Best Probiotic Strains for Gut Health and the Ultimate Source

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If you are wondering about the importance of gut health, you have found the right place. Your gut health is the biggest indicator of overall health. An unhealthy gut can disrupt the body and cause many other issues like mood disorders, chronic fatigue, acne, rashes, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, allergies, and more. Here’s why gut health is important plus the best probiotic strains and where to find them.

Your gut says a lot about you. It reflects your lifestyle and behaviors. Based on said lifestyle and behaviors you could be suffering from upset stomachs, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other digestive issues, food intolerance, ulcerative colitis, skin issues or more. All which screams, an unhealthy gut.

As healthy adults, our gut microbiome is home to 40 trillion beneficial bacteria. All of which help digestion, kill off bad bacteria, and support your immune health. If something is off balanced, your body will tell you. It will present itself in one of the many ways mentioned above.

So if you are trying to not feel like crap all of the time, it’s time to look internally, at the source of it all.

You may not realize, the immune system works in partnership with the gut microbiota to defend the body from invasive pathogenic microorganisms.

If you want to strengthen your immune system, know that almost 80% of immune cells are found, you guessed it, in your gut.

This all works by keeping a healthy balance between both good and bad bacteria. That is where probiotics come into play. Let’s explore their beneficial effects.

Probiotics are all the good bacteria that help microbial balance in the gastrointestinal tract (also known as the digestive tract). These beneficial bacteria are made up of “saccharomyces boulardii yeast or lactic acid bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species.”

Probiotics have some wonderful health benefits when it comes to your gut. For example we discussed better immune function, but also they can reduce urinary tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease, abdominal pain, and improve the digestive system.

The benefits of probiotics come from the fatty acids that they produce. Which are essential to human health. These fatty acids have been positively linked to prevention and treatment of disease.

But it’s not a one size fits all kinda deal, there are many different types of probiotic strains. Different strains help different bodies and different needs. Not one specific strain will help everyone with every need.

As we talk about these beneficial microbes we are talking about live active bacteria. To be clear, all probiotics are live cultures. And many foods contain these live microorganisms, specifically fermented foods. These probiotic foods are easy to incorporate into your every day life and will improve your overall gut health.

If you are looking for information on the best dietary supplements for you, you won’t find that here. I say that because there is significant research to suggest probiotic supplements have very little effect on your microbiome and gut health. In other words, don’t waste your money.

Probiotic supplements are expensive and ineffective. Instead find natural probiotic strains from your food source and your digestive health will start thriving.

Probiotic Strains Found in Food

Sauerkraut is probably the most well-known probiotic. But I have to be very clear here. When we talk about gut-friendly sauerkraut, we are talking about the fermented or refrigerated kind. This kind has live bacteria, such as bifidobacterium lactis or lactobacillus plantarum.

If you aren’t familiar, sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage. Don’t be confused by the non-refrigerated sauerkraut that can be bought in the canned vegetable section of your grocery store. The difference here, the canned non-refrigerated kraut was once heated (or pasteurized). This is done during the canning process to keep it shelf stable for a long period of time.

You can find fermented sauerkraut in many health food stores.

Yogurt is another type of fermented food associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. Again, this gut-friendly bacteria is not present in all yogurt. Instead look for the ingredient “active cultures”. A lot of times Greek yogurt contains these ingredients. Kefir is another dairy option with probiotics.

If you are like me and don’t indulge in dairy products, there are also plant-based yogurt brands loaded with good bacteria!

If you aren’t familiar, kombucha is a fermented tea that originated in China over two thousand years ago. I believe it is an acquired taste, but personally I love it.

Known for its “invigorating and detoxifying effects“, Kombucha is loaded with healthy probiotic strains and aids in digestive health.

Kombucha, in my opinion, is the easiest way to get your daily dose of probiotics. Stock your fridge with these healthy bevvies and sip away on their deliciousness.

Health Ade Kombucha is a brand that I trust for a few different reasons. First they use organic juices and are USDA certified. They contain living bacteria (don’t let some brands fool you!) and those beneficial acids we are looking for. Health Ade Kombucha comes in a variety of flavors and make for a refreshing healthy treat.

While it may seem easy to just pickup a probiotic supplement, the research suggests they are ineffective, not to mention expensive. Choosing whole foods (with a plethora of probiotic strains) will help better support your gut health and your overall health in general.

This is not medical advice. Please always consult a healthcare provider with any questions or concerns.