The best definition of probiotics was given by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2001

The four most dominant bacterial phyla in the human gut are:

Firmicutes (contains lactobacilli)

-Bacteroidetes

-Actinobacteria (contains bifidobacteria)

-Proteobacteria

It’s important to note that the genus Bacteroides species alone constitute about 30% of all bacteria in the human gut.

Another interesting fact about the probiotic supplement you find in the market is that they almost exclusively contain the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, as they have a long history of safe use.

Probiotics are measured in CFUs- colony forming units. Most good supplements contain 1-10 billion CFUs per dose. However, a few expensive ones can have 15-50 billion CFU doses per dose with multiple bacterial strains.

Let me take an example

Yogurt is the most commonly enjoyed probiotic food globally.

Depending on the brand you are buying, a good yogurt can contain anything between 100 billion to 500 billion CFU per serving.

This research article suggests CFUs of ~1 to 5 Billion per ml of yogurt bacteria.
It’s also important to look for keywords like ‘live and active culture’ This signifies that the bacteria are live and kicking.

Most packaged foods are processed, resulting in nutrient loss, and include probiotics.

Making your yogurt at home from fresh raw cow’s milk is best. And this actually goes for every probiotic food, really.

Making things at home from the highest quality ingredients is time-consuming. Still, it will provide significant benefits at a fraction of the cost when you compare it with store-bought products, including supplements.

Now the big question is this:

Unfortunately, there is no correct answer. Therefore, only general guidelines may suffice, which are as follows:

If you are a lacto-vegetarian, include one serving (~150-200g) of yogurt, buttermilk or kefir daily.

If you are a vegan, the best solution is to ferment your vegetables. Best examples are kimchi, sauerkraut and kanji water.

Switching to sourdough bread is a good step toward improving your gut health.

Lastly, if you can, include condiments like pickles, natto and miso along with your meals. In the end, you always have a choice of a few good fermented foods based on your culture and ethnicity.

Here’s a chart I created for you, please click a screenshot:

If you are unsure on how to make these probiotic rich foods as part of your diet, don’t worry, I have created an ebook where we have combined 21 best gut healthy recipes.

Email my team on [email protected] to get the Ebook.

Make sure to read the other articles in the Gut Health category or you can also watch this video on my Youtube Channel. Thank you for your time! Stay healthy, Stay Fabulous.