Probiotics are having a shining moment in the world of wellness and health recently – but what exactly are probiotics, how they can they help us and how can we incorporate them into our diet? Read on to find out more.
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are beneficial to our digestive system. With our increasing world of over sterilised food products, we are less likely to fall in from eating our daily diets, but this, in turn, means we are more susceptible if we do become ill, and we are more likely to develop allergies due to our sensitive immune system.
Two of these probiotics are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
Probiotics have a range of good properties, from boosting our immune system to helping energy levels and increasing gut health – which has a range of benefits for the rest of your body.
For example, there is an increasing concern for our bodies resistance of antibiotics, which has helped us for the past century in fighting deadly diseases. This means that it is essential to fight this by adding more good bacteria into our bodies.
Probiotics main benefits are for increasing your gut health and helping conditions like IBS or lactose intolerance. This will not only help your body digest foods properly – but it can also help ease symptoms like cramping, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.
Plus, leading on from this, there have been numerous studies linking your gut health to your mental health. There are clear links between stomach issues and common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It has been mooted that looking after your gut health can also have a significant impact on mood – helping you live a happier and healthier life.
So, with this in mind, how can we get hold of probiotics? Many health food companies have created supplements and probiotic drinks, but you can also get them from a range of foods that you can find in your local supermarket. This includes dairy products like yoghurt and kefir, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles, seasonings like miso, fermented black tea called kombucha, and apple cider vinegar. Incorporate these elements into your daily meals like yoghurt for breakfast, as a pasta sauce or to tone down a spicy curry, apple cider vinegar in salad dressings, and fermented vegetables for snacks, sides or in sandwiches.
Here at Duality Health, we are passionate about keeping your gut in tip-top condition all year round. As a leading private health clinic in Newry and Dungannon, we help patients of all ages for a range of different illnesses and health concerns. If you would like to make an appointment, then don’t hesitate to contact us today.