Drink Your Way to Gut Health

introduction

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a complex ecosystem and home to trillions of microbes (aka bacteria)—some good and some bad. There is emerging research to show that gaining a better understanding of the microbes—good and bad—that reside in the GI tract could unlock deeper understanding and new ways to diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases.

Our ancestors for tens of thousands of years were unknowingly consuming fermented foods and beverages. Over time, they began to recognize the palatability, preservative nature, and other properties that these foods delivered. While probiotics have a long history of health-helping connections, the term only appeared recently: It was first used by Daniel Lilly and Rosalie Stillwell in 1965 to describe substances secreted by one microorganism that simulate the growth of another.

Today probiotics are often referred to as “good bacteria,” and are increasingly being linked to health benefits, including improving gastrointestinal health, helping conditions like psoriasis and chronic fatigue syndrome, and even potentially playing a role in obesity and mental health. The microbes in our intestines also provide us with a barrier to infection, provide metabolic fuel, and contribute to normal immune development.

There are basic probiotic-rich ingredients that form the foundation of the recipes in this book, including buttermilk, yogurt, cultured nondairy yogurt, filmjölk, frozen yogurt, kefir, kombucha tea, ginger beer, miso, and tempeh. It has been found that there are also small amounts of probiotics in soy milk and almond milk. In this book you will find DIY recipes for many of these ingredients, including almond milk for making nondairy versions of yogurt, as they will serve as the base for other beverages.

There are other foods that are probiotic rich, including natto, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, pickles, soft cheese (like Gouda), kimchi, and olives. Although you will find only one of the foods (the pickles in
“Jose Gerbousky”
) in the drink recipes, try working them into your eating routine for an intestinal boost!

food first, supplements second

In response to the growing interest in probiotics, there is an increase in the number of probiotic supplements popping up on the market. When it comes to taking supplements, remember that a dietary supplement is defined as a product intended for ingestion that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to add further nutritional value to (supplement) the diet. The key piece of the definition is
to add further nutritional value
—in other words, you must first consume the nutrients your body needs from foods, and supplements are intended to add further nutritional value, not to become a crutch for poor eating habits.

First get probiotics from your food and beverages, then if you still need to add further probiotics, work with a registered dietitian and your health care provider to carefully consider adding a supplement. What you will quickly realize is that there is a wide variety of ways to add probiotics to your daily routine—if you don't like yogurt, try kefir; if you don't prefer kefir, try ginger beer. And always remember, it can take time to learn to like new foods, flavors, and textures—by being adventurous, I am confident that anyone can find probiotic foods and beverages to add to their eating routine.

the prebiotic connection

There is another group of foods, called prebiotics, that are linked to improving overall intestinal health. They are non-digestible and non-absorbable carbohydrates that help feed the good bacteria that are already living in the digestive system.

Examples of prebiotic foods include: bananas, asparagus, leeks, onion, garlic, almonds, pistachios, red wine, honey, maple syrup, oatmeal, whole grains, and legumes. Throughout the recipes in this book, you will find many prebiotic foods added to the recipes to help boost the potential power of the probiotics in your digestive tract.

Research has found benefits from a wide range of prebiotics, including: fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), polyfructan inulin, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), and lactulose. For example, FOS has been found to increase calcium absorption; food sources include wheat, barley, bananas, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, leeks, garlic, and agave. And lactulose is widely used to treat constipation.

Other potential prebiotics include lactitol, xylo-oligosaccharides, isomalto-oligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose), lactosucrose, resistant starch, and cereal fibers.

the health connection

The connection between probiotics and health seems to lie within our intestinal tract, which is inhabited by trillions of microbes.

Early discovery of probiotic benefits is credited to the Russian scientist Elie Metchnikoff for his work on the positive role that probiotics have on health. In his book
The Prolongation of Life
(1907), he suggested that foods like yogurt, kefir, and sour milk (containing lactic acid bacteria) were associated with good health and longevity. His reports were based on the Bulgarian peasants who consumed large quantities of sour milk, and lived longer than the average population.

Studies show that a “Western” diet that is high in fat and sugar results in a more porous intestinal lining, which results in systemic access to food antigens, environmental toxins, and more. Adding probiotics can positively boost intestinal health by improving the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals like B-vitamins, magnesium, and zinc.

To date, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve a health claim for probiotics, although a few other health agencies around the globe have, including Japan. Their National Institute of Health, Labour, and Welfare, under the Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) program, has identified 65 probiotic products containing one or more of the 16 different approved probiotic strains including several strains of
Lactobacillus
and
Bifidobacterium
. The health targets for probiotics in Japan include gastrointestinal conditions, immunity, allergy, cold and flu-like symptoms, cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, and diabetes.

All probiotics do not produce the same health benefits. For example,
Lactobacillus rhamnosus
has been found to be effective in the treatment of rotavirus diarrhea in children, while another strain had no clinical impact.

Below is a brief overview of groups of probiotics and/or particular strains that have been linked by research to improve health:

• Improved digestion:
  Bifidobacterium
  and
  Lactobacillus
  
• Immune stimulation:
  Bifidobacterium
  and
  Lactobacillus
  
• Increased bioavailability of iron:
  Lactobacillus acidophilus
  SBT2062
  
• Reduced cholesterol:
  Lactobacillus
  
• Reduced respiratory infections: general intake of probiotics
  
• Decreased dental carries in children:
  Lactobacillus rhamnosus
  GG
  
• Reduction in acute (rotavirus) diarrhea in children:
  Lactobacillus rhamnosus, S. boulardii
  
• Possible influence on brain health:
  Lactobacillus
  and
  Bifidobacterium
  
• Sustainable weight loss in women:
  Lactobacillus rhamnosus
  

Additionally, research is linking gut microbe diversity to reduced obesity, improved blood glucose control, reduced insulin resistance, and mental health benefits:

• Blood sugar control: Studies show that the addition of probiotics can improve fasting blood sugar levels.
  
• Mental health: There is a growing area of mental health, what is becoming known as
  nutritional psychiatry,
  that is finding connections between foods and mental health. As it relates to probiotics, traditional Japanese dietary practices, which include a lot of fermented soy products, have been linked to lower rates of depressive symptoms.
  
• Obesity: There seems to be an association with a shift in the microbe diversity of the gut and obesity. Research suggests that the variety and types of the bacteria in the gut may have an impact on fat storage and in turn, the development of obesity. Studies have shown that a restriction of calories and a loss of weight in obese individuals resulted in a change in the gut microbes, for the better.