Wholistic Livin Blog — digestive health

Fermented foods contain a wide variety of bacteria and yeasts that can provide many health advantages. Below are my favorite plant based fermented dressings by Cleveland kitchen as well as my Miso soup with optional rice ramen recipe! Microbes in fermented foods, known as probiotics, produce vitamins like K and B’s, hormones involved in metabolic processes like appetite, fat storage, insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, as well as short-chain fatty acids. They also increase microbial diversity, and decrease inflammatory proteins. If you do however tend to have gut sensitivities, suspect you may have food sensitivities or intolerances the first step is...

What Are Probiotics?

Commonly known as living bacteria that inhabit our digestive system, “probiotic” literally means promotion of microorganism grown. 

Probiotics and probiotic supplements can include bacteria, bacterial spores, or fungi (yeast).

A glance at Lacto and Bifido Strain Benefits: Lactobacillus acidophilus – Maintains integrity of intestinal walls. Lactobacillus fermentum – Helps neutralize toxic products made during digestion, promotes a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut. Lactobacillus rhamnosus – The “travel probiotic“- found to be effective in reducing occurrences of traveler’s diarrhea. Bifidobacteria bifidum – Promotes healthy digestion in both small and large intestines; especially helpful for proper digestion of dairy. Bifidobacteria longum – Helps crowd out bad bacteria, helps neutralize everyday toxins in the gut, breaks down carbohydrates without producing excess gas. Saccharomyces boulardii: a non-pathogenic, transient (non-colonising) yeast, originally...

Fermented foods including yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi are the most significant sources of dietary probiotics. Fermented foods contain a wide variety of bacteria and yeasts that can provide health advantages, but strain and quantity of probiotics are very hard to determine. Probiotic supplements come in oral, topical, and suppository forms and are made up of bacteria, bacterial spores, or fungi. Probiotic effects are based on certain families and species of bacteria, rather than merely amount or CFU count, according to research. While some probiotics, such as Bacillus coagulans (bacterial spore) and Saccharomyces boulardii (fungus), can be stored at room...

A multitude of factors, including antibiotic use, dietary choices, lifestyle, and genetics, can impact the microbial balance within the gut. Probiotics work by assisting in the transformation of naturally occurring colonies in the environments to which they are exposed. They encourage the growth of commensal (good) bacteria by  replenishing their numbers and/or pushing away non-commensal bacteria that have taken up residence in places they shouldn't be. Any statements or products mentioned herein this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.