Did you know that the gut contains over 100 trillion bacteria?

If the thought of bacteria conjures images of germs that should be avoided at all costs—and certainly not ingested—think again! Some friendly bacteria, called probiotics, are not only beneficial to your health, they’re essential. Now an internationally recognized scientist at a top U.S. medical school—one of the leading researchers in the field—sheds light on the extraordinary benefits of these natural health superstars. Thanks to an explosion of research in recent years, one thing is clear: probiotics, the healthy bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract, are the body’s silent partners for good health, optimizing the power of the immune system to fight disease and the “bad” germs we fear. But how do they work? And in the face of factors like stress and poor diet, which decrease their numbers, how do you keep your supply well stocked? Here is an up-to-the-minute, highly accessible guide to probiotics and the foods and supplements that contain and support them—many of which may be in your diet already. Discover: The key role of probiotics and prebiotics in restoring healthy balance to our bodies, improving immune system functioning, and curbing inflammation How to use probiotic foods and supplements to prevent and relieve allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, and the negative side effects of antibiotic use New evidence that probiotics may help fight asthma, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia—and even obesity Natural sources of prebiotics, the nutrients that help make the digestive tract more hospitable for probiotic bacteria The Probiotics Revolution also includes a step-by-step plan for incorporating the many food sources of probiotics and prebiotics into your diet, a complete buyer’s guide to probiotic supplements, and how to introduce probiotics to your family and children.

This book focuses on eating certain foods as part of a normal, healthy diet, to help improve the digestive system. Eating higher levels of fibre, naturally fermented foods and those that contain probiotics or prebiotics means that good bacteria is encouraged to grow in the gut, leading to waste products being eliminated more efficiently. With a helpful and clearly explained introduction setting out what foods should be eaten and how to add quick-fix pre- and probiotic foods to your meals, the book also offers a two-week eating plan and over 100 ideas and recipes for dishes that are packed with the right foods to balance your diet.

From one of the world’s leading nutrition experts, a simplified explanation of probiotics and what they can do for and to the human body. Despite the fact that people use the term probiotics a lot in the media as well as in everyday life, there appears to be some confusion as to whether probiotics are something that occur naturally in a healthy human gut or “biome,” something that is added to your yogurt, or whether it’s simply a pot of pills that you need to take when you’re ill. Gut Health and Probiotics will take readers on a quest to understand what both probiotics and prebiotics can do for their long term gut health and how this might affect a broad range of body systems from skin health to mental health. Along the way readers will discover how useful probiotics are in both preventing and curing specific ailments, as nutrition educator Jenny Tschiesche explains just how simple it is to feel great from the inside-out.

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics: Bioactive Foods in Health Promotion reviews and presents new hypotheses and conclusions on the effects of different bioactive components of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics to prevent disease and improve the health of various populations. Experts define and support the actions of bacteria; bacteria modified bioflavonoids and prebiotic fibrous materials and vegetable compounds. A major emphasis is placed on the health-promoting activities and bioactive components of probiotic bacteria. - Offers a novel focus on synbiotics, carefully designed prebiotics probiotics combinations to help design functional food and nutraceutical products - Discusses how prebiotics and probiotics are complementary and can be incorporated into food products and used as alternative medicines - Defines the variety of applications of probiotics in health and disease resistance and provides key insights into how gut flora are modified by specific food materials - Includes valuable information on how prebiotics are important sources of micro-and macronutrients that modify body functions

Probiotic and Prebiotics in Foods: Challenges, Innovations, and Advances reviews recent advances, innovations, and challenges in probiotics/prebiotics in food and beverages. The book presents up-to-date, novel and extensive information regarding recent research and applications in probiotics and prebiotics in food. Sections address probiotics, prebiotics, paraprobiotics and postbiotics, probiotics, prebiotics and bucal health, probiotics, prebiotics and obesity, probiotics, prebiotics and sleep quality, in vitro and in vivo assays for selection of probiotics, probiotics and mycotoxins, edible films added to probiotic and prebiotics, predictive microbiology applied to development of probiotic foods, non-bovine milk products as probiotic and prebiotic foods, emerging technologies, and much more. Written for food scientists, nutritionists, health professionals, food product developers, microbiologists, those working in food safety, and graduate students and researchers working in academia, this book is a welcomed resource on the topics discussed. - Includes coverage of both dairy and non-dairy probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotic food products - Discusses the efficacy of food substrate in probiotic and prebiotic delivery - Presents predictive microbiology models

Since the publication of the first edition in 1999, the science of probiotics and prebiotics has matured greatly and garnered more interest. The first handbook on the market, Handbook of Probiotics and Prebiotics: Second Edition updates the data in its predecessor, and it also includes material topics not previously discussed in the first edition, including methods protocols, cell line and animal models, and coverage of prebiotics. The editors supplement their expertise by bringing in international experts to contribute chapters. This second edition brings together the information needed for the successful development of a pro- or prebiotic product from laboratory to market.

The first cookbook on this hot health topic Trillions of bacteria naturally occur in the intestines, and most help protect the body from disease. These protective bacteria are called probiotics. Foods that nourish these "good" bacteria are called prebiotics. A number of factors can upset the balance between the levels of "good" and "bad" bacteria. There is evidence that consuming foods that are rich in "good" bacteria as well as foods that nourish these bacteria may help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the intestines and help improve health and fight certain diseases, like heart disease and cancer. This cookbook is organized by prebiotic and probiotic food recipes. Each of the 100 tasty recipes include instructions for properly cooking and storing food to preserve optimal levels of good bacteria.

If you’re having digestive problems or feeling sick and rundown—or if you simply want to feel better and have more energy—this is the book for you. In Cultured Food for Health, Donna Schwenk opens your eyes to the amazing healing potential of cultured foods. Focusing on the notion that all disease begins in the gut—a claim made by Hippocrates, the father of medicine, more than 2000 years ago—she brings together cutting-edge research, firsthand accounts from her online community, and her personal healing story to highlight the links between an imbalanced microbiome and a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, allergies, depression, autism, IBS, and so many more. Then she puts the power in your hands, teaching you how to bring three potent probiotic foods—kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables—into your diet. Following the advice in these pages, along with her 21-day program, you can easily (and deliciously!) flood your system with billions of good bacteria, which will balance your body and allow it to heal naturally. In this book, you’ll find: • Step-by-step instructions on how to make basic kefir, kombucha, and cultured vegetables • More than 100 tasty, easy-to-make recipes, from smoothies to desserts, that feature probiotic foods • A three-week program with day-by-day instructions on gathering supplies and ingredients, and making and eating cultured foods • Helpful answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about culturing • Hints and tips about how to easily incorporate cultured foods into your life • Exciting information on the probiotic-enhancing properties of prebiotic foods, such as apples, broccoli, onions, squash, brussels sprouts, and honey Cultured Food for Health takes the fear out of fermentation so you can heal your gut and experience the energy, health, and vitality that are available when your body is working as it’s meant to. So join Donna today, and learn to love the food that loves you back!