Our society has become an antibiotic culture so intent on destroying bacteria — we often expect a prescription to cure even a minor infection — that in addition to eliminating harmful bacterial strains, we’ve eradicated much of the beneficial bacteria in our bodies.
Our gastrointestinal tract contains hundreds of different species of beneficial bacteria (intestinal flora). To provide a healthy environment, our body requires proper amounts of these friendly bacteria.
Probiotics are the key to helping our body maintain proper levels of friendly bacteria because they colonize the intestinal tract and crowd out disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and yeasts. Probiotics are living, direct-fed microbials that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines.
They occur naturally in several foods; here are 5 of the most popular.
1. Yogurt
By far the most popular probiotic food, yogurt is a good source of friendly bacteria. Unfortunately, a lot of consumer yogurt foods are full of additives, such as sweeteners, colours, fillers, and flavours. When picking out a yogurt product, look for something with as few ingredients as possible. Also, try if you can to get yogurt that comes from grass-fed sheep or goats and hasn’t been pasteurized.
2. Kefir
Kefir is a cultured dairy product similar to yogurt. The two main differences between these products is that kefir has a thinner consistency (it’s more like a milk replacement) and it has more friendly bacteria (both in sheer numbers and in variety).
3. Fermented vegetables
German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are excellent examples of fermented vegetables. They don’t have a diverse collection of probiotics, but they are high in organic acids, which encourage the growth of friendly bacteria. Plus, they are high in enzymes, which may aid digestion.
4. Kombucha
This is a fizzy drink made from cultured black tea. It originated 2,000 years in what is now northeastern China, and it provides digestive support.
5. Natto
Natto is a popular fermented soybean dish from Japan. Its bacteria and enzymes improve immunity, digestion, and blood circulation.
Supplements
Probiotics also come in dietary supplements form, such as Truehope GreenBAC.
Truehope GreenBAC is a rich blend of the 8 bacteria our digestive tract needs most. Each capsule contains billions of the following bacteria:
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus A
- Lactobacillus rhamnosus B
- Lactobacillus bulgaricus
- Bifidobacterium longum
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Lactobacillus casei
- Streptococcus thermophilus
What sets our probiotic formula apart from others is our comprehensive collection of prebiotic ingredients to help the bacteria thrive.
Our prebiotic ingredients include alfalfa leaves, apple fiber, lecithin, apple pectin, barley grass, spirulina, wheat grass, chlorella, acerola berries, carrot, bee pollen, fennel seed, green tea extract, lacto-bifidus, licorice extract, peppermint leaves, royal jelly, spinach, amylase, bromelian, papain, milk thistle seed extract, eleuthero root extract, bilberry fruit extract, broccoli, ginkgo leaf extract, ginger root, and grape seed extract.
Strong evidence shows that probiotics help lactose intolerance and diarrhea, decrease the risk of colon cancer, ease symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, and boost the immune system, and improve mental health.