I do my best to eat some bugs almost every day. I'm not talking about insects. Although, as I talked about in my 2022 episode on micro livestock

insects such as crickets and mealworms are gaining market share

as a humane and environmentally sustainable source of high quality protein.

But today I'm talking about microscopic bugs, specifically the beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in foods like

yogurt or Kefir.

Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva Podcast. I'm your host Monica Reinagle

and today we're taking a fresh look at probiotic foods.

This was actually the subject of one of the very first episodes of the nutrition diva podcast

way back in 2008, believe it or not, and it remains a topic

that gets a lot of discussion.

But we have learned a lot more about the diet and the microbiome since 2008,

so I thought it would be good to update everyone's talking points with the latest information.

Virtually every traditional cuisine features information. Japanese Nato, Bulgarian yogurt, Polish Sowercroughts, Korean Kimchi, I could go on and on, and each

of these plays a central role in that culture's cuisine, and for good reason. Modern research reveals that these

ancient foods can have both short-term and long-term effects that can benefit our overall health. Firstly, probiotic foods contain beneficial

microorganisms. Now, contrary to common beliefs, these bugs don't necessarily set up permanent housekeeping in our

guts. They're actually more likely to be transient visitors. Even so, they do have a positive impact on the

existing microbial ecosystem. During their temporary residence, the microbes from fermented foods produce bioactive peptides and metabolites

that can interact with our existing gut microbiota, potentially influencing their behavior and their composition.

Regular consumption of fermented foods appears to promote a more stable and diverse gut

microbiome over time, and diversity is really where it's at.

People who consistently consume probiotic foods may see improvements also in digestive health, enhanced immune function, and reduced

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