Here's a question I recently received via email from a customer who wants to heal the gut.
Question: Delilah, I am aware of probiotics and prebiotics, but I just learned about "postbiotics." Could you perhaps provide an explanation of what they are?
Answer: Probiotics are living bacteria present in specific foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and some cheeses. Probiotics are typically found in cheeses that have undergone ageing without being cooked. Cheeses like Swiss, provolone, Gouda, Cheddar, Edam, Gruyère, and cottage cheese are included in this category, both soft and hard. They play a vital role in promoting proper digestion when they're eaten in moderation. Consuming these foods enhances the health of your digestive system and overall well-being by helping create a harmonious equilibrium of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut microbiome, which consists of a wide variety of 100 trillion tiny organisms that live in your intestines.
Prebiotics provide nourishment for probiotics, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. Food items that include enough amounts of fiber, such as legumes, whole grains, and specific vegetables, undergo digestion in your body to produce compounds that facilitate the growth and flourishing of probiotics in your gastrointestinal tract.
By consuming more fermented foods like kefir, tempeh, and kimchi, you can boost the quantity of beneficial postbiotics in your system. Increasing your intake of foods that support a variety of beneficial gut flora may have a positive impact on your general health.
Consuming foods that are high in prebiotics, which are fibers, is directly associated with an elevation in postbiotics. Below is a selection of plant-based and nutritious goods that can be consumed:
- Yogurt
- Asparagus
- Chicory
- Garlic
- Banana
- Sauerkraut
- Miso soup
- Onion
- Honey
- Sugar beet
- Tomato
- Sourdough bread
- Barley
- Tempeh
- Kimchi
