Probiotics for a Healthy Gut

There is a lot of conversation in the health and wellness space surrounding gut health and its importance. In the last several years, research has continually shown links between gut health and almost every other system of the body: immune system, nervous system and endocrine system (hormone regulation) to name a few.

Each one of us has a unique gut microbiome that has been formed since birth and will fluctuate throughout our lives based on factors like diet, lifestyle, stress levels and use of antibiotics. The organs that make up what is commonly referred to as your gut microbiome is primarily your large intestine (colon), although your small intestine and stomach also contain some microbes.

Let’s dive into the role that probiotics play in gut health, who benefits from taking a probiotic and my favorite probiotic food sources.

The Importance of Probiotics in Gut Health

Probiotics are live microorganisms that help repopulate your gut microbiome with the “good” types of bacteria and yeast. Introducing these types of good microbes allows for proper balance, which supports digestion, nutrient absorption and immune system function. 

In contrast, if you’ve ever had a stomach bug you likely wound up with harmful microbes like E. coli, salmonella or campylobacter having been introduced to your gut microbiome.

As mentioned above, diet, lifestyle, stress and taking antibiotics can negatively impact the balance of our gut microbiome and leave us susceptible to dozens of acute and chronic health conditions. Some conditions connected to this imbalance include:

• Digestive issues such as IBS, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), diarrhea, constipation and bloating
• Anxiety and depression
• Hormonal disruptions and imbalances
• Autoimmune diseases such as IBD and Crohn’s disease
• Skin conditions such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea
• Fatigue

This is why it’s important to protect, nourish and repair your microbiome as needed. Let’s dive into when I’d use fermented foods vs a supplement for probiotics.

Is a Supplement Right for You?

If you’re not trying to correct an imbalance, or restore your microbiome after an insult like antibiotics then no, I don’t believe that taking a probiotic needs to be a part of your daily supplement routine. We’ve learned so much about the microbiome over the last few decades and have only scratched the surface. For this reason, fermented foods are my go-to recommendation for anyone looking to support their overall gut health.

Food Sources of Probiotics

A powerful form of probiotics are probiotic rich foods! They’re not only naturally occurring, but are typically widely available due to their presence in various diets throughout the world. You can find fermented foods common in cuisines such as Korean, Japanese, German, Polish, Nordic and many others.

Interested in incorporating more natural sources of probiotics in your diet? Here are my favorite sources, how often you should consume them and some of my go-to brands:

• Fermented vegetables like cabbage (sauerkraut), beets or carrots (my favorite is carrots with ginger!)
• Aim to consume 2-3 Tbsps daily on their own
• Coconut yogurt has a lovely, tangy taste. I’m a big fan of COCOYO! 
• Take an 8 ounce jar of COCOYO and split into three equal servings. Consume one serving a day
• Kefir made from cow milk, goat milk or coconut water is also a great option
• Watch out for unnecessary added sugars when selecting kefir
• I’d recommend buying a plain flavor, and consume 4 ounces daily

Feeling intimidated by picking out your fermented vegetables? Follow these tips to ensure success:

1. Confirm that vinegar is not one of the listed ingredients. Vegetables in vinegar are pickled rather than fermented
2. Make sure there is no mention of heat or pasteurization as those will kill the live probiotics
3. Keep it simple, look for an ingredients list that is vegetable, salt and water (those that include minimal spices are okay too)
4. Buy your fermented food from the refrigerated section to ensure the probiotics are active

Look at fermented foods medicinally! Instead of trying to incorporate them into your cooking, take them once per day as you would with any other dietary supplement.

Supplementing with Probiotics

Not all probiotics are made equally, and unfortunately it can be difficult to identify the right type for you. In general, your probiotic should contain at least 10 billion CFUs and a varied amount of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains.

Since probiotics are live microorganisms, they’re sensitive to heat and the quality can often be compromised if not stored properly. Be sure to read the label of your probiotic to learn if it’s shelf stable, or if it needs to be refrigerated!

While taking antibiotics, and for 6-12 months after the course of antibiotics is finished, I take Saccharomyces Boulardii. If you need it in a pinch, you can find the brand Florastor at your local Walgreens. My preference is to order FloraMyces by Designs for Health!

To further support my microbiome after antibiotics, I will add ProbioSpore by Designs for Health and Ther-Biotic Complete Powder by Klaire Labs to my supplement routine for 2-3 months.

For anyone looking to support vaginal health due to recurrent UTIs, vaginosis or other types of dysbiosis I recommend Fem-Dophilus Advanced 10 Billion CFU by Jarrow Formulas.

It’s important to stagger the start of any supplement you start so that you can monitor for side effects. If you start multiple probiotics at once and get diarrhea, you won’t be able to determine the culprit. I recommend spreading out the start of new supplements by at least a week!

High quality probiotic supplements can be costly, which is another reason I don’t believe in taking them “just because”.

Don’t Forget About Prebiotics

While we’ve paid a lot of attention to probiotics today, I don’t want you to forget about nourishing your microbiome with prebiotics! Prebiotics are a form of dietary fiber that act as a food source for the “friendly” bacteria in your gut. When the good bacteria in your gut is well fed, they can better produce nutrients for your colon, which leads to a healthier digestive system.

Prebiotic foods that are selective to known beneficial bacteria include:

• Asparagus
• Banana
• Barley
• Beans
• Sugar beet
• Chicory
• Cow’s milk
• Garlic
• Honey
• Human milk
• Onion
• Peas
• Rye
• Seaweeds and microalgae
• Soybean
• Sunroot
• Tomato
• Whole grain wheat

If you struggle to incorporate prebiotic foods in your diet, you would be a great fit for my meal plan membership! I do all of the planning for you so that you don’t have to think about the little details. Give yourself the gift of a healthy microbiome here!