A Great Source of Natural Probiotics
by Vin Miller
Probiotics have become a popular health topic, and although a lot of people are taking probiotic supplements, many of them don’t know what probiotics actually are, why they’re beneficial, and what the best sources of them are.
The term probiotic, meaning “for life” in Greek, was originally intended to identify the microorganisms that support good intestinal health. Probiotic supplements have become so common that they have now become the more dominant definition, but this doesn’t mean that they’re the best or only source.
The Importance of Probiotics
Healthy intestinal function is the foundation of optimal health and is dependent on the delicate balance of intestinal bacteria. Because probiotics help to maintain this balance, they can make a significant contribution to our overall health.
The most common type of probiotic is the Lactobacillus bacteria, particularly L. acidophilus. These bacteria exist in many places including the human digestive tract and foods such as dairy, fruit, and vegetables. In the intestines, the lactic acid produced by these bacteria promote a favorably acidic pH that inhibits the growth of some undesirable bacteria and facilitates the absorption of protein and a number of minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and manganese.
Some strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus also have natural antibiotic and cancer fighting properties. These strains are particularly beneficial against infectious bacteria such as Streptococcus (strep), Staphylococcus (staph), Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum, and E. coli. Some strains of L. acidophilus have even shown impressive effects against viral infections including polio, HIV, and herpes, and can also produce hydrogen peroxide which has the potential to kill undesirable Candida yeast and prevent it’s overgrowth.
The Best Source of Health Promoting Probiotics
Because probiotics have become very popular, there are plenty of questionable probiotic products with deceptive marketing and labeling. Dannon’s DanActive, a processed dairy drink containing probiotics, is an excellent example. As part of a recent lawsuit settlement, Dannon has agreed to remove their immune boosting claims from the DanActive label. Yogurts and other similar products are also commonly advertised as having beneficial cultures of probiotics, but in many cases, they’re highly processed and the sugar that they often contain will negate most of the probiotic benefits.
Although supplements are by far the most popular source of probiotics, I don’t think this is the best source. My preference is to take as few supplements as possible, which is often none at all, and to get as much nutrition as possible from whole foods. As such, my preferred source of probiotics is fermented foods. Although probiotic supplements can be very effective, they’re clearly not as natural as fermented foods, they don’t provide all of the same benefits, they can be costly, and as with any supplement, it can be difficult to verify their quality.
The Basics of Fermentation
Fermentation is a simple and natural process used by many ancient cultures to preserve food, promote good digestion, and improve health. The Lactobacillus bacteria responsible for fermentation inhibit the action of the putrefying bacteria that cause food to spoil. These bacteria proliferate during fermentation and can also improve a food’s enzyme content, increase it’s levels of vitamins B, C, and K, deactivate undesirable nutrients such as the protein inhibitors and phytic acid found in soy, and help to release nutrients from food that would otherwise pass through the intestines undigested an not be absorbed.
Vegetables, fruit, and dairy are some of the most commonly fermented foods, and even people who are lactose intolerant can usually enjoy fermented dairy products because the Lactobacillus bacteria that they contain digests the lactose. However, people who have food sensitivities to dairy are still likely to experience symptoms from fermented dairy products.
Fermented foods are typically used as a condiment and are not meant to be consumed as a significant portion of a meal. Using fermented and homemade condiments such as ketchup and mustard is a great way to incorporate the health benefits of fermented foods into your diet while also eliminating unhealthy store bought condiments that are highly processed.
How to Make Your Own Fermented Food
The following steps describe how to ferment vegetables and fruit which are arguably the easiest and healthiest foods to ferment on your own.
- Wash the food and cut it into pieces.
- Put the cut pieces into a bowl, add sea salt, and pound the pieces to release their juice. You can also add herbs or spices for added flavor.
- Put the food pieces and their juice into a wide mouth jar leaving about an inch of space at the top. Make sure to seal the jar tightly to prevent air from getting in as this will interfere with fermentation.
- Keep the jar at room temperature for 2 to 4 days.
- Store the jar in a dark and cool place at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Either a cold basement or the top shelf of a refrigerator will suffice.
When making fermented food, it’s important to use organic produce and unrefined sea salt. In addition to being better for your health, the purity and high nutritional value of these items are necessary to support the fermentation process.
Although you can eat the fermented food immediately following the initial 2 to 4 days, vegetables tend to increase in flavor with time. When making sauerkraut, some people even recommend letting it mature for at least 6 months. In contrast, fermented fruits should be eaten within two months of their preparation. For recipes and additional information about fermented foods, including fermented dairy products, I highly recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.
Tips for Buying Fermented Food
Just as if you were making your own fermented food, any product that you buy should ideally contain organic ingredients, unrefined sea salt, and be produced through natural lactic acid fermentation. Because natural fermentation can be unpredictable and inconsistent, most food manufacturers don’t want to be bothered with its inconvenience. As a result, most commercially fermented products are vinegar based and don’t provide the same benefits as natural lactic acid fermentation. A brand that I often buy is Real Pickles. They have a variety of different products and use high quality ingredients. Some of the more commonly available fermented vegetable products include sauerkraut (cabbage), pickles (cucumbers), beets, and carrots.
Although the fermentation of milk will replenish some of the enzymes and other nutrients destroyed during pasteurization, it’s best to buy fermented dairy products that are made with raw milk from pasture raised livestock. As I previously mentioned, it’s also important to avoid fermented foods that are processed such as flavored yogurt and gimmicky probiotic drinks like Dannon’s DanActive. Some of the more commonly available fermented dairy products include yogurt, hard cheese, cottage cheese, and kefir.
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Great information, even if you did make me feel bad about my frequent purchases of supplements and commercial yogurt.
Thanks, Jim! No need to feel bad, none of us are perfect. In fact, many of the most health conscious people, including myself, were at one time eating unhealthy foods and using unnecessary supplements. In addition, just because I think fermented foods are a better source of probiotics doesn’t mean that all probiotic supplements are bad. A lot of it comes down to personal preference and mine is to get probiotics from a source that’s as natural and whole as possible.
What about prebiotics? I don’t feed my family wheat and the other foods that have prebiotics in them we just don’t eat often. I thought I would get a prebiotic supplement for my family. What’s your opinion?
I do make yogurt and buttermilk from raw milk. I also make kombucha, water kefir and fermented veggies so I’m confindent we’re getting enough probiotics.
Hi Tina,
Here’s what Jordan Rubin and Dr. Joseph Brasco, authors of Restoring Your Digestive Health, have to say about prebiotics and I agree:
“The problem with prebiotics is that selectively feeding bacteria in the gut is not a realistic proposition. Instead of selectively feeding intestinal flora, prebiotics most likely feed all the bacteria, friendly and unfriendly.
Popular prebiotic supplements include FOS and inulin. In our experience, these supplements do not help patients, but instead cause them to develop bloating and gas. We have seen patients become significantly worse by taking FOS and inulin. … lacto-fermented foods, and whole-food probiotic products serve as excellent probiotics and prebiotics in their own right. You don’t need prebiotic supplements.”
I wouldn’t be worried about the wheat. After all, we’ve only been eating grains for less than 1% of our entire history. As you probably already agree if you’re avoiding wheat, I suspect that the risks associated with eating grain based foods far outweigh any potential benefit of prebiotics.
Man, that seems like a lot of work! Is there anything that I can eat that doesn’t require it being fermented? Are the grapes in wine fermented? If so, that must mean it is good for you, right?!
Hi Paul, thanks for your comment!
I’ve seen you spend much more time preparing food than what it would take to make something like sauerkraut. Don’t be lazy.
Yes, wine is fermented, but not in the same way. Lactic acid fermentation by bacteria is what produces health promoting fermented foods while alcohol fermentation by yeast is what produces wine and other alcoholic beverages. Among the many reasons to minimize alcohol consumption, the alcohol in wine can actually destroy beneficial bacteria in the intestines which is the complete opposite effect of the benefits provided by lacto-fermented foods.
Hi Vin, this is interesting. I take probiotic upplements because other than your blog I never heard of fermented foods. I’m not sure I like the sound of “fermented foods”, but I’m going to look into it.
Hi Stephen! As always, thanks for your comment!
Fermented foods have been consumed much longer than probiotic pills. Do some reading on fermented food and I’ll bet it will sound better to you.
Stephen – pickles, saurerkraut, ketchup, bbq sauce and many other condiments were traditionally fermented. It’s cheaper and easier to use vinegar; companies make a killing of all these vinegar condiments but they are not good for you!
I never heard of fermented veggies either before Nourishing Traditions but now I ferment alot of stuff. It’s easy.
Vin, thanks for the information on prebiotics.
My husband drinks beer like I drink kefir water and kombucha. I thought I might try and make my own fermented beer next year. I figured it had to be better for him than Coor Light.
Hi Tina, thanks for the added information!
I don’t think it would be too hard to beat the quality of Coor’s Light.
Thanks for the informative article, Vin.
Miso (paste made from fermented grains) and kimchi (fermented cabbages) are two Asian natural probiotics foods you should try. They are flavorful and can be easily blended into meals. But, kimchi tends to be spicy, so stick to miso to make great tasting soups if you can’t take hot food.
Hi Wee, thanks for your comment!
I like miso soup! I usually have it when I eat sushi or Thai food. I’ve never tried kimchi, but I’m sure I will eventually.
I have been making sauerkraut for a couple of years now but since my husband is salt sensitive I use either miso which is already salty, or the liquid from the top of organic plain yogurt plus a pinch of salt and these work fine. I also put in different spices like caraway seeds chili pepper flakes cumin seeds. Sauerkraut is great on salads!
Hi Patty, thanks for sharing those tips! I usually buy my sauerkraut but plan to start making my own instead and am looking forward to it.
Great post, Vin! I made my own homemade fermented sauerkraut and enjoy it on occasion especially on a uncured, organic beef hot dog. And thanks also for the link to Real Pickles – will be checking ‘em out!
Thanks, Leesie! Real Pickles is definitely worth checking out if you’d rather not make your own fermented foods. I’ve been using their products for several years, although I plan to start making my own more often.
I just wanted to thank you for the great article. I’ve talked about fermenting veggies on my blog, but I’ve just linked a post to yours because I just like your article so darn much!
Kimchi is definitely a favourite around here. My dear friend gave me an authentic recipe that is just amazing. Everyone that eats this kimchi becomes a convert.
Hi Tara, thanks for the link!
I have yet to try kimchi but would like to. Can you share with us the recipe that you mentioned?
Love your blog. I did a post on fermented veggies today, but it was more of a how-to article so I linked to your post for more in-depth information. And Tara, please do post the recipe for kimchi.
Hi KC, thanks for your kind feedback! It’s great to hear that you’re spreading the word about fermented vegetables.
I finally got my (well, it’s not really mine) Kimchi recipe up. Let me know what you think of it when
you try it!
Thanks, Tara! If anyone would like to see the recipe, you can find it here
Do you know the probiotic bacteria count in sauerkraut or other fermented foods? When I have supplemented with probiotics, I take no less than 10 billion count per day, but I have no idea the amount of sauerkraut that would be considered therapeutic vs. basic gut flora maintenance.
Hi Kelly,
Based on the research I’ve seen, I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to expect fermented vegetables or dairy to provide that amount of probiotics, especially if consumed with each meal. However, it’s important to realize that fermentation is not an exact process and that the numbers can vary quite a bit depending on a number of factors. As such, having a count for a fermented food or beverage is not nearly as reliable or useful as it is with probiotic supplements. I think the primary reason for choosing fermented foods and beverages as a source of probiotics is to obtain them from a natural source rather than a pill, and this implies being less precise with the numbers.