Probiotics are microorganisms that live naturally in the intestines of every person. The most common probiotics are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces. Many expecting mothers take a probiotic supplement, but many expecting mothers want to know where can they get probiotics naturally. What foods contain probiotics?
How to Get Probiotics Naturally
Yogurt: The most commonly used food source for acquiring probiotics naturally is yogurt. Live yogurt and live yogurt drinks are two viable options.
Kefir: Similar to yogurt is the fermented dairy product called kefir. Kefir involves a combination of fermented kefir grains and goat’s milk. This is considerably less common than regular live-cultured yogurt.
Chocolate: Expecting mothers will be excited to learn that probiotics can often be found in high-quality dark chocolates. The levels of probiotics are often significantly higher.
Algae: Taking to the sea and leveraging microalgae, such as blue-green algae, chlorella, and spirulina, provides consumers with both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
Miso: For the Asian food connoisseur, Miso soup is another source for getting probiotics naturally. Miso is made from fermented barley, beans, rice, or rye. It is the fermentation process that brings in the probiotics.
Pickles: We have all heard of the expecting mother craving pickles and ice cream. The good news is that pickles are another source of probiotics.
Tea: Kombucha Tea is a fermented tea that is high in probiotics, providing expecting mothers with an opportunity to drink their probiotic. The good news is the caffeine levels in these teas are lower than regular teas, although there is still some caffeine.
Milk: It is also possible to get probiotics from fermented and some unfermented milk.
When you look over the list, it is easy to see why live cultural yogurt is the most commonly used food source for getting probiotics naturally.
Want to Know More?
Compiled using information from the following sources:
1. Dugoua, Jean-Jacques et al., “Probiotic Safety in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces spp, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada, 2009; 31(6).
2. Delias, Jackie, Bozzo, Pina, and Einarson, Adrienne, “Are probiotics safe for use during pregnancy and lactation? National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056676/
3.Group, Edward, “Probiotic Foods,” Global Health Center
