Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com.
Episode 2916:
A thriving gut microbiome supports digestion and immunity, but can probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kimchi truly make a difference? While they contain beneficial bacteria, their effectiveness depends on factors like strain diversity, fermentation methods, and survival through digestion. Research suggests that consistent intake and high enough doses, often greater than what's found in common foods, are necessary for real impact. For those considering probiotic supplements, choosing a high-quality, third-party-tested brand is essential to ensure effectiveness.
Quotes to ponder:
"Probiotics are live bacteria that support the health of our microbiome."
"The trouble is we don’t really know how helpful these foods are when it comes to actually increasing the number of good bacteria in your gut."
"We have to remember that we can’t just eat these foods once and expect the good bacteria in our intestines to change forever."
Episode references:
Visbiome High Potency Probiotic: https://www.visbiome.com
Harvard’s Nutrition Source: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
[00:00:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Welcome back to another Friday show where I answer your questions. On all the other days, I read health and fitness blogs to you like an audiobook, with permission from the authors, of course. Now, I'll let you know how you can send in your own question at the end of the show and get rewarded for it. But for now, let's hear today's audio question and start optimizing your life.
[00:00:31] Hi, Dr. Neal. I wanted to ask a follow-up question about the Kombucha podcast and wanted to get your opinion about the potential benefits, the probiotic benefits of foods and drinks like Kombucha. Other foods I can think of would be yogurt or kimchi, anything that has a potential probiotic effect. Are there any pros and cons to these kinds of foods? Thank you for taking the time to send in your audio question, Brian.
[00:00:58] Let's start by talking about the intestines and the microbiome. This is because when it comes to probiotics and foods that supply probiotics, understanding why they may be good for us starts with the intestines. So here we go. Within our intestines, we have good and not-so-good bacteria. This combination of good and not-so-good bacteria is generally referred to as the microbiome.
[00:01:24] The good bacteria help us digest food and keep our immune systems healthy. This is the part of the microbiome we want to focus on here. We may wonder, how many of these good bacteria do we actually have in our intestines at any given time? Well, a lot. It's estimated that each person has anywhere from 10 to 100 trillion of these good bacteria in our intestines. And the number and types of these good bacteria are different for each person.
[00:01:53] That's because there are lots of different strains or species of these good bacteria within each person, but in different quantities. In fact, it's believed there are at least 400 different species of these good bacteria within each person. So if that's the microbiome, what are probiotics? Probiotics are live bacteria that support the health of our microbiome. This means that they help increase the diversity and total number of good bacteria in the intestines.
[00:02:22] Yogurt, for example, does contain probiotics. Kimchi, as you asked about, which is a traditional Korean food, also contains probiotics. Now, there are many different forms of kimchi, but it's usually made with some common ingredients like cabbage, radish, cucumber, garlic, ginger, and some form of salt like fish sauce. The vegetables are first soaked in a saltwater brine, then mixed with garlic, ginger, and fish sauce,
[00:02:52] and sealed in a container. It then sits in this sealed container at room temperature for one to two days, and then placed in the fridge to continue fermenting. And this fermentation process is what leads to the production of probiotics. Now, the trouble is, we don't really know how helpful these foods are when it comes to actually increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut. This is because these foods have to first pass through the stomach before they get to the intestine.
[00:03:21] And the stomach is a pretty harsh environment for most things. So, it's possible that many of those good bacteria from kimchi or yogurt are destroyed before they get to the intestines where they can thrive. So, as always, I have to rely on actual studies to find out whether probiotics found in these foods are helpful. The trouble is, since there are so many different strains and quantities of probiotics found in foods, kind of like our intestines,
[00:03:47] it makes it difficult to know which foods are most beneficial for the gut microbiome. Depending on how the yogurt or kimchi was made, there may be more strains and quantities of certain probiotics than others. And depending on the strain, some probiotics may help reduce the symptoms of certain conditions. For example, there are some that may help reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, like diarrhea and cramping. But to actually change the gut microbiome,
[00:04:16] there have to be enough of these probiotics in the foods we eat to make a difference. Most of the studies I've seen suggest that getting doses of 1 billion live probiotic cultures may be what's required to see any beneficial effects. Now, how many are found in yogurt? Well, it's different depending on the brand and type, but according to Harvard's nutrition source, only about 1 million live probiotic cultures,
[00:04:41] which is well short of what may be needed to actually change our gut microbiome. And when we're talking about kimchi, the range of live probiotic cultures is even wider. This is because the number of strains of these good bacteria differ based on the types of vegetables that were used in the recipe, what was used specifically to preserve them, how long the kimchi has been fermenting, and so on. And we have to remember that we can't just eat these foods once
[00:05:09] and expect the good bacteria in our intestines to change forever. We have to eat these foods consistently over time. Okay, so where does that leave us? Yogurt is a nutritious food beyond its potential for improving the health of our gut microbiome. It's a pretty good source of calcium and protein. Kimchi, because it's made from vegetables, is going to be a good source of dietary fiber and some vitamins and minerals. But what concerns me about kimchi is its salt content.
[00:05:37] For some people, too much salt can increase blood pressure, which increases the risk for having a stroke, which is basically a brain attack. The brain stops getting the blood and oxygen it needs to survive. Also, high-salt diets can increase the risk for stomach cancer. So if we really want to be sure we have a healthy gut microbiome, then a variety of whole, minimally processed foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables is likely best.
[00:06:02] So trying to consume the recommended 5 to 9 combined servings of fruits and vegetables each day will probably make the most difference. Now, what about supplementing with probiotics instead of relying on foods to help improve the health of the gut microbiome? Some studies have found that strains of bacteria found in carefully formulated probiotics, like Visbiome brand high-potency probiotic, can help with certain conditions like IBS.
[00:06:29] But if you or your doctor decide supplementing with a probiotic is right for you, then the next step is to make sure that the one you buy is a good one. As I've mentioned many times before, the supplement industry is kind of like the Wild West right now. Supplement manufacturers are creating products that aren't being tested by independent third parties, so they're putting fillers in their products and marketing them as supplements. It's very possible that you could go out and purchase what you think is a probiotic supplement,
[00:06:56] but if we were to actually analyze the product to see what it's truly made of, we might find it contains no good bacteria at all. Or if the product does contain good bacteria, there aren't enough of them to make a difference. Also, some supplements require refrigeration, whereas others may be stable at room temperature. It really depends on the brand and the probiotic strains. So carefully read the packaging to find out how best to store the probiotic. And of course, just to repeat,
[00:07:25] if you decide to begin supplementing with anything really, not just probiotics, speak to your primary healthcare provider first. Thank you again for taking the time to send in your audio question, Brian. Now, if you want to send your questions in, you can email them to health at oldpodcast.com. That's health at oldpodcast.com. Or if you want your voice played on the show, just like Brian,
[00:07:54] come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 1-61-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. And if you send in a relevant question and you're in the U.S., we'll physically mail you a copy of our hardcover Optimal Living Daily workbook for free.
[00:08:21] If you're outside the U.S., we'll send you a digital version. Thank you so much again for sending in your questions. Answering them is one of my favorite parts of this show. But that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much again for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you have a great start to your weekend. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. I'll see you back here tomorrow.