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Recently, there has been a lot of fascination with probiotic foods, thanks to studies signifying that friendly bacteria might help with or prevent an array of problems, from irritable bowel syndrome to stomach upset and diarrhea to constant inflammation — the underlying cause of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Sauerkraut stays fresh for months and delivers outstanding health benefits in the form of probiotics and nutrients that the cabbage in its natural form doesn't have.

All of the research carried out on overweight people focused on gut bacteria, and the findings revealed higher instances of "bad" bacteria and reduced levels of probiotics amongst these people. Keeping the preferred ratio of "good bacteria" to "bad bacteria" is now gaining appreciation as perhaps the most important step you can take to defend your health and fat-loss goals.

These are the signs that your digestive bacterial harmony is beginning to get out of control:

• gas and bloating

• a failure to lose weight

• overall sicknes s

• constipation and/or diarrhea

• urinary tract infections

• sugar cravings, particularly for heavily refined carbohydrates

• difficulty sleeping

The perfect healthy ratio of "good" to "bad" bacteria is 85 to 15 percent, or 9 to 1. To re-balance your intestinal bacteria ratio and begin experiencing weight loss advantages, you need to eat more probiotic foods and reduce your sugars, artificial sweeteners, antacids, processed foods, laxatives, and antibiotic consumption. You can do this with the following proposed Superfoods: yogurt, any fermented vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers), kefir, and kimchi. Just make sure that you know the distinction between “pickled” and “naturally fermented.” Pickled means that the vegetables are preserved in various acidic liquids, commonly vinegar. But these vegetables are NOT fermented and do not provide the probiotic and enzymatic benefits of naturally fermented vegetables. Simple home recipe for fermented vegetables includes salt and water. The process of fermentation produces its own acidic liquid as a by-product. So, naturally fermented vegetables are both fermented and pickled.

Lactobacilli is a bacteria produced in fermentation, causing the creation of lactic acid, which is what preserves the vegetables. It also boosts health by improving the vitamin content of the food, by heightening the nutrient bio-availability in the body, and by preserving and boosting the enzyme content of the food. It also heightens the digestibility of the food as well as the cooked foods that are eaten along with it!

Manufacturing preservation of veggies is done by high temperature and pressure and that damages nutrients. Make sure that you meticulously check whether the store-purchased, pickled veggies are factory-pickled or naturally fermented. You will most likely find some naturally fermented foods in health food shops. In any case, check the description, and if it includes vinegar, it's most likely fake, since vinegar is used in mass manufacturing. You can, with ease, make your own pickled products at home; it's quick, easy and inexpensive.

Fermented foods are high in “good” probiotic bacteria, and their intake will help stabilize your total gut bacteria ratio. The next step is to eliminate pretty much all sugar in your diet. Consuming sugar-laden foods feeds the bad or pathogenic bacteria – the yeast and fungi in your intestine – which can have more of a damaging influence on your health than sugar’s influence on blood sugar and insulin resistance. What’s more, artificial sweeteners are worse than ordinary sugar because they have chlorine that kills off the good bacteria in your intestine just like chlorine kills microorganisms in swimming pools.

Sauerkraut and kimchee are age-old Superfoods that are starting to make a comeback mainly because of their unique taste and advantages of “good bacteria.” Fresh cabbage is full of bacteria needed to lacto-ferment itself. Sauerkraut fermentation is accomplished with lactic acid bacteria handling cabbage sugar in a process comparable to how yogurt is made. Just like yogurt, the fermentation process makes cabbage much healthier and more digestible than the plant is in its primary form. In addition to producing a naturally-occurring probiotic supplement, fermentation adds other nurturing benefits as well. Cabbage, in its raw form, includes materials called “goitrogens” that can block the production of thyroid hormone, but goitrogens are decreased or eliminated through the fermentation process. This is very significant for people who suffer from low thyroid. Such people should eat sauerkraut or cooked cabbage rather than raw cabbage. Sauerkraut is higher in B vitamins than cabbage, especially in vitamin B12, which makes sauerkraut an ideal food for vegans. Just as with kimchi, sauerkraut is high in vitamin C and intestinal enzymes. It is also a great source of all-natural lactic acid bacteria such as pediococcus and lactobacillus.

If you’re purchasing sauerkraut in a container, make sure that it says “Raw” or “'Unpasteurized” in order to make certain that it's a “living” food with worthwhile bacteria. Even better, homemade sauerkraut is an uncomplicated and inexpensive way to get an excellent natural probiotic “supplement” that won't call for taking any pills, powders or potions.

One of the very best probiotic foods is live-cultured yogurt, particularly homemade. Search for Greek low-fat yogurt or check goat’s milk yogurt that has been blended with probiotics like lactobacillus or acidophilus. Goat’s milk and cheese are especially high in probiotics like bifudus, bulgaricus, thermophillus and acidophilus. Double-check the ingredients list, as not all yogurt is made equally. Some prominent brands are filled with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial sweeteners, so they are basically a sweet, unhealthy ice cream. Choose Greek or plain low-fat as an alternative. If however, you don’t like the taste of probiotic foods, you can use supplements .