The condition of your gut is an important health issue to consider. If you find yourself having skin irritations, an upset stomach, fluctuations in weight, or irritable bowel syndrome IBS, your gut may be the culprit. Since your gut could be the reason behind the issues you are having check into things like probiotics vs. prebiotics, what bacteria are gut friendly bacteria, and what foods are beneficial to the health of your gut.

The foods listed below may help you on your journey to reclaim and rebuild your gut health:

1. Yogurt
One food that many of us know is yogurt. When it comes to yogurt you want to make sure the label states that there are live active cultures. Live bacteria and yeasts are probiotic which are bacteria that are considered healthy for your gut. Yogurt may even reduce the symptoms of IBS.

2. Kefir
Another probiotic food that can aid in restoring your gut health is kefir. It is a fermented milk made of gut healthy bacteria and yeasts. Its texture could be compared to that of drinking yogurt. It helps balance the bacteria in your gut which can help fight against gastrointestinal diseases like IBS and Crohn’s Disease.

3. Sauerkraut
This fermented cabbage known as sauerkraut can reload your gut with good bacteria. It is a probiotic that can help boost your digestion and reduce symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome IBS. Sauerkraut is usually made with white cabbage and contains probiotics. These probiotics can help in the battle of improving your gut health overall and even after using antibiotics.

4. Kimchi
Kimchi can help promote a healthy digestive system. If you want something a little spicier to add to your list of foods that can boost your gut health, then kimchi is something you may want to try. Kimchi is a bit like sauerkraut but made with Chinese cabbage and spiced up with garlic and chili paste.

5. Miso
This is a fermented soybean paste that contains live active cultures. It can help improve the balance of the good flora in your digestive tract. If you are lactose intolerant or have a sensitivity to dairy products you may want to try miso over foods like yogurt or kefir. It can help with constipation, gas, IBS, or even with food allergies.

6. Sourdough
This bread is made using a fermented starter. Due to its fermentations process it can help maintain your gut health. It also has prebiotics which feed the good bacteria in your gut and makes sourdough bread easier to digest.

When it comes to your gut health, what you eat plays a big role. If you do not already eat the listed foods above, you may want to give them a try. They may provide you a start to building a good home for those gut friendly bacteria that you want to reside there.