Functional Foods to Promote a Healthy Balance of Intestinal Flora

By Dana Sindona

Many of our customers are familiar with probiotic supplements and their ability to replenish flora in the digestive tract.  Probiotics, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, may offer benefits to those on an antibiotic regimen or who are suffering from chronic candidiasis, thrush, yeast infections, nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal issues and immune deficiencies.  There is now a growing awareness of functional probiotic and prebiotic foods and their role in maintaining a proper environment for healthy bacteria in the body.

Functional Foods are defined as foods or dietary components that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition.[1]  Cultured foods are some of the most effective functional foods, offering naturally fermented probiotic liquids, essential enzymes, minerals and vitamins, including a significant level of B vitamins, all in a predigested, easy-to-assimilate form.  Cultured foods also satisfy cravings by providing excellent nutrition and enhancing digestion.[2]

Some examples of probiotic, nutrient-dense functional foods are cultured products such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, miso, kim chi and sauerkraut.

The concept of prebiotics may not be as well known as probiotics, but they are just as instrumental in maintaining intestinal health; “a significant proportion of prebiotic foods in the diet has been demonstrated to support healthy probiotic flora.”[3]  Prebiotics are nutrients such as fiber and carbohydrates that pass through the small intestine to be used as a fuel source by bacteria in the large intestine.[4]

Some examples of prebiotic functional foods are legumes, berries, dark leafy greens, onions, whole grains, flax seeds and Jerusalem artichokes.  These foods contain prebiotic inulin, fructo-oligosaccahrides, and polydextrose, providing fuel for healthy bacteria in addition to supplying the body with a healthy variety of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and other phytonutrients.[5]

Functional Foods greatly enhance a probiotic supplement regimen by offering food based probiotic and prebiotic nutrients.  Anyone looking to replenish or maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora should consider incorporating as many functional foods as possible into his or her diet.