Probiotics are microorganisms that colonize the vaginal, oral, and intestinal flora and integrate into the natural microbiotas. Their activity is believed to be beneficial to the body, although scientists are divided on their effects.
Consuming them helps maintain the microbial flora originally present in our bodies and boost its activity.
They are available commercially as dietary supplements, but you can also find natural probiotics in certain foods!
Here are our top 5 foods that take care of your gut. Read on after the list to learn everything about their mechanisms of action.
Lire aussi l Quels sont les meilleurs compléments probiotiques ?
1. Fermented milk
The fermented milk and products made from this ingredient contain lactic bacteria, including bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These families of probiotics improve intestinal transit.
People who don’t particularly like fermented milk can choose to consume yogurts. Many brands offer products supplemented with probiotics. Eating a yogurt for dessert daily or as a snack helps support the gut microbiota.
2. Fermented cabbage
Fermented chopped cabbage contains minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and vitamins (A, B, E). It also contains lactic acid, an element that promotes the elimination of intestinal parasites as well as the regeneration of the intestinal membranes.
To prepare fermented cabbage, simply let the pieces rest for a few days in salted water with other garden vegetables. This ingredient is used to make sauerkraut, a perfect lunch dish because it is quite filling.
To lighten the dish, it is preferable to prepare a seafood sauerkraut, cooked with fish and seafood rather than sausages and smoked bacon. Kimchi, a traditional Korean dish, is also a flavorful and spicy example of fermented cabbage!
3. Kefir
Kefir is a natural probiotic known since ancient times. Indeed, fermented kefir grains were consumed with goat’s milk, camel’s milk, or cow’s milk. Fermentation of the kefir grains leads to the production of lactobacilli. Consuming this food improves digestion and helps with lactose tolerance.
Fermented kefir can be consumed as a beverage. To prepare it, simply mix 4 tablespoons of kefir grains into 1 L of water, fruit juice, or milk. Let this mixture ferment overnight, then consume it gradually during the following day.
4. Miso
Miso is a condiment used in Japanese cooking. It is a paste made from soybeans, fermented rice and barley. The probiotics present in miso help reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and bloating.
Miso is an ingredient that can be included in many recipes. The Japanese primarily use it to flavor their soups. You can also make risottos, broths, or custards with miso.
5. Spirulina
Spirulina is a cyanobacterium which contains many nutrients. It stimulates the development of lactic acid bacteria in the intestinal tract. It also contains antioxidants and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Spirulina is available in pharmacies and parapharmacies, generally in powder and flake form. It can be added to drinks, soups, or broths to make it easier to ingest.
Buy natural probiotics: my selection
When diet alone is not enough to meet your probiotic needs, or as part of a course, turn to probiotics in the form of dietary supplements.
The question of choice is not so much about whether the products are dangerous, but about their effectiveness – some probiotics have no concrete effect.
I systematically recommend flavonoid probiotics from Nutri&Co. They contain 9 strains, including 3 patented ones, as well as prebiotics (the flavonoids).
It should be noted that this probiotic-prebiotic combination is rare and difficult to formulate into a capsule.
I really like Nutri&Co because it’s a particularly cutting-edge French lab (see their blog, in particular). By removing all intermediaries, they can offer high-quality products at a truly affordable price.
❤ I like : The excellent value for money, the complete transparency about the origin of the raw materials, the effectiveness reported by users on Amazon.
★ Customer reviews (Ekomi): 4.7/5
☞ Quantity: 60 capsules / 1 to 2 months of treatment
✔ Our test: Promo codes Nutri&Co
What is the microbiota?
To understand what probiotics are, it is essential to review the microbiota. A microbiota defines the set of microorganisms that inhabit a particular environment such as the mouth, the vagina, or the intestines.
This term replaces the previously used “microbial flora”.
The microorganisms found in the mucous membranes and areas mentioned above are bacteria or fungi that are not pathogenic. Their balance helps maintain a beneficial flora for the body.
If an imbalance occurs for one reason or another, certain conditions can appear (yeast infections, infections, inflammatory diseases…). Antibiotic treatments, for example, partially destroy this microbial flora.
The gut microbiota is the most important in the human body. Indeed, the intestines and the colon contain about 2 kg of microorganisms.
Imagine that the digestive tract is colonized by 100 trillion bacteria, and it contains hundreds of distinct bacterial species!
How do probiotics work?
There are different varieties of probiotics. The main varieties of these microorganisms are as follows:
- Les bactéries lactiques qui comprennent : les lactobacilles (Lactobacille ou L. acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. reuteri, L. gasseri, L. plantarum) et les bifidobactéries (B. bifidum, B. longum, B. breve)
- Les streptocoques (S. thermophilus)
- Les saccharomyces (S. Boulardi)
The list of existing probiotics is not exhaustive because there are many categories.
Their main functions are:
- Renforcer le système immunitaire (chez les enfants, les personnes âgées ou lorsque ce dernier est affaibli). Ils assurent un effet stimulant sur la production et la libération de lymphocytes B et T, véritables cellules immunitaires.
- Renforcer la fonction de barrière de la muqueuse de l’intestin ou de limiter les attaques microbiennes en remplaçant les bactéries néfastes pour l’organisme et en empêchant leur adhésion au niveau intestinal.
- Produire des substances qui limitent l’activité des bactéries exogènes et neutraliser les toxines sécrétées par ces dernières
- Renforcer l’immunité des autres muqueuses, notamment les muqueuses pulmonaires et uro-génitales.
- Réduire l’inflammation sur un plan local
Probiotics exert a different effect depending on the strain involved. Indeed, lactobacilli, in general, have a bactericidal action against Helicobacter pylori. They therefore help prevent H. pylori infections, which are responsible for many cases of gastritis and gastro-duodenal ulcers.
- Les L. fermentum sont efficaces contre l’eczéma atopique des nourrissons et certains maux hivernaux, tels que les bronchites et les rhinopharyngites.
- Les souches L. rhamnosus GG, L. casei Defensis, L. bulgaricus et S. thermophilus, L. casei Shirota exercent une action bénéfique lors des épisodes de diarrhée.
- Contre les infections respiratoires et gastro-intestinales, les L. reuteri protectis sont particulièrement efficaces.
And this list is not exhaustive!
Probiotics present in foods are alive, which ensures their effectiveness: when they reach the digestive tract, they act directly on the microbiota.
Dietary supplements containing probiotics are therefore offered in so-called enteric-coated capsules, meaning they dissolve in the intestine. Indeed, stomach acidity destroys the majority of the strains present.
The content of active bacteria is expressed in millions/billions or as the number of colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g).
Probiotics do not colonize the digestive tract, they merely transit through it. The surplus of microorganisms not required by the body is eliminated naturally.
Therefore, intake must be renewed daily.
Side effects and contraindications
Taking probiotics may lead to intestinal gas in some individuals. It can also cause intestinal irritation at the start of use.
Probiotics are contraindicated in people taking corticosteroids, those undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in immunocompromised people (suffering from lymphoma, AIDS), and in people with digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain).
In these situations, it is preferable to seek medical advice before starting supplementation.
Report prepared by Sabrina Biodore, nurse and health writer, and Charlotte Jean
