Typically, probiotics are in cheeses that have been aged but not heated afterward. This includes both soft and hard cheeses, including Swiss, provolone, Gouda, cheddar, Edam, Gruyère, and cottage cheese.
A short list of probiotic-rich cheeses includes aged, traditional cheddars, Gouda, and Alpine cheeses like Gruyère. For soft cheeses, try raw milk washed rinds like Rollright from King Stone Farm or Slyboro from Consider Bardwell Farm.
Why it's good for you: Cheese lovers, rejoice: cottage cheese is a great pick for your gut. As with other fermented foods, cottage cheese often delivers probiotics (check the package labels for live and active cultures), and it's high in calcium, which is important for strong bones.
Gut Health
Fermented foods like feta cheese contain probiotics. These strains of good bacteria promote a healthy gut and support immune system function.
May support gut health
Feta cheese contains beneficial microbes including yeasts and bacteria, such as Lactobacillus plantarum, which may help support gut health.
Kefir contains more probiotics than any yogurt. With up to 61 different strains of microbes, it can be an excellent source of probiotics. People use specific clusters of microbes called kefir grains to ferment the milk.
May support gut health
Greek yogurt that is labelled 'contains live cultures', provides beneficial bacteria known as probiotics, which when eaten regularly may support gut health. This is because regular inclusion of fermented foods, including yogurt, appears to increase the microbial diversity of the gut.
Study finds 2 to 25 servings of yogurt per day would need to be consumed to offer any health benefits. CTV News Channel: Not enough 'good' bacteria? Study co-author Mary Scourboutakos comments on the research results on products that promote probiotics.
Yes, sourdough contains the gut-friendly lactobacillus bacteria, but the high heat of baking destroys these probiotics. So, unless you'd like to eat the raw dough, sourdough is not a probiotic food. However, it does have some digestive benefits.
Yakult is a fermented dairy drink that contains probiotic cultures rather than yogurt cultures. The main difference between yogurt and probiotic cultures is that probiotics must have scientifically proven health benefits while yogurts do not.
If you are looking to boost your protein intake or prefer a thicker yogurt, Greek yogurt is a great option, however, regular yogurt is equally as nutrient-dense and rich in probiotics.
Even though the strains of naturally-occurring probiotics in yogurt are beneficial, your yogurt may simply not have enough of it to be helpful. In order to receive the full benefit of probiotic potency, you'd need to eat more than a dozen yogurts to match the potency of an adult dose of LoveBug probiotics.
The most common fermented foods that naturally contain probiotics, or have probiotics added to them, include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread and some cheeses.
Prebiotic foods (whole grains, bananas, greens, onions, garlic, soybeans, and artichokes) act as food for healthy gut bacteria. Probiotic foods like yogurt are full of good bacteria already.
Probiotics found in Swiss cheeses - such as Emmental and Gruyère – could help reduce inflammation and subsequently boost immunity.
Halloumi, like other dairy foods, is rich in calcium, a mineral we need for muscle and nerve function as well as strong healthy bones and teeth. A portion (80g) supplies a significant contribution towards your daily calcium needs, something which is of important for all life-stages.