Digestive health through probiotics

Lacto-fermented foods have long been used across many cultures to support and maintain digestive health, and a few simple changes to your diet can make all the difference.

It is probably not news to you that live natural yoghurt is more than just a delicious food. The ‘live’ refers to naturally occurring beneficial organisms (lactobacilli) that quietly aid our digestion in addition to producing yoghurt’s familiar sour taste.

The exact origins of yoghurt are unclear, but evidence suggests it has been around for more than 4,500 years. The word yoghurt appears in Turkish texts written during the 11th century, describing its use by nomadic herders.

Food culture

Here is a sample of just a few of the world’s probiotic offerings. When researching recipes, be sure to look for the lacto-fermented versions.

• Sauerkraut: an Eastern-European dish made from cabbage.
• Yoghurt and some cheeses
• Cider: made from apples.
• Tamari: a wheat-free Japanese soy sauce.
• Kvass: an Eastern-European drink made from rye bread.
• Miso: a Japanese food made from grain and soybeans.
• Poi: a Hawaiian food made from taro.
• Kimchi: a Korean dish made from Chinese cabbage, turnip and chilli.
• Fish sauce: a South-East Asian condiment made from fish.
• Kombucha: a Japanese drink made from seaweed.
• Sourdough bread
• Tempeh: an Indonesian food made from whole soybeans.
• Kefir*: a Turkish dairy drink similar to yoghurt, but with many more cultures and containing beneficial yeasts.

* Kefir culture is available online from the Mindd Foundation at www.mindd.org. Alternatively, powdered kefir starter culture can be obtained from health food stores.

Words: Holly Davis. Photography: Scott Hawkins