Consuming probiotics is advertised heavily these days. They are not just found in yogurt but in a wide variety of food products. In fact there are even supplements and pills which contain probiotics available in the market these days. The basic idea is to introduce ‘good bacteria’ into the digestive system which will help to fight out the ill effects of ‘bad bacteria’ which might be diarrhea, gas, constipation or bloating.
Yogurt is one of the best probiotic dairy food products. This is because it has a short shelf life which ensures that the microorganisms in it are very much alive when it is consumed. Dieticians also recommend regular consumption of probiotic laden food products which contain a lot of nutrition such as smoothies, cottage cheese and fermented milk which is available in many flavors called Kefir.
These days, probiotics can be found in a variety of non-dairy products as well such as nutrition bars, chewing gums and fruit drinks. However, you will have to weigh if these food products are healthy enough to add to your diet on a regular basis. This is because they have high sugar and salt contents and so are high in calories. These food items might not even have the probiotic potency of dairy products such as yogurt and other varieties of cultured milk products.
If you really want to add ‘good bacteria’ in your diet you can even try food products such as tempeh and tofu which is soyabean based foods. These are considered to contain a high dose of probiotics and also add a good amount of nutrition value to your diet. Some nutritionists also recommend consumption of Miso which is a traditional Japanese seasoning, Natto which is a specific type of Japanese beans, Kombucha which is a mushroom that is added to tea and Kimchi which is a Korean condiment. Consumping these food items is not only good for the amount of nutrition level they provide but also because they contain probiotics.