Unfortunately, I don’t have any recommendations for you. I suggest you look at local health food stores. If they don’t stock organic sauerkraut, you can ask them to order it. They should know where to get it.

Question, do you know of any other quality companies for sauerkraut? Real Pickles doesn’t ship to VA. I was recommended Rejuvenative Foods out of California and I found another one called Eden Foods but other than the websites I don’t know anything about them. Ultimately I want and am going to learn to make it myself and there should be some local farms near me in Virginia where i can buy organic cabbage, but until i learn to properly make it I will need to buy it.

It is generally the lactic acid bacteria that naturally exist in fermented foods. As such, I’m not aware of any natural food sources of S. salivarius. However, L. paracasei is a lactic acid bacteria and is naturally found in raw milk and the fermented products derived from it.^1-3 One strain of L. paracasei in particular has been shown to be resistant to antibiotic⁴ which can be a good thing depending on the context. Fermented fish is another natural source. In fact, L. paracasei isolated from fermented fish have been shown to produce the calming neurotransmitter GABA.⁵

Sinus and respiratory issues are commonly associated with a hypersensitive immune system or immune reactions to foods or chemicals. In addition to using probiotics and supporting your immune system with the basics of a healthy lifestyle, it’s also a good idea to identify and minimize exposure to chemicals and foods that may be triggering an immune response. It might be worth while to try avoiding gluten and dairy for a while as they are common causes of adverse reactions. Beyond that, you can also be tested for food sensitivities and basic allergies.

Good luck with your gardening. It’s a great way to control the quality of your food and save money in the process.

1. Van Hoorde K, Verstraete T, Vandamme P, Huys G. “Diversity of lactic acid bacteria in two Flemish artisan raw milk Gouda-type cheeses.” Food Microbiology. 2008. 25(7):929-935.
2. Jokovic N, Nikolic M, Begovic J, Jovcic B, Savic D, Topisirovic L. “A survey of the lactic acid bacteria isolated from Serbian artisanal dairy product kajmak.” International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2008. 127(3):305-311.
3. Abriouel H, Martin-Platero A, Maqueda M, Valdivia E, Martinez-Bueno M. “Biodiversity of the microbial community in a Spanish farmhouse cheese as revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.” International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2008. 127(3):200-208.
4. Devirgiliis C, Coppola D, Barile S, Colonna B, Perozzi G. “Characterization of the Tn916 conjugative transposon in a foodborne strain of Lactobacillus paracasei.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2009. 75(12):3866-3871.
5. Komatsuzaki N, Shima J, Kawamoto S, Momose H, Kimura T. “Production of y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by Lactobacillus paracasei isolated from traditional fermented foods.” Food Microbiology. 2005. 22(6):497-504.

I am grateful for having had supplements in place of pharmaceuticals, but weary of the expenses. Currently, I am searching for natural sources of K-12 (Streptococcus salivarius) and L-33 (Lactobacillus paracasei). These are reported to be beneficial for sinus and respiratory problems. Do you know any natural sources for these?

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.