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Probiotics  are the new rage in the nutrition and health industry . But its a fun fact that the discovery of probiotic bacteria happened more than a decade ago in the late 90’s. Probiotic is a term that has greek origins. The root of the word means promoting life and that what it does!! Probitics are actually bacteria that when ingested have some kind of health benefit. Not all bacteria are probiotics just as not all bacteria are infectious. Predominantly probiotics come from two sets of bacterial families that are the Lactobacillus family( Found in fermented milk products) and Bifidobacterium family(also found in dairy fermented products). There are plenty of proven and unproven health benefits to adding probiotics to your diet for a more balanced diet.

Some Health Benefits From Probiotics:

• Diarrhea: It has a proven record of helping fight off diarrhea and other such GI tract ailments.
• Immunity: It has been studied that consumption of probiotics leads to a better or higher count of lymphocytes which is a marker for better immunity .
• Brain Function: There are unproven records that in helps boost brain function in women.
• Obesity: There has been wide ranging studies that correlate probiotics with preventing obesity as well as help shed post partum weight gain.

Foods That Give You A Probiotic Boost:

• Yogurt: That is the first food item that comes to ones mind when the word probiotic is used. This is not a marketing gimmick but a factual truth as yogurt or curd products are one of the best sources of bacteria. It contains strains form both the Lactobacillus as well as Bifidillum family. All in all it is the best source of probiotics.
• Kimchi: It is a spicy, sour and tangy probiotic rich dish. It is basically a dish that is made by the fermentation of cabbage, radish and cucumber. But just be sure you don't cook this dish too much as that would kill all your probiotic bacteria. So eat it as it is!!
• Sour Pickle: It is a strong dish, the pickles that are fermented using brine and sea salt are better than the vinegar varieties when it comes to probiotics as vinegar plays an obstructive role towards the growth of beneficial bacteria.
• Sauerkraut: It is basically fermented cabbages. It is used as a topping for sausages and also as a condiment. Unpasteurized ones have a healthy dose of probiotic bacteria.

• Sourdough: Yes, your everyday bread can also be a source of rich probiotics that is if it the sourdough variety. This is a fermented bread that has a low glycemic index.
• Kefir: It is a wonderful milk fermented beverage that is a veritable source of probiotic rich bacteria.