All fresh and natural foods offer their nutrients and vital energy, but only a few provide a benefit beyond their nutritional qualities: among them are probiotic foods, rich in microorganisms that help improve and increase flora healthy intestinal tract and, therefore, enhance the body’s defensive capacity.

The digestive system is a microcosm where thousands of beneficial organisms coexist with others that are not. Health partly depends on the balance in favor of the former. Probiotics, usually lactobacilli and bifidobacteriayes, they join the ranks of the «good» and They hinder the presence of pathogenic microorganisms.

But they do not act alone. There are foods that promote its development. These are «prebiotics»whose effect resides in some of its non-digestible compounds: short-chain carbohydrates such as oligosaccharides and inulin.

These activate the growth of beneficial endogenous bacterias, remove cholesterol and triglycerides, improve the assimilation of some nutrients, improve colitis and help prevent colon cancer.

This simplification reflects the need to consume foods of one type or another that promote the richness and quality of the intestinal flora.

And it is that A diet low in this type of food can affect the balance of the flora and create a favorable terrain for infections and digestive disorders. The habitual consumption of highly refined foods, stress and excessive use of antibiotics can also deteriorate it.

More probiotics without supplements: natural probiotic foods

Advertising often informs -or misinformation- about the need to include in the diet enriched functional foods with probiotics or prebiotics.

In some cases, When very damaged or almost non-existent intestinal flora is detected, it is advisable to resort to supplements. or to functional foods, for example after a long treatment with antibiotics.

Now, despite how convenient it is to consume fortified foods, There are others that contain microorganisms or fibers that are naturally beneficial to the flora. For a healthy person, a natural diet rich in these foods should be enough.

Foods that contain probiotics

Probiotics are mainly present in fermented foods such as unpasteurized yogurts, kefir, sauerkraut, bread made with sourdough starter and soy derivatives such as miso or unpasteurized soy sauce itself.

The umeboshi plumsa very popular Chinese delicatessen in Japan that can be found in health and natural food stores, are also a good probiotic.

These foods are naturally rich in beneficial microorganisms for the balance of the intestinal flora.

In it yogurtperhaps the easiest to incorporate daily into the diet, fermentation makes lactose digestible and makes the calcium in milk more assimilable, in addition to activating the metabolism of other minerals, amino acids and vitamins.

The kefirwhich can be prepared with milk, tea or water, provides a richer and more complex microbiological flora. It is usually made at home with nodules composed of bacilli and yeast, although it can also be purchased ready-made.

Miso and tempe, both derived from soy, are two great probiotics. Miso is a tasty condiment that is made by fermenting soybeans alone or accompanied by barley or rice. Tempe, a whitish, grainy cake rich in proteins and enzymes, is obtained from boiled soybeans inoculated with a fungus.

The prebiotic substances that nourish all these microorganisms in the intestine are found mainly in plant foods.s and the richest in fiber. Wheat and its derivatives, garlic, asparagus, onions, leeks, beets and artichoke are an example.

Ferment vegetables naturally with salt and water in the absence of air It is another way to obtain probiotic microorganisms.

To prepare them at home:

1. The chosen vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onion, leek, turnips or beet) are washed, chopped and placed in a very clean glass jar.
2. They are pressed with a wooden mallet and, when the jar is half full, a teaspoon of coarse salt is added.
3. It continues filling in the same way, another dose of salt is added and the gaps are filled with mineral water.
4. It is closed hermetically and stored in a dark, warm place, on a plate in case of oozing, for 15 days.
5. Once the jar is opened, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 15 days.

Cooking with probiotics: what you need to know?

The main rule for the use of probiotics in the kitchen is to moderate the cooking time and temperature, and promote their daily and raw consumption. Discover how to use each of these foods in the kitchen.

• Yogurt. It is best to consume it as fresh as possible. It is an excellent dessert, the base for many smoothies, a softener for creams and gazpachos, and an exquisite sauce base.
• Kefir. With an acidic and somewhat fizzy flavor, it is ideal as a drink, in a smoothie with fruits or nuts, as a salad sauce or as part of a cold soup.
• Fermented vegetables. They are used in salads and sauces, and with legumes or cereals. The sauerkraut stands out, a typical fermented cabbage from Alsace. It is excellent accompanied by kefir or yogurt; in salad with pineapple, raisins, apple and carrot; or as an accompaniment to vegetables, potatoes or meat.
• Mother yeast. Quality bread, made with whole wheat flour and fermented with sourdough, is a good option to balance the bacterial flora.
• miso. It is used to season broths, soups, stews or pâtés. It is heated only slightly, because if it boils it loses properties. It is rich in salt: one teaspoon per person is enough.
• Tempe. This soy derivative, rich in protein, is not eaten raw: it is fried, roasted, grilled or stewed.
• Sprouts. When grains and seeds germinate, they intensify their enzymatic activity and exert a certain probiotic effect. They should be consumed fresh and raw, in salads, stuffings, pates and sauces.
• Soy sauce. As long as it is of quality, made by slow fermentation and without pasteurization, it is a good complement and dressing. It must be used at the end of cooking and in moderation, as it is salty.
• umeboshi plums. They are sold in paste or whole and their flavor is strong, between acid and salty. To prepare for digestion, it is advisable to crumble a small piece in your mouth before eating. They are also used to accompany cereals and vegetables, and as a dressing with oil or soy sauce.

6 recipes to fill your body with probiotics