Understanding the intestinal microbiome (good intestinal bacteria) is the future of nutrition and the target of many recent and surprising studies. An unbalanced microbiome can interfere with the production of neurotransmitter hormones in the intestine (the intestine produces 90% of the serotonin used by the body), reduces the production of vitamins and participates in the secretion of hormones that regulate sugar and hunger.
To improve the microbiome it is important that we start including probiotics and prebiotics in our diet. Probiotics are foods or supplements with beneficial bacteria, in this regard the champion of quality is kefir. Prebiotics (fibers) are the food for these bacteria, as are whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
Kefir is a fermented milk product similar to yogurt, but with a fine texture. It contains a similar amount of protein to yogurt, but offers more probiotics.
Although the standard kefir is made with cow's milk, it can be made with any type of milk or milk alternative, including vegetable drinks (vegetable milks). If you see "coconut kefir" on a product label, for example, it means that it is made with coconut milk.
So, kefir is not the same as yogurt?
Not necessarily, what differentiates kefir is its fermentation process. Typically, yogurt uses only bacteria for fermentation, while kefir uses bacteria and yeast. Bacteria and yeast create cultures that contain up to three times more probiotics than yogurt.
If you are lactose intolerant, you can include it in your diet because fermented dairy products such as kefir contain minimal amount of lactose (bacteria feed on this lactose to reproduce), but always watch their reactions, each body reacts differently to but the risk of doing harm [and very low!
How to choose a quality kefir?
To make sure you are consuming a good product, please note: Protein (the more the better), Added sugar (although dairy products contain some natural sugars, avoid added sugar as much as possible), Artificial ingredients (avoid! ), Live cultures . Always check the ingredients of this product that should only contain cow's milk or vegetable milk, cultures or milk yeast and in some cases some manufacturers include the types of bacteria on the labels such as: Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, for example.
Here at the Harley Street clinic, we have tests that analyse his gut biome, as well as cutting edge technology in nutritional assessment to help you deal with your weight and health.
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