Probiotics are one of the hottest food ingredients today, according to Todd Runestad, Editor-in-Chief of "Functional Ingredient Magazine." The word "probiotic" means "for life" and is a term associated with good bacteria in food or digestive bacteria with healthy benefits. To be considered true probiotics in food, the bacteria must survive digestion through the stomach and go to work in the intestines. Probiotics are added to some foods and occur naturally in others.
Yogurt and Dairy
Yogurt is probably the best known food source of probiotics. Yogurt starts out as milk. Probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus are added as starter cultures to make yogurt, according to the specialty food magazine "The Nibble." Probiotics are part of other dairy products such as some fermented and unfermented cheese and milks.
Kefir, a fermented milk beverage is made from any type of milk, including soy, rice, coconut or animal milks. Kefir grains, or colonies of bacteria, are natural probiotics that flourish when added to milk and ferment at room temperature.
Fermented Cabbage
Kimchi, saurkraut and choucrote are all forms of fermented cabbage that contain probiotics in their natural form without any additives. Salt is added to start the fermentation process and different forms of probiotic bacteria thrive as the cabbage ferments. Commercial food manufacturers adds vinegar to speed fermentation or pasteurization to kill off bad bacteria during the process.
Pickles and Olives
Salt-cured or brine pickles and olives contain probiotics. However, pickles and olives cured in oil or water will not have naturally occurring probiotics because salt is needed to start the required fermentation process for probiotic bacteria to thrive.
Fermented Soy Products
Soy products like tempeh and miso both contain probiotics. Miso is fermented soy paste and tempeh is fermented, unprocessed soy beans. Both are used as ingredients in many Asian and vegan recipes.
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