Fermented vs ProbFoodsiotics Food How To get your Fibre

 

Fermented foods and probiotics are both ways to support our gut microbes. Through foods we get the added benefit of other nutrients, fibers, and minerals that feed our micro flora. Whereas a probiotic supplement offers a high dose of specific bacterial strains. Probiotics are great for targeting specific conditions like IBS or vaginal infections.

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Which one should you be taking? Well it depends. For some, fermented foods can cause GI upset (think candida infections or SIBO). For these individuals, it would be better to start slow and see how you react. If you are in good health, opt for 1-3 tbsp servings per day. 

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Probiotics will also depend on your unique health. I recommend consulting a health practitioner to find strains that treat your specific condition. In general, a multi-strain outperforms a single strain and the higher the quantity of bacteria the better (I like more than 25 billion).

How To Get Your Fibre

Fibre is one of the most powerful ways we can impact our gut health.

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What is fibre?

Dietary fibre is a complex carbohydrate found in plant-based foods in either a soluble or insoluble form.

🥔The soluble type dissolves easily in water and is soft and jelly in texture.

🥦The insoluble fibre passes through our digestion without breaking down.

Our gut bacteria consume fibre for food. Once fed, these microbes then produce compounds called short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), one of the most healing and anti-inflammatory molecules for the body. 

SCFAs have been found to:

✨Reverses leaky gut

✨Prevent the growth of inflammatory and pathogenic bacteria

✨Have the ability to reduce the risk of diseases like coronary heart disease

✨Affect the blood brain barrier- impacting the brain and inflammation.

The gut microbiome is just like that of a forest- it thrives on balance. Eating a wide diversity of plant-foods, feeds more microbes, and more microbes means more diversity and more SCFAs.

Whereas, when you lack diversity, many of the roots of disease are impacted:

*Immunity

*Metabolism

*Hormones

*Cognition

*Gene expression

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🥬We should aim for at least 20-35 grams of fibre a day.

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Resources:

Fiber fueled Dr Will Bulsiewicz

Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman