by | May 30, 2024 | Healthy Living
Are Probiotics and Fermented Foods The Same?
Go ahead, skip the chips, grab that apple from the fridge, and do your body good. Better yet, make it a new habit and begin making plans for fall apple picking now because that fun old saying about apples and doctors—holds more truth than we imagined.
We’ve all heard about the benefits of probiotics and may have seen the “live active cultures” labels on foods like yogurt and kefir. But what exactly are probiotics, and do fermented foods contain them?
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms made up of bacteria and yeasts that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. You can take probiotics to prevent or address an imbalance in your microbiome—the bacteria, or microbes, in your gut. Not just any bacteria will do though – the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines probiotics as specific strains that have been tested and proven effective in randomized clinical trials.
Key Characteristics of Probiotic Food:
- Safety for human consumption
- Documented health benefits in research
- Live microbes present at time of consumption
- Sufficient levels of microbes to confer benefits
- Microbes identified down to the strain level
- DNA sequence of microbe strains available
Many commercial probiotic supplements fail to meet all of these criteria. Since they are regulated as foods or supplements rather than drugs, their quality, accurate labeling, and efficacy are not closely monitored.
How Do Probiotics Affect My Digestion?
So why do we even need probiotics? The reason lies in the communities of bacteria living in our digestive systems or gut microbiota. This incredibly complex ecosystem of microbes plays a vital role in human health by:
- Aiding digestion of food and medications
- Producing vitamins and nutrients
- Maintaining the gut lining
- Training the immune system
- Preventing harmful bacteria from entering the body
- Potentially influencing weight, mental health, inflammation, and more
Having the right balance of bacteria in our guts is crucial for optimal health. Eating probiotic fibers like inulin and polyphenols from plant sources “feeds” the existing beneficial bacteria. But probiotics help introduce new beneficial strains.
Do Fermented Foods Contain Probiotics?
This is where a lot of confusion arises. Many naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha are assumed to be good probiotic sources. But the truth is, the fermentation process itself does not produce probiotics that meet the stringent scientific definition.
Fermented foods contain live lactic acid bacteria used in the secondary phases of fermentation, but these are undefined strains without proven benefits. Baking, filtering, and heat processing, like pasteurization, can also kill any live microbes present.
Certain yogurts and milk products that have lab-tested probiotic strains added during manufacturing to ensure sufficient viable counts at expiration are exceptions. But for most fermented foods, any probiotic content is negligible or completely absent.
That doesn’t mean fermented foods aren’t healthy though! The fermentation process can increase nutrients in foods, depending upon fermentation conditions, the type of food being fermented, and whether the enzymes consume more than they contribute. Fermentation also provides enzymes to aid digestion and creates beneficial bioactive compounds. Fermented foods are great for overall gut health. They just shouldn’t be counted on as a probiotic source.
Should I Take Probiotics with my Antibiotics?
One situation where probiotics are particularly beneficial is when taking antibiotics. We now understand that antibiotics can significantly disrupt our gut microbiomes by indiscriminately killing off many bacterial strains, including important ones such as Oxalobacter formigenes which protect us from developing kidney stones. It is so sensitive to antibiotics that it may never recover.
This antibiotic-induced imbalance can lead to issues like antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Antibiotics can change the cells of your gut bacteria, causing resistance to future courses of antibiotics which can be observed even four years later. What’s concerning is antibiotic resistance can also be passed to disease-causing bacteria making their removal challenging. This process is evident in the treatment of Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) where 25% of those treated with antibiotics experience a recurrence of infection. To help your good gut bacteria recover after antibiotics, taking a verified probiotic supplement is highly recommended.
Probiotic Health Benefits
While more research is still ongoing, probiotics have shown promise in treating and preventing numerous conditions linked to gut health such as:
- Diarrhea
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Eczema in children
- Urinary and vaginal infections
- Lactose intolerance
- Certain digestive issues and IBS
- Antibiotic-related diarrhea
- Respiratory infections
Promising areas of study also include probiotics for weight management, oral health, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, and even cancer prevention and treatment.
However, not all probiotic strains work for every condition. It’s important to match the probiotic to the specific benefit desired based on strain-specific research.
Are Probiotics Safe?
For most healthy individuals, probiotics are extremely safe with few risks. However, those with compromised immune systems or leaky gut should use caution with probiotics until approved by their doctor. This is because probiotics, being live microbes, could potentially cause infections or introduce antibiotic-resistant cells to susceptible individuals.
There are also possible negative interactions between probiotics and some medications like immunotherapy drugs that need to be evaluated. As with any supplement, quality control, and proper strain identification on probiotic products can be an issue.
What’s the Best Way to Get Probiotics?
While probiotic supplements can be convenient, food sources are the ideal way to get probiotics. True probiotic foods that have been scientifically verified include:
- Some yogurts and milks
- Aged cheeses like cheddar and gouda
- Fermented vegetables like kimchi if unpasteurized
- Probiotic-fortified foods and beverages, check the label
For foods marketed as containing probiotics, the labels must specify the exact probiotic strains present and minimum levels at expiration. Vague terms like “live active cultures” don’t guarantee the presence of probiotics.
In addition to probiotic foods, consuming prebiotic foods and fibers helps nurture the existing beneficial bacteria in your gut as well.
Probiotic-rich foods:
- Berries
- Plums
- Avocados
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Walnuts, hazelnuts and pecans
- Seeds
- Black olives
- Beans
- Coffee
- Dark chocolate
- Red wine
- Oats and other grains
As research continues to uncover the incredible impacts of the microbiome, maintaining adequate probiotic levels will likely become an even greater priority for overall health. Be a savvy consumer – look for specific strains proven effective for your health goals rather than assuming products contain probiotics. Eat a diet full of prebiotic fiber. And consider a quality probiotic supplement in addition to probiotic-rich foods, especially when taking antibiotics.
