are pasteurized and don't provide good probiotic benefits. There are several online companies, however, who offer fermented vegetable or sauerkraut products that contain the live cultures necessary to provide the health benefits of probiotics. Companies like Rejuvanative Foods, Great Lakes Kraut Company, and Will's Valley make probiotic foods which can be found in some grocery stores or bought directly from the company websites.
Kefir and Yakult are two dairy-based fermented drinks growing in popularity. They are generally available in health food stores with limited but growing distribution in large chain grocery stores. Both are excellent sources of several live culture strains that have proven health benefits.
Several companies also offer chocolate or snack bars products that are an excellent convenient source of probiotics. Companies such as Atttune, PopCulture, and SweetLife produce granola and chocolate products that can be found in health food stores or online at sites like GNC.com.
Probiotics or live bacteria cultures in foods can be very beneficial to digestive and overall health. With the overuse of antibiotics and poor food choices of some people many would benefit from consuming probiotic foods. It is debatable whether some of the most widely known probiotic products are effective, the cultures in these products may not survive processing. Some less known foods and products are better sources for probiotics.
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Previous Comments
TurningJapanese says:
(275d 12h 49min ago)
Great info.
tcollins says:
(275d 12h 23min ago)
Good article. Kefir has helped me quite a bit. Most kefirs have up to 10 strains of different bacteria in them compared to yogurt with one or two. I highly recommended it. When its plain it tastes like drinking butter which is pretty gross, but there are many flavored ones that are quite good and not gross at all.