7 Foods Better Than Probiotics for Longterm Gut Health

• Over the years, doctors have recommended probiotics for some patients.
• However, recent research has caused some gut experts to change their minds about the benefits of using probiotics.
• A gastroenterologist said most people would be better off eating fermented foods instead.

You don’t need to take probiotic supplements to improve your gut health.

In fact, Dr. Will Bruciewitz, an enteric physician and medical director of nutritional startup Zoe, said in a recent article: podcast He no longer routinely recommends probiotics.

Like many gastroenterologists, Dr. Bruschewitz has long recommended probiotic supplements to his patients — which can be harmful, especially after taking antibiotics. human intestinal flora.

Not anymore.

he then began to question the practice be small study A paper published in 2018 showed that probiotic supplements may actually delay gut recovery after antibiotics.

“Surprisingly for all of us, probiotic use can actually negatively impact gut recovery,” Bruciewicz said. “For the vast majority of people, we don’t really give probiotics after antibiotics.”

Turns out, there are cheaper and tastier ways to improve your microbiome. eat something alive

Fermented foods contain live bacteria that help break down bacteria, yeast, and sugars, preserving perishable foods like produce and milk that go bad quickly.

In addition to acting as a natural preservative, the live bacteria and active cultures in fermented foods foster a healthy microbiome within the intestinal wall, potentially enhancing gut health over probiotic supplements. said Bruciewitz.

Eat kimchi, yogurt, kefir, etc.

Genetics professor and Zoe co-founder Tim Spector, an epidemiologist, says what happens when you take a probiotic supplement is that by introducing something powerful, specific, and new into the mix. , says that it destroys its own unique microbial community.

“Current evidence suggests that it’s better to avoid over-the-counter probiotics and only consume fermented foods,” Spector said. ”fermented food It’s basically probiotics, or live microorganisms, but it’s actually in your food, not in capsules. ”

Fermented foods have been enjoyed by people all over the world for thousands of years. These include:

• Yogurt

• cheese

• Kefir

• kombucha

• Sauerkraut

• miso

• Pickles

Fermented foods aren’t necessarily as potent as probiotics, but Spector believes that’s a plus because they have a higher microbial diversity. Foods such as kefir, kimchi, and kombucha contain 20-40 types of live bacteria and yeast, he said, while yogurt typically contains around three.

“When taken in small doses five or six times a day, it can actually reduce inflammation in a matter of weeks, strengthen the immune systemsaid Spector.

You can also nourish the good bacteria in your gut by eating a fiber-rich diet rich in plant foods such as fresh vegetables and whole grains.

Red flags to look out for on probiotic food labels

Even fermented foods “can be very easily tricked into buying something that isn’t actually alive,” Spector said.

Try to choose one that has not been pasteurized and that contains many additives. Pickles should be a simple combination of plants, water, and salt (no vinegar). Kombucha should have enough sediment and foam.

Food labels that say “live active cultures” or “live probiotics” are generally a good sign, Bruschewitz said.

If you want to starve the bad bacteria in your gut, avoid added sugars and ultra-processed foods.

Possibly probiotic supplements teeth worth it

Brucevic warned that there are exceptions to the general rule. No probiotic supplements Rules for people with a family history of diarrhea problems such as C. difficile or other intestinal disorders.

But he’s still very intentional about which specific probiotic supplements he uses in those rare cases.