Probiotic Foods List

Probiotics are the friendly bacteria which help improve your health in several ways. Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for infections and diseases, while probiotics are responsible for smooth digestion. These days, live cultures of probiotics are added to various products. They help enhance the nutritional value of the product. Moreover, probiotic supplements in the form of powder, capsules, drinks, shakes are available in the market. Before taking a look at the probiotic foods list, let us first take a look at the health benefits of probiotic foods.

Health Benefits of Probiotic Foods

• Probiotics help lower the symptoms of seasonal allergies, sinusitis and bronchitis.
• In children and adults, probiotics help prevent rotavirus diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea respectively.
• Foods containing probiotics help regularize bowel movements, thereby preventing indigestion, bloating, constipation, etc.
• It is believed that probiotic foods help lower the risk of certain cancers, especially colon cancer, by maintaining the health of the digestive tract.
• Probiotic foods help prevent Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infection of the digestive tract, urinary tract infections, etc.
• Probiotics help avoid fungal infections. They help prevent microorganisms from invading the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, vagina, etc.
• They promote quick recovery after any illness. Probiotic foods help manage pouchitis (a condition that may arise after the surgical removal of the colon). They help lower the symptoms of upset stomach.
• If a breastfeeding mother takes antibiotics, then the infant may suffer from the side effects of antibiotics. Probiotics can be given to infants to avoid this. Make sure that 'probiotics for infants' are safe and do not cause any side effects.
• By improving the digestive health, probiotics help improve the overall health. This results in improved quality of your skin. Regular consumption of probiotic foods can offer you glowing skin. Moreover, these foods are believed to prevent and lower the symptoms of eczema in children.
• Probiotics help lower the symptoms of diarrhea caused by consumption of antibiotics. Antibiotics are administered to kill the pathogenic bacteria; but they also kill the beneficial bacteria. They destroy the natural flora of the intestines and increase the chances of infections and diseases.

Here follows probiotic foods list for you.

List of Probiotic Foods for Good Health

• Buttermilk made from yogurt containing good bacteria.
• Honey
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cottage cheese (old cheese contains more probiotics)
• Ocean-based plants such as spirulina, chlorella, and blue-green algae
• Bottled smoothies, butter and sour cream, which are labeled "cultured".
• Dhokla (Indian snack made from the fermented batter of gram flour)
• Idli (Popular Indian snack, made from the fermented batter of rice and black lentils)
• Kefir (Sour beverage made from fermented milk, originated in the Caucasus region)
• Kombucha, (Fermented health drink made from tea, sugar and live cultures)
• Kim Chi (Spicy, pungent fermented cabbage, a typical and popular Korean dish)
• Natto (Japanese food item made from fermented soy beans)
• Sauerkraut (Finely shredded cabbage fermented in brine)
• Tempeh (Indonesian food made from fermented whole soy beans)
• Yogurt (Most popular food, available in various flavors, but all yogurts do not contain probiotics)
• Probiotic food supplements in the form of pills, powders, capsules, drinks
• Powder shake drink supplements that contain probiotics
• Organic snack bars to which probiotics are added
• Baby food fortified with probiotics
• Certain brands of cereal that claim to be the best probiotic food for children.
• Probiotic ice creams, chocolates, etc.
• Dosa (Typical South Indian dish, requires a perfect combination of rice and black lentils, in the form of fermented batter)
• Probiotic hummus (Popular Middle Eastern dip and sandwich spread made from chickpeas and tahini sauce that contains sesame paste)
• Unpasteurized pickles, for example, pickled beets, carrots or other vegetables, pickled olives (Organic, raw varieties, no use of sodium benzoate)
• Miso (A fermented soybean paste or paste made from other grains like rice, barley, etc.; used as a sauce, soup base or spread; popular Japanese food)

Excessive consumption of probiotic foods can result in certain side effects. Instead of improving the digestive health, probiotic supplements may destroy the intestinal flora, when taken in excessive amount. Excessive consumption of natural probiotic foods can result in mild side effects like bloating, gas, stomach upset, general discomfort, etc. Most product labels describe the possible side effects of probiotics.

I hope you found the above probiotic foods list helpful. By including probiotic foods in your regular diet, you can improve your overall health. The beneficial bacteria help strengthen your immune system. Probiotic foods help improve your looks as they help improve the texture of your skin. Enjoy at least a bowl of probiotics enriched yogurt, every day and stay healthy.