Adding prebiotics, probiotics or fermented foods can provide health benefits

NORMAL, Ill. — There are lots of options to add prebiotics, probiotics and fermented food into a diet that can provide some health benefits.

“You want to think about nourishing the microbiome so you’re less likely to develop an infection when we get exposed,” said Hannah Holscher, associate professor of nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois.

“Prebiotics are energy for the microorganisms and they are considered safe for consumption by the general population,” said Holscher during a presentation at the Let’s Talk Dairy Workshop hosted by the St. Louis Dairy Council.

“There are lots of reasons to put prebiotics into food products,” she said. “They can reduce the sugar and fat content while maintaining a rich and creamy mouthfeel.”

Microbes will ferment prebiotics and make short-chain fatty acids.

“There are a lot of benefits from prebiotics including gastrointestinal health and they can impact immunity, laxation and help with regularity,” Holscher said.

“For metabolic health, prebiotics can help with glycemic control, improve blood lipids and impact inflammation,” she said. “The evidence is most mixed for weight management, but there is some evidence it can reduce energy intake.”

Foods that contain prebiotics include leeks, garlic, onion, artichoke, lentils, chickpeas, wheat, cereals, bread, bananas and yogurt.

“Probiotics are live organisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer a benefit to the host organism,” the university professor said. “We need to pay attention to strains and dosages because that is what impacts the health outcomes.”

Commonly used strains of probiotics are safe for use in the general population, Holscher said, and they can be added in fermented milks or yogurts or found in capsules or sachets.

“There is not sufficient evidence that everyone should be taking a probiotic,” she said. “But there is evidence for certain conditions, like if someone is taking antibiotics, it can be really helpful for diarrhea or reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections.”

Holscher advises consumers to be very selective with probiotics.

“Make sure you’re checking the label for strain level designation,” she said.

Fermented foods are foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components.

“The most common food and beverages require lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, bacilli, yeasts of fungi,” Holscher said.

“Coffee is considered a fermented food because microbes are involved in helping to create the different flavors,” she said. “Also wine and beer and these products are in the live microorganism absent category because the microbes have been filtered out.”

Other fermented foods in the live microorganism absent category include sourdough bread, soy sauce and vinegar.

Fermented foods with live organisms present include yogurt, sour cream, most cheeses, salami, pepperoni and most kombuchas.

“For sauerkraut, they change the environment to support the microbes that already live on the cabbage to ferment it,” Holscher said. “When you decide to make your own fermented foods, Extension resources can be very helpful to give you tips to make sure it’s safe.”

When making sauerkraut, the professor said, it is important to use the correct concentration of salt, otherwise it won’t lower the pH or it won’t create an environment that is safe for the beneficial microbes to bloom.

“Make sure you follow the recommendations,” Holscher said.

“Fermented dairy is where we have the most evidence and research to be able to make recommendations,” she said. “It starts with dairy milk, microbes are added to lower the pH to get cheese or yogurt.”

The microbes also make bioactives, Holscher said.

“Some of the peptides have been shown to have anti-hypertensive effects,” she said. “Other bioactives have immune stimulating benefits.”

“From 103 studies of fermented milk they showed health benefits that include increasing lactose digestion, they can improve diarrhea and constipation and help to reduce blood pressure,” Holscher reported.

“In addition, evidence showed that individuals that consumed yogurt more frequently have lower body weight and less weight gain and it helps with bone density,” she said. “There’s also some evidence that consuming fermented milk can help reduce colorectal and breast cancer risk.”

The Food and Drug Administration has just approved the first health claim for yogurt, Holscher said, based on 28 observational studies with over 860,000 participants from 27 cohorts.

According to the FDA, “eating yogurt regularly, at least two cups per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to limited scientific evidence.”