Subscribe via RSS
Seems like we’ve hit a tipping point – lots of people (especially Jamie Lee Curtis) are talking about getting “regular” and everybody’s jumping on the probiotic bandwagon these days. So, what are these probiotics and what do they do for us?
When you get sick, you may take an antibiotic. Probiotics, on the other hand, may help you stay well. “Biotic” means “relating to life” so probiotic basically means “supportive of life.” There are hundreds of different species of these friendly organisms colonizing our digestive track and competing with potentially harmful pathogens. Here at Whole Foods Market, we’ve known about this good stuff for a very long time, and we continue to offer foods and supplements that contain these ever-popular bacteria.
But wait! Did I say bacteria? Isn’t that bad? Well, some bacteria are bad – they are pathogenic in the human body, meaning they can cause illness. But, there are plenty other bacteria that are really, really good! You’ve probably heard of Lactobacillus acidophilus that you find in yogurt, but there are myriad of other helpful bacteria strains — trillions of live bacteria make their home right inside of you! (And that’s usually a good thing!)
Why all of the attention now? As a nation, we have a lot of people with a lot of digestive problems. A healthy digestive tract is a huge defense because the majority of your immune system is located in your digestive system. If your digestive health isn’t up to par, chances are your immune system isn’t either. And, having a healthy digestive system means having plenty of healthy bacteria, and that’s where probiotics come in. They are critical for the health of our immune system. They synthesize vitamins, eliminate toxins and help us digest our food and absorb nutrients.
In the old days, people often ate fermented foods. Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kimchee, home-made pickles, and cheese are all examples of foods our ancestors prepared that contained live cultures. Nowadays, with so much of our food being pasteurized, we’ve eliminated most every source of these foods that we used to eat on a regular basis.
So, it’s a good idea to make sure your diet contains live foods and/or probiotic supplements. Next time you’re shopping with us, look for one or more of the following items, many of which are kept refrigerated:
- Live cultured pickles
- Live cultured sauerkraut
- Live cultured kimchee
- Live pickled veggies
- Live cultured salsa
- Unpasteurized miso
- cheese
- Assorted beverages such as Synergy drinks and kombucha tea
- Yogurt with live cultures (not all commercially sold yogurt or frozen yogurt have live cultures)
- Kefir – a popular cultured dairy drink
- Probiotic supplements – we have a large selection in our Whole Body Department
Remember to look for “live” food (it will say so on the package) and try to eat a variety of such foods in order to get different strains. Fermented foods are loaded with beneficial bacteria. If you have digestive concerns, they are helpful in competing with unfriendly bacteria, but it is possible to over-do it initially. Starting slowly is a good idea. I usually recommend just a teaspoon with a meal. Then, work your way up gradually to 1/4 to 1/2 cup daily. If you have digestive concerns, be sure to check with your health care practitioner.
For a quick lunch filled with fermented foods, make a sandwich with raw milk cheese slices, ripe tomatoes, fresh live sauerkraut, German-style mustard or your favorite mayonnaise on dark rye or pumpernickel bread.
Have you ever experimented with making your own yogurt, kefir or cultured veggies? If so, I would love to hear about it. Or if you have a favorite way to get your probiotics, let me know that too!
Comments are moderated
and generally will be posted if they are on topic and not abusive. For more information, please see
our 
I make my own Greek yogurt with a yogurt maker I purchased at Amazon.com. I use organic milk and started it with Oikos greek yogurt. I strain it and store in in the refrigerator. I mix fresh blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or strawberries with the yogurt. I think it is so fabulous.
I made enough for a group of 40 ladies recently and they couldn’t believe how wonderful it was. I also made homemade granola and creme fraiche. Using the granola, creme fraiche and berries, I made yogurt parfaits for the group breakfast.
May 25th, 2009 at 11:23 am
http://bigrawblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-your-own-natural-raw-sauerkraut-no.html
You will need:
1 large (4 cup) wide mouth jar with lid
Large bowl
Good knife or Grater or Food processor
1 med head of cabbage
1 tbs salt
Peel off any outside leaves that are wilted and throw them away. Then peel the first good leaf of the cabbage and set it aside. This leaf will top the cabbage while it ferments.
Slice fine, grate or chop with slicing blade in food processor, 1 head of green cabbage.
Put cabbage in a large bowl, add 1 tbs salt, stir well and pound for 10 minutes, until it’s very juicy.
Transfer the salted, pounded, juicy cabbage and the juice into large jar, packing it down tight as you go. Don’t leave any air inside. Air bubbles will mess up the fermentation. Leave at least one inch of space at the top of the jar.
Cut the leaf you set aside to size that fits inside the jar. You want to cover the top of the cabbage so no air, dust or bacteria can get in. Set the lid on but don’t tighten it. The kraut will swell and juice will drip down the sides. I put it in a cool, dark place, a cupboard. I set it on a towel to catch the drips and don’t touch it for 3 days.
In three days (less if its warm, longer if it’s cool) your sauerkraut will be ready. It should smell sour and taste salty and sour and it should be crispy and crunch when you bite it.
There is another post of me making sauerkraut with more photos HERE
Safety information from Wikipedia:
“Once made, sauerkraut is a very safe food because its high acidity prevents spoilage. USDA also recommends pasteurizing sauerkraut for storage. This is not necessary if the raw sauerkraut has been properly made and stored, and will needlessly diminish the nutritional value. A slimy or excessively soft texture, discoloration, or off-flavor may indicate spoilage.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauerkraut
May 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Thanks for this informative post! I’ve been hearing a lot about probiotics lately, and I’m skeptical of trendy yogurts just hopping on the bandwagon. I’ll have to take a look around Whole Foods for some of the items mentioned here.
May 26th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
I regularly make my own raw milk yogurt, using fresh raw milk from a local farm, and mm, is it good! Very thick and creamy. Very sour, of course, so you have to add some sweetener, but a little honey does the trick (and if you add a little vanilla extract… wow!). I make my own yogurt so that I can have it raw, but it’s a really good deal – a gallon of raw milk goes for $7, so each quart of yogurt is only $1.75. It’s also pretty easy – I don’t even use a yogurt maker. I just set up a little makeshift double broiler, a Corningware pot inside another pot with a few inches of water (using a glass lid on the bottom to keep it level), then use a little thermometer I got at Kroger to bring it up to 110, then add around three tablespoons of yogurt from my last batch, pour it into a mason jar, and leave it overnight in a cooler with about an inch of hot water in it (to keep the yogurt warm and help it ferment). Very simple, and I just love having a little army of yogurt-filled mason jars in my fridge that keep for months!
May 27th, 2009 at 5:39 am
I have to watch sodium content so I’m looking for information re pickling, sourkraut and smoking salmon, i.e., ways to reduce the residual sodium content.
May 28th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Mutaflor, a prescription probiotic is gaining popularity among doctors who practice Functional Medicine. It is a German prescription drug that contains the beneficial (Nissle 1917) strain of E. Coli. It was discovered by a German bacteriologist and the drug is widely prescribed and covered by insurance companies in German speaking countries. Unfortunately, the US FDA has failed to approve the drug for use in this country.
May 28th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
what are cultured veggies? am vegan. please advise.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:13 am
is it possible to get the recipe for making your own yoghurt at home?
we used to do it in africa and i have yet to remember the “how-to” of it!!
thank you!!
May 29th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
to add: on the yoghurt recipe, i need “monkey-see-monkey-do” instructions please!!
May 29th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I get my daily dose through Goodbelly. I got it at first because I had a coupon but now I’m hooked. Like my husband says, it makes me feel like a superhero! I drink Kefir, too, but didn’t realize this was actually good for you. I just love the taste!
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:18 am
[...] Whole Foods Market blog Healthy Tip: Probiotics are Full of Life [...]
June 10th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Great Post! Generally probiotic helps to improve digestive health. Market offers probiotic in different form like chocolate bars, drinks, etc… Choose the best you need.
June 16th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Where can I buy or get kefir grains in Maine?
July 21st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
A friend of mine says that probiotics will help with reducing a pot belly. She says it releases yeast in your body. They had to put her daughter on probiotic pills and it helped to reduce her large belly. Is this true?
November 27th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Is there any Kombucha that tastes good ? Are there reliable studies about the health benefits ? Thanks !
November 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Kraig Kanoekole: Funny thing is I just switch from unhealthy to healthy foods. Quickly, I realized that there were lots of people who always go straight-up to the drive-through thinggie and grab bunch of fatty and oily sandwiches. Huhmmmm…lately, I learn how to cook and make my own food(s). Yogurt, well? I make my own healthy yogurt, healthy dinner, breakfast, etc. Yogurt, I always use ORGANIC, ORGANIC, and ORGANIC mixtures. Yogurt is always there. From smoothies, mix-fruits, and even fruit salads I MIX YOUGURT to complete my meals. Aloha Mai Kakou to all!!!
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I have been taking a triple strain probiotic blend from Whole Foods for approx. 6 months now. I am fairly certain that it has helped and “cured” my twice yearly cold sores, colds/flu, digestive issues (IBS), and belly bloating. I ran out 7 days ago and have had horrible digestive problems for the last few days. I am running out after work, stocking up, and never doing that again!
December 9th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
do you carry Unpasteurized sauerkraut
January 19th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
i take young coconut water and put it in a jar for a few days and it ferments =)
February 18th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
In response to:
“# Chris B:
Is there any Kombucha that tastes good ? Are there reliable studies about the health benefits ? Thanks !
November 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm”
I have found that the flavours of High Country Kombucha are quite agreeable to me, my favourite being Goji Berry. They are also packaged in amber coloured glass. I’m not sure if they are available at all Whole Foods, but I get mine at my local Whole Food Market.
See ya’
February 25th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Hi, I live in India and generally here with every meal a bowl of plain yoghurt is consumed. Most mothers here tend to make yoghurt at home. Its very easy and becomes part of your daily routine. Use fresh milk preferably. Just warm it up to lukewarm/not boiling point or wait until the milk has cooled down to lukewarm and jus add one tsp, yes one TEASPOON of plain yoghurt(even from a packaged one will do). Stir it to mix thoroughly and cover and keep to one side. We usually tend to prepare this at night before going to bed and wake up in the morning to find the yoghurt has SET.
My mothers insists that one tsp is sufficient and as soon as the yoghurt has “SET”, which means it has solidified….you can stick the bowl in the fridge and voila you have fresh yoghurt ready for consumption.
The one thing to remember here is that the warm weather contributes to the live bacteria multiplying at a faster pace and your yoghurt is set in a few hours. In colder countries, you would require to warm to the milk just above lukewarm temperature and put one TBS(tablespoon) of yoghurt in it. place the bowl of yoghurt(to be set) in a deeper plate filled with hot water and cover and leave to set. This is to ensure the milk doesnt cool down quickly and the yoghurt does not take longer to set. Also once the bowl has been set aside to make the yoghurt, resist moving that bowl about or opening and stirring or checking on it. Only do it a few hours later, wen you simply lift the lid and you will see whether the yoghurt has set or yuo need to leave it for a couple o hours more.
That is why the most convenient time to set the fresh yoghurt is last thing in the night before going to bed and its ready when you wake up.
My mum insists that the yoghurt which is placed at the fridge right at the setting point will be the sweetest of all yoghurts. Its at the point before it starts to sour slowly. Its a matter of trial and error before you start to recognise wen that milk has fully set and you can stick it in the fridge. Save a spoonful of this yoghurt to set your next one.
If you want to make a low fat version, then you boil your fresh milk completely. Allow it cool down and you will see a layer of cream on top. Remove this layer and you can reheat the milk again to boil again and repeat the process and take the cream off to create a low fat milk. This then can be used to set low fat yoghurt. But try setting yoghurt from a packaged low fat milk and it just does not have the desirable effect.
Of course here in India, everything has its purpose, so the cream that you take off the milk is usually collected in a large jar and kept in the fridge until the jar fills up. This then is used to prepare clarified butter aka “ghee”.
My mother in law tend to set her yoghurt in sweetened milk…where she adds a tsp/tbs of sugar to the warmed milk so the yoghurt is set sweet as she desires. I recommend against it cos if you wanna sweeten it you can usually add some honey on top when you are having it. But once you start to set natural yoghurt on your own, you will begin to appreciate the taste of just plain yoghurt and simply adding some chopped fruits in it will be dessert enough.
For people who find it difficult or too heavy to consume a bowl of yogurt everyday, yet want to reap the benefits of it, simply add a glass of water to it and shake it. Season with either salt or sugar and make yourself a soothing drink. You can season with whatever you like….sweet or spicy spices.
I hope this has helped some of your queries on how to make natural yoghurt at home. It really is the simplest recipe and the most beneficial….packaged yoghurts are not entirely beneficial since they do have preservatives in them to keep sustain them from longer.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:56 am
I’m a big fan of the EasiYo yogurt maker.
Here in New Zealand the sachets to make the yogurt are very cheap – they seem to be substantially more in the US. The sachets only contain milk powder and the yogurt making bacteria as well as some probiotic bacteria as well (Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM.)
Makes a delicious yogurt and you know you’re getting a daily dose of good bacteria as well.
I’m convinced that many of our health complaints have increased as we have moved away from these naturally fermented foods.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
I do make my own yogurt and kefir milk! It’s so good! I love the yogurt, it’s so rich and creamy, better than any you buy in a store. I double strain a portion of the yogurt and make yougurt cheese which is so good! I add spices to the yougurt cheese and have a wonderful dip/salad dressing that is so good for you! The kefir milk I’m still trying to get used to. I usuall mix the kefir milk in with the yogurt, as kefir milk is a lot tangier than I’m used to. I use all organic or fresh milk for the yogurt and kefir milk.
March 30th, 2010 at 8:00 am
My favorite food has got to be kimchi! I love it! I make my own all the time. I put in there cabbage, carrots, tons and tons of fresh garlic (I eat it raw- pop cloves like others eat candy!), lots of fresh ginger, green onion or any onion I have, hot peppers, sea salt (just to taste, mine is low sodium), and fresh cracked black pepper. I make all different fermented veggies. Just the experimenting with anything is the funnest part- and then when you have to wait is the hardest part. But when you take the very first bite- WOW, it is sooo worth it! Kimchi has color, crunch, and spice, and everything nice!
May 19th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Do you recommend taking a pro-biotic supplement or the live cultured pickles or milk and cheese? I’m just not sure what to start off with.
June 7th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Our daughter started making her own Kefir a few weeks ago, by letting kefir culture(?) feed/grow in milk for about 24 hours. She strains out the live globs(I don’t know the correct termonology) of kefir and adds them to another glass of milk for the next day, starting the process all over again. We use the kefirized milk over cereal instead of yogurt – it is amazing! We like to mix kefir milk with fruit juice for a quick smoothie that is very good. So far, kefir has been very soothing to our digestive system – it gives me an internal feeling of well-being in the mid section.
February 11th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Recently my son threw a bit of raw sauerkraut on a toasted sandwich with old some stinky brie cheese. It tasted fantastic ! The kraut we got was Farmhouse Culture’s horse radish leek. It’s vibrantly raw and available at my local Whole Foods store. Enjoy !
March 18th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
I have been making my own yogurt for a couple of years – much cheaper. I use organic skim milk and have been using 1/4 cup or so of commercial organic live culture yogurt (or sometimes just save some of my current homemade yogurt) as the starter. I let it “make” about 10-12 hours @ 112 degrees in a quart yogurt maker in a water bath. Delicious.
I have a question: Does the commercial yogurt have to use the words “probiotic” on the label, or is “live” cultures the same thing? If it is not the same, can probiotic capsules be emptied into homemade yogurt and do they then multiply? Can you just continue using a little of your homemade yogurt as a starter for a new batch, or does it get “weak”?
March 25th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
It is perhaps worth mentioning as well that probiotic supplements can vary greatly in quality – a good thing to look for is to check out the specific probiotic strains being used (and not just the probiotic species and genus!)
Thank you for the post.
April 11th, 2011 at 11:32 am
I make my own pickles WITHOUT any vinegar. Volkan Akkurt
April 23rd, 2011 at 8:23 pm
I’m going to be traveling to China in a couple of weeks and was advised to take probiotics to lessen the effects of bad food… do you have any recommendations for this?
May 16th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
I take one Healthy Trinity capsule a day and also eat a cup of yogurt. Is that too much of a good thing? Thank you.
July 23rd, 2011 at 2:29 pm
Why are some probiotics in your store refrigerated and others are not??
August 3rd, 2011 at 10:02 pm
@Bill, The probiotics in the refrigerator are there because the packaging says to keep cool or refrigerated. Thanks!
August 4th, 2011 at 4:01 pm