What Do Probiotics Do In Your Body
It seems like everyone and their mother is talking about probiotics. Here at De La Calle, we know how important keeping gut health in check is. That is why our tepache is naturally probiotic. What does that mean, and more importantly, what does a probiotic actually do once it is inside of the body?
Check out what probiotics are really up to in your good ol’ gut. You may even want to sip on a tepache while you peruse this article. You can learn about gut health and improve your own gut health at the same time.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are a specific kind of nutrient that feeds the flora in your gut. In short, probiotics are both yeast and bacteria that live in your stomach. These live microorganisms keep your immune health in check and overall work to keep you thriving, firing on all cylinders, and living your best life. Gut flora is a key piece of any balanced diet.
Frequently seen probiotic strains include:
- Lactobacillus
- Saccharomyces boulardii
- Bifidobacterium
It seems like everyone is talking about probiotics today, riding the wave of the kombucha craze. However, kombucha is not the only way for you to get your probiotic fix.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of the wonders of probiotics. Let’s figure out what’s really going on when you consume a product that boasts probiotic benefits.
What does a probiotic actually do once it makes the journey into your gut? First, a quick science review. Don’t worry; there’s no test at the end. Probiotics can be understood as good bacteria.
They naturally live in the body and aid in digestion. Though bacteria is often thought of as bad, this is not always the case. There are bacteria in your body that make you sick, but there are also good bacteria that fortify your immune system and aid in the breakdown of your foods.
Probiotics are key for digestion. These beneficial bacteria are often recommended when people experience digestive issues. Probiotics maintain digestive health.
The more efficiently your digestive process flows, the more energy your body has to keep all other aspects of your health in check. A consistent balance of probiotics in the body is a great place to start when you’re after a glowing gut.
What Are the Benefits of Probiotics?
The benefits of probiotics do not start and end with digestion. In many ways, they keep the balance of good and bad bacteria in check. Think of your body as a business startup. Probiotics are the investors that help keep the machinations of your work running smoothly.
Without the initial investment, your startup will have difficulty tending to any aspects of the business besides just keeping the doors open. Giving your body probiotics allows the basic aspects of your business to flourish. Then, since the ground floor is taken care of, you can focus on expanding the capacities of the business in other realms.
With a well-functioning digestive system, everything else can fall into place.
Probiotics are also a great solution to restoring depleted good bacteria. For example, when one takes antibiotics, especially for a prolonged amount of time, the antibiotics kill a lot of the naturally occurring good bacteria in addition to the harmful sickness causing bacteria.
This means that the health of the gut may falter. The antibiotic has created an environment in the gut that may allow harmful bacteria to flourish. Consuming probiotics as a dietary supplement, in a drink, or in the food you eat will restore that healthy bacteria and allow the body to level out again.
Where Can I Get Probiotics?
There are many different ways that you can add probiotics into your diet. You can get them from probiotic supplements, sure, but we prefer to eat and drink our probiotics.
In order to get probiotics, you need to eat things like yogurt and other fermented foods that have living bacteria in them.
Here is a list of a few different foods and drinks that contain probiotics.
- Yogurt: These dairy products are made from fermented milk, mainly using lactic acid as a fermenting agent. You’ll also find probiotics in certain cheeses, like cottage cheese.
- Kefir: Another milk-based product. Kefir can also be dairy-free if soy or other alternative milk, like coconut milk, is used.
- Kombucha: A tasty drink to restore the flora in your gut, mainly made from tea leaves and
- Sauerkraut: Finely shredded cabbage fermented by lactic acid.
- Dark Chocolate: Chocolate with a 70% cacao content or more is considered probiotic.
- Kimchi: Another cemented cabbage product, although other fermented vegetables can be made in this style.
- Tepache: Our tasty refreshment is made from fermented pineapple peels, and it provides tons of probiotics.
- Tempeh: A fermented soybean product.
- Pickles: A classic fermented food.
- Miso: This Japanese seasoning is made from fermenting soybeans with a specific fungus called koji.
To really get the most out of your probiotics, consider adding some prebiotic foods to your diet as well. Bananas, garlic, onions, and many other foods full of fiber can boost the effectiveness of your probiotics.
Probiotics in the Gut
Your gut is basically one giant microbiome. Probiotics make up much of the lining of your large intestines and the rest of your gut. The health of your gut lining determines a lot about the overall health of the individual.
So, what are they doing in there? The different probiotic strains are actively aiding in the digestion and breakdown of food and drinks in your system. A healthy and well-functioning body begins with ease of gut function.
Probiotics for the Win
Now that we’ve finally cleared up exactly what a probiotic actually does once you’ve had them, you are on your way to a healthier, happier gut! These unsung heroes have been making waves in the health food world.
As indicated by the above list, probiotics are much easier to come by than we may have initially thought. They aren’t some magical supplement—they’re even present in the pickle on the side of your deli sandwich.
They can be a great addition to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Here at De La Calle, we value being part of a community. A great way to serve your community is to make sure you take care of yourself. Do yourself a favor; grab some tepache to show your gut some love!
Sources:
Probiotics: What is it, Health Benefits, Side Effects, Food & Types
Probiotics: What You Need To Know | NCCIH
Probiotics and prebiotics: What you should know|
Health benefits of probiotics | British Journal of Nutrition | Cambridge Core