WHAT’S THE TRUTH ABOUT
PROBIOTICS?
How friendly is so called friendly bacteria and can it help you to lose
weight?
We know that mini yogurt drinks are all the go as they’re said to have
gut cleansing advantages, helping to keep us clean on the inside. But is it true and what are we buying? Probiotics are bacteria that exist in certain
foods which contain active cultures. These include yogurt, miso and tempeh. Research has evidenced that these bacteria
can assist with intestinal problems and possibly prevent other problems developing and at the same time are
also particularly associated with fighting feminine yeast infections.
So there’s a lot to get excited about as these trillions of tiny
creatures alive and active inside us are all working to improve digestion, boost
immunity and maybe even help with weight loss.
We do then want to encourage them, as new research is evolving all the
time showing promising results.
The best ways to get them into your diet are by eating yogurt,
containing probiotics, and this is not all yogurt, so check pack
information. These mini microbes are
also teeming within fermented foods.
There is now a new movement heavily proclaiming the beneficial
properties of fermented foods. What
specifically are these and where can they be found?
Tempeh
Tempeh is the product of naturally fermented soybeans. It also contains all nine essential amino
acids.
Miso
Miso is a fermented paste, made from barley, rice or soybeans.
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is basically fermented cabbage. However, the jars available in standard
supermarkets will almost certainly have been pasteurised and if this is the
case the live cultures will have been exterminated so check carefully exactly
what you’re buying or look on-line to ensure you’re only getting the real deal.
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink.
Goat kefirs are now available – again try internet research for
information and availability
Kimchi
Kimchi, the national dish of Korea and hugely popular is made of
fermented cabbage and other vegetables in many variations.
It’s now known that significantly overweight or obese people carry a
different range of intestinal bacteria than that of an average sized
person. However, after major weight loss
this situation is normalised and the balance of internal microbes becomes more
aligned with that recognised as ‘normal’. This is good news as evidence now suggests
that the type of gut population you carry can to some extent influence your
appetite.
All in all findings are proving that to maintain and encourage good gut
activity produces positive effects and has also been linked to weight loss,
both post-natally and among the obese. All
this ‘good bacterial’ intestinal activity is also believed to assist in a
strong immune system and resistance to viruses. While, processed foods are believed (to some extent) to
eliminate certain gut bacteria and allow damaging strains to flourish.
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