You may know that probiotics should be included as part of a balanced and healthy diet, but how do you know which kind of probiotic works best?
When you shop for probiotics, you essentially have two choices - you can get your probiotics in supplement capsule form or you can get them from probiotic foods such as yogurt and fermented soy or fermented dairy drinks. However, not all probiotics are equally beneficial and figuring out which source of probiotics is best for you can be difficult.
Probiotic Foods May be a Better Way of Replenishing Your Levels of "Beneficial" Bacteria
It's important to remember that if you take probiotic supplements then you will obtain the beneficial bacteria your body needs. But your supplement probably will not contain the other nutrients common to conventional probiotic foods or any of the beneficial compounds that microbial cultures produce during fermentation.
On the other hand, fermented dairy products, such as certain probiotic yogurts, are not only sources of beneficial probiotics and "live and active cultures," but they are also sources of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, potassium, certain amino acids and other nutrients critical to a healthy diet. Additionally, during the fermentation process of dairy foods, new compounds such as certain functional peptides are formed. Research has shown that these peptides may also be beneficial.
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