3. Greek Yogurt
When it comes to fermented foods, the most popular probiotic-rich food is Greek yogurt. To make yogurt, two strains of bacteria are used. These strains are lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus. The bacteria are added into milk that has been pasteurized. This causes the milk to thicken up because of the lactic acid that the bacteria produce. This is what helps it become the thick and creamy product that you purchase at the grocery store. While most Greek yogurt products can be a trusted source for protein, not all of them provide probiotics.
There are some types of Greek yogurt that are heat-treated after the fermentation process. This heat treatment will kill the majority of the active cultures. If you are adding Greek yogurt to your diet to improve the health of your gut, make sure that you read the label and look for the term live active cultures. Stay away from the ones with any added sugar as these do more harm than good when it comes to gut bacteria.