Probiotics is a buzzword thrown around the fermented food sphere, but does anyone know exactly what it means and why it’s so important? Well, if you’re a health nut in search of a healthy gut, you ought to get cozy with your friendly neighborhood germ.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are “live microbial feed supplements which beneficially affect the host animal by improving microbial balance.” If you’re looking for a strange analogy, think of them as bacterial volunteers working on a community garden to beautify your gut neighborhood. If you’re looking for science-y words to impress your friends, let them know that probiotics are made up of species of Lactococcus and Bifidobacterium. Really though, the important thing to note is that they’re a power team of bacteria and yeast that delivers a variety of health benefits.
Okay, so what are these health benefits?
There are so many that it’s really just easier to enumerate them. Studies suggest that probiotics help aid:
- Treatment and prevention of digestive diseases, such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. Personal story: when I traveled through Thailand and Malaysia, I never had stomach issues. Hohoho – the friends I traveled with were definitely jealous. I believe my probiotic-fueled gut played a huge role in this.
- A strong immune system
- Allergy prevention
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improvement of mental health
- Diabetes risk reduction
- Healthy skin. Another anecdote: the lady I met in Malaysia attributed her youthful appearance to her daily consumption of water kefir, a fermented drink chock full of probiotics. Honestly, it was wild. Imagine meeting a woman who looks to be in her upper-30s, only to find she’s actually in her mid-50s. Is this some sort of sorcery? Or is it the power of germs? Take your pick.
So, get your probiotics! Your gut will thank you.