Have you heard that probiotics can help you improve your digestion as well as immunity?

If you have not, well, these friendly bacteria are crucial for keeping the harmful bacteria in your gut in check. By maintaining a healthy flora balance in your gut, they keep your digestive functions running smoothly. Probiotics can also improve your immunity. By helping to detoxify many cancer-causing substances in your body, probiotics can also protect you against the very-much-feared cancer.

Yoghurt

A source of probiotics that many people are familiar with is yoghurt. Natural yoghurt that is unsweetened, unprocessed, ideally made from organic and/or raw milk, and containing live cultures can be a powerful source of the probiotics for the young and old. In addition, yoghurt is also rich in healthy fats (needed for healthy cardiovascular functions) and calcium.

But do you know that there are other beneficial sources of probiotics that you can introduce into your diet for variety?

Sauerkraut

One such alternative is sauerkraut, which is actually fermented cabbage. The fermentation process increases the bio-availability of nutrients (e.g. vitamins B, C and K) in cabbage, making it more nutritious than the original vegetable. Besides being a good source of probiotics, it is also rich in fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese. This fermented vegetable has been used in Europe for centuries to treat stomach ulcers. It is also a folk-remedy for canker sores.

Kefir

Another powerful source of probiotics is kefir, which is a drink made from fermented milk, kefir grains, and coconut milk. Tasting like drinkable yoghurt, this drink is rich in bio-available vitamins, calcium, and easily digestible proteins. Served regularly in many Russian hospitals, it can protect your body against many conditions, ranging from allergies to cancer.

Kombucha

Kombucha is another source of probiotics you might not have heard of. Made of sweetened black or green tea that is then fermented, this anti-microbial drink is also rich in antioxidants, which means that it has protective abilities against cancer. It can also boost your immunity, help relieve stress as well as support your liver functions.

Apple cider vinegar

A commonly known food, but not so commonly consumed for its probiotics content, is apple cider vinegar. Other than introducing beneficial enzymes and probiotics into your gut, this drink can be used for countless ailments, including acne, acid reflux, arthritis, candidiasis, gout, high cholesterol levels, as well as indigestion. For the best results, go for raw (unprocessed and unfiltered), unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. Choose the ones that look somewhat murky and brown, and has the “mother” (cobweb-looking substances floating in the fluid), as they are considered to be of better quality.

References

1. Collins, Elise Marie. An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper’s Companion. San Francisco, California: Conari Press, 2009. Print.
2. http://www.naturalnews.com/045428_yogurt_health_benefits_probiotics.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut
4. http://www.naturalnews.com/045431_probiotics_apple_cider_vinegar_kombucha.html

Cindy L. TJOL is trained in Psychology, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has several years of experience writing on natural health on the internet. Follow her on her blog and read her other articles at Insights On Health.com.