- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
Why Sauerkraut Is The Solution To All Of Life’s Problems
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Ok, that was a bit of a clickbait title. But you’d be surprised how much truth there is to this when it comes to your health.
Much ado is made these days about so-called “superfoods”: foods that are so packed full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that there are classified as nearly essential. It’s the nutritional equivalent of, “With a deal like this, you can’t afford NOT to buy it!”
But here’s the deal: you can eat all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant-filled goodies you want, but it won’t help you that much if your gut bacteria are all screwed up. The microorganisms in your “gut”– which refers to your stomach and digestive system – play a huge role in helping your body actually absorb and process all the nutrients you eat. If these beneficial bacteria are in short supply, many of the nutrients you consume will not help you as much as they should.
Many people in the modern world have done great damage to their gut flora, and their health is suffering as a result.
But why is everyone’s gut bacteria so screwed up?
The primary reason for this problem is the overuse of antibiotics. Not only has this, in many cases, rendered antibiotics ineffective due to germ adaptation, it has led to widespread damage to the gut flora of countless unsuspecting people. Antibiotics, as the name implies, kill bacteria. Bad, good, or neutral bacteria: the medicine doesn’t care. It’s the medicinal equivalent of a hydrogen bomb; it will not distinguish between friend or foe. Anything within its blast radius is toast.
What’s the solution? How can I build a strong gut biome, or rebuild it after taking antibiotics?
There are probiotic supplements you can take, but these tend to be expensive, and supplements are not a one-shot solution. They are intended, as the name implies, to supplement your diet.
You can get the most benefit from adding more probiotic foods to your diet. Fermented foods are the most beneficial in this regard. Almost every culture in the world has some form of fermented cuisine, and we’ve compiled a list of the best ones here to help you level up your eating habits and improve your overall health.
Continue to Page 2
Ed Schumacher
Oct 20, 2016 at 4:27 pm
Commercial sour kraut has nothing to offer “gut health.” It has vinegar in it that kills all the potentially beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. You’d have to make your own, which is easy.