At some point in time if you are not taking measures to ensure you are getting beneficial probiotic bacteria into a vegan diet then your health may start to suffer.
If you are vegan, you don’t have to worry though. There are options to get vegan alternatives for the lactobacillus probiotic bacteria that is found in many different animal-sourced foods. This probiotic vegan guide will shed some more light on those options.
Probiotics 101
Everyone’s microbiome is unique and made up of billions of microscopic bacteria that serve a crucial role in the entire body’s health. Not just for digestive health but even for mental health thanks to serotonin production via the gut and brain connection.
Some of the best probiotic foods are unfortunately not vegan and come from animal dairy. If you have been vegan for a while and not supplement with probiotic capsules then your microflora could be missing out on essential lactobacillus bacteria.
Not having enough diverse probiotic bacteria in the microbiome can lead to an imbalance called Dysbiosis which can result in digestive problems, fatigue, acid reflux, and anxiety according to WebMD. Interestingly these are symptoms that some vegans often complain of.
How To Get Probiotics Without Dairy
Some of the strongest probiotic foods come from animal dairy. Milk, Cheese, Yogurts, and Kefir all have billions of colony-forming units and multiple different probiotic strains like Lactobacillus Paracasei that have plenty of clinical studies highlighting the health benefits. If you are vegan then these options are of course a big no-go and best to be avoided.
It is however possible to substitute the animal dairy and make a probiotic food with the same probiotic strains! Take kefir, an excellent fermented milk probiotic drink. You can make Kefir vegan at home by using kefir grains, water kefir, and coconut milk. The probiotic bacteria come from the water kefir and grains that are used in the non-vegan kefir. The taste and texture are remarkably close to normal Kefir.
The same can also be done with cheese using vegetable rennet and plant-based milk but the process is a little bit harder than with kefir and the taste and texture is quite that animal dairy provides in cheese is quite difficult to match. Vegan yogurt can easily be bought at any Walmart and tastes almost exactly the same as real yogurt. Just make sure the sugar content isn’t too high since too much of it is bad for gut health.
Probiotic bacteria need Prebiotic fiber to survive and grow deep in the gut but if you are vegan then you will likely be already getting the essential Prebiotic fiber from vegetables like Kale, Onions, Asparagus, and other dark leafy vegetables.
Best Vegan Probiotic Foods To Eat
Vegetables that are Lacto fermented with salt and made without fish sauce can be good tasty options for vegans to get bacteria like lactobacillus in their gut. Here are some good options and the probiotic strains that are included:
Kimchi
Kimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage dish made with Korean chili flakes and plenty of soy sauce. It is often made with fish sauce so make sure to substitute this if you are vegan. Kimchi is high in Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria.
Sauerkraut
If you can’t handle the spice of Kimchi then you will want to try its sister dish, Sauerkraut. It is also Lacto-fermented cabbage but doesn’t have any chillies. Real high-quality Sauerkraut should have Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus brevis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Lactobacillus plantarum bacteria.
Miso
Miso comes from Japan and is a super delicious nutty-flavored fermented soybean paste that can be added to vegan soups and stir fry’s. Miso has good Aspergillus oryzae bacteria.
Pickled Foods
You have to be careful with pickled foods because many times the vinegar used in the fermentation process can actually kill off the probiotic bacteria thus making it not a probiotic.
Best Vegan Probiotic Supplements For 2022
There are a bunch of different probiotic supplements to try in 2022 and beyond. They are 100% vegan and made with natural organic ingredients. Some good options include 1MD Probiotics and Ora Organic.
The nutritionist Alicia Harper has an in-depth best vegan probiotic guide on her blog probioticreviewgirl.com that includes some good information. Simply searching for vegan probiotics on Amazon and reading the customer reviews is also an option if you have some free time.
Final Thoughts
Being vegan and trying to get probiotic bacteria into your diet doesn’t have to be daunting. You can quite easily get substitutes or get the appropriate bacteria through supplements.
If you are vegan and experiencing digestive symptoms it could be because your microbiome is lacking the appropriate probiotic bacteria that our ancestors ate from non-vegan fermented foods.
If you are experiencing any health symptoms always consult with your doctor and never use probiotics as an alternative to prescribed medication. This post is not medical advice.
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