In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Are Probiotics?6 Probiotic FoodsWhat Are Prebiotics?6 Prebiotic FoodsGut Health Tips
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Are Probiotics?
6 Probiotic Foods
What Are Prebiotics?
6 Prebiotic Foods
Gut Health Tips
Gut health isn’t just about keeping tummy troubles away. While improving your gut health can reduce gastrointestinal issues, it is also key in supporting and regulating body functions and keeping your systems running healthily.
Simply put, your gut, also known as your gastrointestinal tract, breaks down food to provide essential nutrients throughout the body. Your GI tract is also essential in fighting off infectious agents and is linked to a healthy immune system, endocrine system and cardiovascular system.
The health of your gut alsoimpacts the health of your brain. A healthy gut supports a healthy mood and promotes mental wellness. Research has even shown that gut bacteria may be associated with your risk of depression
The foods you consume daily play a big role in keeping your gut healthy. To better understand how foods can immediately impact your gut health and which foods have a beneficial impact on your gut, we share expert advice fromCarolyn Williams, Ph.D., RD, registered dietitian and culinary expert.
When looking for foods that significantly impact your gut health, Williams recommends focusing on minimally processed whole foods, particularly fermented foods and fiber-rich foods like vegetables and fruit. These gut-healthy foods typically fall into two groups: probiotics and prebiotics. Let’s dive in!
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found infermented foods. Adding probiotic foods to your daily diet is one of the best ways to boost your overall gut health. “Sauerkraut, cottage cheese and yogurt with live cultures, kimchi and kombucha are all whole-food sources of probiotics,” says Williams.
However, Williams notes that there is a disconnect between perception and reality regarding probiotics. “Probiotics are the good, live bacteria that live in the gut. People tend to think that probiotics are the over-the-counter supplements your doctor may recommend to counteract the negative effects of an antibiotic. But probiotics are those good gut bacteria.”
When purchasing fermented probiotic foods at your local market or grocery, the key is to make sure you buy them from the refrigerated section. Heat kills many types of bacteria—both bad and good—so most probiotic foods are refrigerated. You’ll also want to read the ingredients labels to ensure that you choose a brand that includes live active cultures.
When asked aboutprobiotic supplements, Williams explains that while they may not harm, the research is inconclusive about their effectiveness. “Because there are thousands, even millions of strains of probiotic bacteria, it’s impossible to cover all strains with one supplement; in fact, most only include a few strains,” explains Williams. “And for a supplement to be truly beneficial, you’d need to know exactly which strains you need in order for it to be effective.” In short, whole-food sources are still your best option.
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6 Probiotic Foods to Eat
Williams recommends eating probiotic foods daily or even multiple times a day. Including these powerful probiotic foods in your diet can help to quickly improve your gut health.
Greek Yogurt
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt is a powerhouse forgut-healthy probiotics and proteinthat support the immune system.Try pairing probiotic-richyogurt with prebiotic-filled oats and fruitfor a delicious, gut-health power meal. Read the ingredient label to ensure that the yogurt you choose isn’t also full of added sugar.
Kimchi
A staple in Korean cuisine,kimchi is a spicy, fermented cabbage dishfilled with probiotics to promote a healthy gut.In addition to its gut health properties, kimchi is made withcruciferous vegetablesthat contain nutrients with powerful antioxidant properties that may help prevent some types of cancer. Cabbage is also a prebiotic, which makes kimchi both pre- and probiotic.
Kefir
Kombucha
Kombuchais a fermented, fizzy tea drink that may contain fruit juice, spices or other flavors. It’s loaded with probiotics and may be one of the easiest ways to boost probiotic intake each day since there are so many flavors to pour and sip.Consuming kombucha can help protect against comorbidities associated with obesity, such as high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
With that said, there is a caveat regarding kombucha.Pregnancy may be a time when you should skip this fizzy drink—for several reasons. First, kombucha can contain alcohol, which is something that should be avoided during pregnancy. And because there is little regulation when it comes to kombucha, the label might not match what’s actually inside the bottle.
Sauerkraut
A staple in German cuisine,sauerkrautis a pickled cabbage dish similar to kimchi. To get the healthy probiotics, avoid sauerkraut that’s been pasteurized and is sitting on a grocery shelf at room temperature. Purchase sauerkraut in the refrigerated section and read the labels to ensure it includes active, live cultures for gut-health benefits. Like kimchi, sauerkraut is made with cabbage. making it both a prebiotic and probiotic.
Tempeh
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food made from compressing fermented soybeans into a cake-like form. It, too, is both a probiotic and a prebiotic making tempeh anotherone of the powerhouse foodsyou can include to stimulate probiotic bacteria growth in the gut.
Prebiotics aretypes of fiber that are not digestedin the small intestine and instead travel to the colon, where they are fermented to provide “food” for your beneficial bacteria. “The good bacteria, or probiotics, need food to live on. Think of prebiotics as food for the probiotics,” says Williams.
In addition to their gut health benefits,fiber-rich foodsoffer a wide range of health benefits: They keep you full longer, help reduce your risk for certain cancers, prevent blood sugar spikes, lower cholesterol and improve your heart health.
10 Amazing Health Benefits of Fiber
6 Prebiotic Foods to Eat
Photographer / Jen Causey, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall
Pictured Recipe:Grilled Artichokes
Artichokes
Artichokes are an excellent source of inulin, a type of fiber that acts as a prebiotic. Additionally,artichokes provide other benefits, such as improving bone health, protecting your brain and supporting your blood pressure.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruitisn’t just a beautiful, brightly colored fruit but it also provides health benefits, including gut-related ones. Dragon fruit is rich in fiber and is one of thebest fruits to help relieve constipation.
While research in humans is limited, some studies suggest that dragonfruit has powerful prebiotic potential, since the types of fiber found in dragonfruit have been found to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.Try including dragon fruit in a morning smoothie for a beautiful, delicious, gut-healthy treat.
Garlic
Garlicworks overtime for gut health as a prebiotic, providing food for the good bacteria in your gut. It also has antibacterial and antiviral properties that help support your immune system.There aretons of waysyou can add garlic to your diet, from delicious melting potatoes to cozy casseroles.
Mushrooms
High in prebiotic fiber,mushroomsalso contain several compounds that may have medicinal properties. Consuming mushrooms may positively influence your blood sugar and help prevent gastrointestinal diseases and even some types of cancer.
Oats
Improving your gut health can begin with one of your favorite breakfasts. Oats are one of the best prebiotic foods to quicklyimpact your gut’s health. Oats provide a balanced source of complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein and fiber, making them an excellent choice for gut health.
Like with yogurt, you’ll want to limit oatmeal high in added sugars. Instead, look for plain instant oatmeal or useold-fashioned or steel-cut oatsto make your own oatmeal and add fresh or dried fruit for added sweetness.
Soybeans
Beans are often touted for their nutritional value. They are aplant-based source of proteinand provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Because of this nutrient mix, consuming beans, such assoybeans, may be one of the best ways to improve gut health with prebiotics. Soybeans are one of the well-known sources of prebiotics, positively impacting your gut health.
Other Factors That Impact Your Gut Health
Knowing thefoods to limitcan be just as important as knowing which foods to include when it comes to your gut health. Ultra-processed foods, artificial foods, added sugar, preservatives and additives can wreak havoc on your gut.
The Bottom Line
To truly improve your gut health overnight and positively impact your overall health, focus on eating a diet rich in probiotic and prebiotic foods daily.
“You’ll repopulate the gut bacteria with probiotics and then keep the probiotic bacteria healthy with prebiotics,” says Williams.
Building consistent, daily practices to include these probiotic and prebiotic foods will make the most significant impact over time.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Radjabzadeh D, Bosch JA, Uitterlinden AG, Zwinderman AH, Arfan Ikram M, van Meurs B, Luik AM, et al.Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms.Nat Commun.2022;13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3Wastyk H, Fragiadakis G, Perelman D, et al.Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status.Cell.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019Cha J, Kim Y, Park S, et al.Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2023. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2170319Peluzio M, Dias M, Martinez J, et al.Kefir and intestinal microbiota modulation: implications in human health. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2021. doi: 0.3389/fnut.2021.638740Ghizi A, Silva M, Moraes F, et al.Kefir improves blood parameters and reduces cardiovascular risks in patients with metabolic syndrome.PharmaNutrition.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.phanu.2021.100266de Campos Costa MA, de Souza Vilela DL, Fraiz, GM, Lopes IL, Mendes Coelho AI, Vidigal Castro LC.Effect of kombucha intake on the gut microbiota and obesity-related comorbidities: A systematic review.Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2021; 63(19). doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1995321Nishikito D, Borges A, Laurindo L, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragonfruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Li M, Yu L, Zhao J, et al.Role of dietary edible mushrooms in the modulation of gut microbiota.Journal of Functional Foods.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104538Oniszczuk A, Oniszczuk T, Gancarz M, et al.Role of gut microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in the cardiovascular diseases.Molecules.2021. doi: 10.3390/molecules26041172Clauss M, Gerard P, Mosca A, et al.Interplay between exercise and gut microbiome in the context of human health and performance.Frontiers in Nutrition.2021. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.637010
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Radjabzadeh D, Bosch JA, Uitterlinden AG, Zwinderman AH, Arfan Ikram M, van Meurs B, Luik AM, et al.Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms.Nat Commun.2022;13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3Wastyk H, Fragiadakis G, Perelman D, et al.Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status.Cell.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019Cha J, Kim Y, Park S, et al.Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2023. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2170319Peluzio M, Dias M, Martinez J, et al.Kefir and intestinal microbiota modulation: implications in human health. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2021. doi: 0.3389/fnut.2021.638740Ghizi A, Silva M, Moraes F, et al.Kefir improves blood parameters and reduces cardiovascular risks in patients with metabolic syndrome.PharmaNutrition.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.phanu.2021.100266de Campos Costa MA, de Souza Vilela DL, Fraiz, GM, Lopes IL, Mendes Coelho AI, Vidigal Castro LC.Effect of kombucha intake on the gut microbiota and obesity-related comorbidities: A systematic review.Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2021; 63(19). doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1995321Nishikito D, Borges A, Laurindo L, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragonfruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Li M, Yu L, Zhao J, et al.Role of dietary edible mushrooms in the modulation of gut microbiota.Journal of Functional Foods.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104538Oniszczuk A, Oniszczuk T, Gancarz M, et al.Role of gut microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in the cardiovascular diseases.Molecules.2021. doi: 10.3390/molecules26041172Clauss M, Gerard P, Mosca A, et al.Interplay between exercise and gut microbiome in the context of human health and performance.Frontiers in Nutrition.2021. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.637010
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Radjabzadeh D, Bosch JA, Uitterlinden AG, Zwinderman AH, Arfan Ikram M, van Meurs B, Luik AM, et al.Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms.Nat Commun.2022;13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3Wastyk H, Fragiadakis G, Perelman D, et al.Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status.Cell.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019Cha J, Kim Y, Park S, et al.Does kimchi deserve the status of a probiotic food?Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2023. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2170319Peluzio M, Dias M, Martinez J, et al.Kefir and intestinal microbiota modulation: implications in human health. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2021. doi: 0.3389/fnut.2021.638740Ghizi A, Silva M, Moraes F, et al.Kefir improves blood parameters and reduces cardiovascular risks in patients with metabolic syndrome.PharmaNutrition.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.phanu.2021.100266de Campos Costa MA, de Souza Vilela DL, Fraiz, GM, Lopes IL, Mendes Coelho AI, Vidigal Castro LC.Effect of kombucha intake on the gut microbiota and obesity-related comorbidities: A systematic review.Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2021; 63(19). doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1995321Nishikito D, Borges A, Laurindo L, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragonfruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Li M, Yu L, Zhao J, et al.Role of dietary edible mushrooms in the modulation of gut microbiota.Journal of Functional Foods.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104538Oniszczuk A, Oniszczuk T, Gancarz M, et al.Role of gut microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in the cardiovascular diseases.Molecules.2021. doi: 10.3390/molecules26041172Clauss M, Gerard P, Mosca A, et al.Interplay between exercise and gut microbiome in the context of human health and performance.Frontiers in Nutrition.2021. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.637010
Radjabzadeh D, Bosch JA, Uitterlinden AG, Zwinderman AH, Arfan Ikram M, van Meurs B, Luik AM, et al.Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms.Nat Commun.2022;13. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3
Wastyk H, Fragiadakis G, Perelman D, et al.Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status.Cell.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019
Peluzio M, Dias M, Martinez J, et al.Kefir and intestinal microbiota modulation: implications in human health. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2021. doi: 0.3389/fnut.2021.638740
Ghizi A, Silva M, Moraes F, et al.Kefir improves blood parameters and reduces cardiovascular risks in patients with metabolic syndrome.PharmaNutrition.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.phanu.2021.100266
Nishikito D, Borges A, Laurindo L, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragonfruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159
Li M, Yu L, Zhao J, et al.Role of dietary edible mushrooms in the modulation of gut microbiota.Journal of Functional Foods.2021. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104538
Oniszczuk A, Oniszczuk T, Gancarz M, et al.Role of gut microbiota, probiotics and prebiotics in the cardiovascular diseases.Molecules.2021. doi: 10.3390/molecules26041172
Clauss M, Gerard P, Mosca A, et al.Interplay between exercise and gut microbiome in the context of human health and performance.Frontiers in Nutrition.2021. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.637010
