I've been thinking a lot about probiotics from natural food sources as
opposed to supplements lately, and I've learned a few things. Some
fermented food have a lot of probiotics, such as yogurt, kefir,
saurkraut, and miso. But you must use the unpasteurised ones to get any
probiotic benefits, which usually means having to make your own. I've
been trying to track down some kefir grains. You can buy kefir grains
from the store but they've been commercially treated and only last
about 7 kefir makings, whereas real grains go on infinately and
increase in size. Also, I've heard kefir is not very palatable
(although so far it sounds like the "easiest" to sustain daily). I am
now about to try making some homemade saurkraut. It's made with
cabbage, salt and water, and you ferment it about a month.
“Raw sauerkraut is an excellent food for regenerating the intestinal
flora. Harmonizing the digestion by balancing the excretions of the
stomach, it helps in the formation of enzymes and vitamins while strengthening
pancreatic function (diabetes) and improves the digestion of fats (gall
bladder and weight gain).
Raw sauerkraut also helps maintain the acid-alkaline balance of the
body, as well as strengthening the nerves and the immune system by stimulating
blood formation. It’s numerous benefits help rejuvenate the whole
body.
Raw sauerkraut is best eaten on a daily basis."
I have also looked into making
yogurt daily, but it seems such a process. Even with a yogurt maker you
have to heat the milk to a certain temperature and then watch it 'til
it cools before you put it in the "incubator".
Another option is unpastuerised miso soup:
"Unpasteurized miso is a "living food" containing natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus,
and other microorganisms which aid in the digestion of all foods, and
which have been shown to ward off and destroy harmful microorganisms,
thereby creating a healthy digestive system."
I don't know much about it yet because my sister just told me about it today. She recommended I order some from this site. She said it is expensive but worth it.
I'm interested in probiotics in food because for me the most expensive
thing about AP is the cost of adequate probiotics. They are not covered
under any medical insurance because they are "supplements". Also, I'm
starting to think more about getting the nutrients I need more from
food than pills. I want to reduce the amount of pills I take and it
just makes sense.
Other people might be interested in probiotics because they are just plain healthy!
So if anyone has any questions, comments, ideas, or advice, I'd be happy to hear them!
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