Are you getting enough probiotic-rich foods in your diet? Chances are you’re probably not. Probiotics are essential for your digestive health, which most people already know.
But did you know there are hundreds of other health benefits of consuming probiotic-rich foods that you might not be aware of?
In this article I want to cover the great eight probiotic foods you should consider adding into your diet today and how they can benefit you.
Probiotic Foods Benefits Are Amazing
Probiotics are good bacteria that primarily line your gut and are responsible for nutrient absorption and supporting your immune system.
If you don’t have enough probiotics, the side effects can include: digestive disorders, skin issues, candida, autoimmune disease and frequent colds and flus.
Historically, we had plenty of probiotics in our diet from eating fresh foods from good soil and by fermenting our foods to keep them from spoiling.
However, today because of refrigeration and dangerous agricultural practices like soaking our foods with chlorine, our food contains little to no probiotics and most foods today actually contain antibiotics which kill off the good bacteria in our bodies.
By adding more probiotic foods into your diet, you could see all of the following health benefits:
- Stronger immune system
- Improved digestion
- Increased energy from production of vitamin B12
- Better breath because probiotics destroy candida
- Healthier skin, since probiotics improve eczema and psoriasis
- Reduced cold and flu
- Healing from leaky gut and inflammatory bowel disease
- Weight loss
Sound good? If you want all of these benefits, then it’s time to start consuming these probiotic foods for better health.
The Great 8 Probiotic Foods
#1 Kefir – Similar to yogurt, this fermented dairy product is a unique combination of milk and fermented kefir grains. Kefir has been consumed for well over 3000 years and the term kefir was started in Russia and Turkey and means “feeling good”. It has a slightly acidic and tart flavor and contains anywhere from 10 to 34 strains of probiotics. Kefir is similar to yogurt, but because it is fermented with yeast and more bacteria the final product is higher in probiotics. 
#2 Cultured Vegetables (Sauerkraut and Kimchi) – Made from fermented cabbage and other vegetables, sauerkraut is not diverse in probiotics, but is high in organic acids (what gives food its sour taste) which support the growth of good bacteria. Sauerkraut is extremely popular in Germany today. Kimchi is a cousin to sauerkraut and is the Korean take on cultured veggies. Both of the fermented formulas are also high in enzymes, which can aid digestion. 
#3 Kombucha – Is an effervescent fermentation of black tea that is started by using a SCOBY also known as a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha has been around for over 2,000 years originating around Japan. Many claims have been made about kombucha, but its primarily health benefits include digestive support, increased energy and liver detoxification. 
#4 Coconut Kefir – Made by fermenting the juice of young coconuts with kefir grains. This dairy-free option for kefir has some of the same probiotics as traditional dairy kefir but is typically not as high in probiotics. Still, it has several strains that are great for your health. Coconut kefir has a great flavor, and you can add a bit of stevia, water and lime juice to it and make a great-tasting drink. 
#5 Natto – A popular dish in Japan consisting of fermented soybeans. Natto contains the extremely powerful probiotic bacillus subtilis, which has been proven to bolster your immune system, support cardiovascular health and enhance digestion of vitamin K2. Also, Natto contains a powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme called nattokinase that has been proven to fight cancer. 
#6 Yogurt – Possibly the most popular probiotic food is live cultured yogurt or greek yogurt made from the milk of cows, goats, or sheep. Yogurt in most cases can rank at the top of probiotic foods if it comes from raw grass-fed animals. The problem is there is a large variation on the quality of yogurts on the market today. It is recommend when buying yogurt to look for 3 things. First, that it comes from goat’s or sheep milk, second, that it is grass-fed, and third, that it is organic. 
#7 Kvass – This is a common fermented beverage in Eastern Europe since ancient times. It was traditionally made by fermenting rye or barley, but in more recent years has been created using beets, fruit along with other root vegetables like carrots. Kvass uses lactobacilli probiotics and is known for its blood- and liver-cleansing properties and has a mild sour flavor. 
#8 Raw Cheese – Goat’s milk, sheep’s milk and A2 cows soft cheeses are particularly high in probiotics, including thermophillus, bifudus, bulgaricus and acidophilus. Always buy raw and unpasteurized cheeses if you want to receive any probiotics.
If you want learn even more probiotics rich foods and the best probiotic supplements check out this article on Probiotic Benefits.
What is your favorite probiotic food? Have you experienced health benefits from taking probiotics?
My comet is about yogurt. in the article is mention about greek yogurt, I think that the world need to be educated that the name greek yogurt is actually a thick kind of yogurt artificially made to have this thick texture, and actually the best yogurt is not greek, is BULGARIAN YOGURT, and popularity of yogurt actually start from BULGARIAN YOGURT. Here is a little history taken from Wikipedia :
Stamen Grigorov (1878–1945), a Bulgarian student of medicine in Geneva, first examined the microflora of the Bulgarian yogurt. In 1905, he described it as consisting of a spherical and a rod-like lactic acid bacteria. In 1907, the rod-like bacterium was called Bacillus bulgaricus (now Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus). The Russian Nobel laureate and biologist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (also seen as Élie Metchnikoff), from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, was influenced by Grigorov’s work and hypothesized that regular consumption of yogurt was responsible for the unusually long lifespans of Bulgarian peasants. Believing Lactobacillus to be essential for good health, Mechnikov worked to popularize yogurt as a foodstuff throughout Europe.
I think that the people NEED TO KNOW that when they are looking good yogurt they need to look for yogurt which contain LACTOBACILLUS BULGARICUS.
I will really appreciate if you can help of popularization the truth about the REAL HELTY BULGARIAN YOGURT.
That is cool and good to know. Also, Greek yogurt is basically regular yogurt with the whey drained out. Lowfat varieties seem to have more thickeners and fillers. A lot of regular yogurts have many strains of good bacteria added and the types are usually listed on the package.
I make my own Kombucha tea and kefir and drink both daily now. I have struggled with Candida my whole life and it doesn’t bother me anymore now. The initial die-off was very bad though and I was sick for a few weeks during that time. Now I am doing great!!
Hi, Dr Axe,
I’ve just recently started using kefir in a breakfast smoothie. I’ve modified your recipe for the super greens powder and whey protein powder drink. I use about a cup of frozen blueberries, 1 cup of kefir, 1 cup of almond milk. 1 scoop of super greens, 2 scoops of chocolate whey powder, 1 tsp of amla fruit powder and sometimes I’ll throw in 2 or 3 organic prunes I’ll have to admit when I first started doing this I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed by the flavor, not that it tasted bad or unpleasant, just wasn’t anything I was used to. Now though, I look forward to it every morning and sometimes when I’m pressed for time, I’ll make another one instead of cooking lunch or supper. I’ve been following your advice pretty closely, not everything you recommend is to my liking or fits what I’m striving for of course, but since I began following your advice, I’ve begun feeling better and better all the time. That’s physically, mentally and emotionally. I’ve lost 65 pounds since last September and am now half way to my goal. Thanks for the inspiration and the practical advice.
I have noticed that 100ml of kefir has about 4 grams of sugar, and if you drink about a cup, you get up to 10 grams of sugar.
Where is this sugar coming from? I have just been in Germany and all their organic and standard brands have the same amount of sugar. Is this naturally occurring milk sugar or is it added to enhance flavor? I have tasted an organic brand from London’s Whole Foods, which had barely any sugar in it, but since I don’t live there I have no access. What can you do about reducing the sugar in kefir or is it just what it is?
I would check to make sure there is no added sugar in the ingredients. There is also natural occurring sugars in milk that may be the reason for it
I have struggled with systemic yeast infection for EIGHT YEARS…AND taken probiotics from various companies. I sometimes consume high quality, non-gmo plain yogurt. There are, however, always statements from companies about the stomach acid killig the good bacteria, and therefore they coat their products and capsules with something that prevents the bacteria from being released until it gets beyond the stomach. Please comment, Dr. Axe?. It does not make sense to me that fermented foods like sauerkrat’s bacteria would be destroyed by the stomach acid.
Certain species make it through, some don’t, some to a lesser degree. I would check out the tips in this article for yeast infection: https://draxe.com/candida-cures/
If I have a yeast infection or candida, are probiotic foods advisable? Seems like I’ve read that in this case it is not good to eat sauerkraut or any other fermented food. What’s your opinion?
Some people do well with it, other’s don’t. Each case is unique depending on severity and many other factors. Listen to your body.
My 10 year old son just got done with 5 days of intense IV antibiotics for a ruptured appendix. What probiotics or foods would be best to help replace the good bacteria in his digestive tract?
A probiotic supplement, kefir, sauerkraut and other fermented foods along with fermentable fiber like chia. I would stay away from carbs and sugars
I also am intolerant to histsmine but have read so e conflicting reports about bacillus subtillis . Do you think they Could they worsen an already leaky gut ?
Many thanks
Everyone is different and reacts to things in different ways so it is possible.
I have a histamine-intolerance and all the above mentioned probiotic foods are a problem for me. Do you have any recommendations/alternatives?
Yes, take a quality SBO (soil based) probiotic supplement with strains like bacillus subtilis.