3 Ways to Get More Probiotics Without Popping Another Pill

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http://www.livescience.com/44458-get-more-probiotics-diet.html

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Probiotics may benefit health because they improve the balance of bacteria in the gut, research suggests.

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But how can we get more probiotics into our diets without adding another pill to our daily routine? Here are three ways to increase your body's beneficial bacteria-load naturally.

1. Eat more yogurt. Choose a yogurt that contains fewer than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Greek yogurt is typically low in sugar, so this is a good choice. [8 Tips for Fighting Sugar Cravings]

2. Get to know your kraut. Raw sauerkraut is an amazing source of probiotics. Just be sure to buy your kraut in the refrigerated section to get the biggest benefit. You can even make your own. In her book "Beauty Detox Solution," (Harlequin, 2011) nutritionist Kimberly Snyder shares a recipe for what she calls Probiotic Enzyme Salad, which is a type of sauerkraut.

3. Fiber up! You may be wondering how beneficial bacteria can survive in your body. How do these microorganisms eat? Well the answer is, they eat what you eat. Your dietary choices can determine whether you feed the good bacteria, or the bad ones. Beneficial bacteria thrive on things like fiber, while harmful bacteria thrive on sugars and alcohols. So consume more fiber-packed foods, such as leafy greens, oatmeal and whole grains.

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1. K&R... Plus Resistant Starch.

Gotta feed the good gut bugs!

http://authoritynutrition.com/resistant-starch-101/

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2. And eat dark chocolate (no kidding)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-is-dark-chocolate-good-for-you-thank-your-microbes/

Dark chocolate might pack a double positive punch for our health—thanks to the microbes that live in our gut. New research suggests that beneficial bacteria that reside toward the end of our digestive tract ferment both the antioxidants and the fiber in cocoa.

In their deep-gut alchemy these microbes create anti-inflammatory compounds that have been linked to the cardiovascular and other benefits from dark chocolate consumption. The findings were presented March 18 at the American Chemical Society meeting in Dallas. Other new research helps explain how some of cocoa's widespread health benefits—from improving vascular function to increasing insulin sensitivity—may be linked—and good for even the young and the healthy. . . .

Finley and his team went straight for the pure, unsweetened cocoa powder to test its impact on gut microbes. Nevertheless, each type produced slightly different results. The researchers sent three types of cocoa powder down the lab-rigged digestive path: lightly processed, moderately processed and Dutch-processed. The more mildly treated the cocoa powder the more it produced beneficial compounds in these experiments. Farhat also noted that likewise some brands of dark chocolate "are low in polyphenols due to the methods of manufacturing."

With the high levels of polyphenols, cocoa might also be good for the gut itself; "It appears that if you were consuming some cocoas, it would actually stimulate the production of healthier microbes in the colon," Finley says. Additionally, the microbes broke down the undigested fiber in the cocoa, creating usable short-chained fatty acids, such as butyric, propionic and acetic acids. "The bottom line is that now I put cocoa powder on my oatmeal," Finley says.