Probiotics Best Choices Currently Available
Are probiotics best for you? Probiotics are actually a natural and safe way to improve one’s health. There is nothing special to buy other than perhaps adding a few new items to your shopping list. In fact, you may already have some great choices in your fridge right now. Probiotics have been shown to be safe with very few side effects.
Positive health benefits that are long-term can be found by increasing your intake of probiotics. There are a number of pills and capsules that can be taken but these are not your only option. Generally, your doctor will recommend adding a probiotic food to your daily diet. They may suggest taking a supplement instead if a food source is not the best option for you.
Probiotics best food choices
The goal here is to choose foods that have the necessary beneficial bacteria occurring naturally.
Yogurt – We love yogurt. It is a creamy and is available in many different flavors. We eat it for breakfast and even as an afternoon or late night snack. If you prefer to keep it really healthy, opt for plain or unflavored yogurts.
Once you have chosen your choice of flavored or unflavored, next you need to determine if that brand includes live microorganisms in the list of ingredients. In regards to probiotics, best choices will include lactobacilli which are what you are looking for. If the label references a heating process used, put the container back and choose another brand.
Cheese – Because cheese comes from milk, it automatically has the beneficial bacteria you want. In addition, some additional bacteria and cultured yeast are added to assist with the fermentation process. Keep in mind that processed cheeses do not count. These particular cheeses will only add calories, not beneficial bacterium. Stay with hard and aged cheeses and you will be just fine.
Milk – For milk products, the probiotics best options may vary upon where you live and the brands available. Australians love milk from Dannon. The Japanese and those who live in other Asian countries drink Yakult brand. Many brands are available in most places, but whichever brand you choose, choose a probiotics milk with the best flavor for your individual taste buds.
Did you know that you need anywhere from 2 to 4 billion live bacteria in order to attack and conquer various health issues like diarrhea? When choosing foods with probiotics, best options are those only with live microorganisms.
Kefir – This could possibly be the oldest form of getting a sufficient amount of probiotics in your diet. Kefir is created by and yeast culture to milk. The yeast will consume the sugar found in the milk which results in a slightly sour tasting milk. Yeast crystals are formed and these crystals are what are used to restart the cycle.
If you want to make your own Kefir at home, you can. You will need a couple pouches of Kefir culture, sugar water or raw milk. Raw milk is preferred because it was what was available many centuries ago.
Miso – A yeast-based seasoning that the Japanese use in many of their dishes. It is cooked at low temperatures so that the live microorganisms are not killed. Fresh is best but pre-mixed packets are available at many supermarkets.
Using probiotics has been an on-going process for centuries but has gone to the way side due to modern medicine. To get the most from probiotics best options are to eat foods that have live microorganisms found naturally in them.
