Nathan Hague

Battle Of The Probiotic Foods

This is one of the most common questions that our Customers ask us! It’s a great question because it touches on many of the things that make fermented foods and drinks so good for us – such as probiotics, and the way they can support our good gut health. Or, why probiotic levels vary in different foods and drinks. Now obviously you can take probiotic supplements, but it’s much better for you to get the nutrients and goodness you need from real food and drink rather than taking pills, right? So, let’s get stuck into the question of, “which has more probiotics: Yoghurt or kombucha?“.

So, What’s The Answer?

Well, let me first dig in to why having good gut health should be one of your main health priorities. Scientists and medical researchers have long linked the gut to everything from IBS to mental health. There’s such a lot of evidence, that leading researchers often refer to our gut as our “second brain”.

Actually, if you want to live your best life in the large – you’re going to need to rely on your microscopic gut bacteria to do a lot of the work to let you feel great!

There’s heaps of easy (and tasty!) ways to get your gut health in shape, and you may already be eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles. You may also already be drinking kefir, jun – but you’re also definitely drinking kombucha of course, right?

All these foods and drinks are naturally-fermented products, meaning as part of their fermentation process they have produced probiotics.

You have probably heard of probiotics before, and know they’re something that are healthy to you – but what are probiotics, and what do probiotics in kombucha do? (You can also read my more in-depth article here on this!)

What Are Probiotics

Probiotics is a blanket term for the mixture of live microorganisms — bacteria and yeasts mostly — that live in our bodies. When talking about about our gut health though, we refer to them as the “gut microbiome” – usually just referred to as the “microbiome”

When our microbiome is in balance, we are healthier and have better digestion and usually have way fewer overall health issues.

What we eat and drink are huge influencers of whether our microbiome is going to be in balance or not. One of the best ways to keep a steady level of these good bacteria in our bodies, is to consume fermented products. And yes, kombucha would be one of these such products!

“But Nate, I asked, ‘Which Has More Probiotics: Yoghurt Or Kombucha?’ and you still haven’t answered me mate.”

Hold on! There’s more background “stuff” to understand so you can appreciate the answer rather than just get it spoon fed, know what I mean?

Easy Ways To Take Probiotics

Of course you can always swallow some probiotic capsules and be done with it, BUT would this be the best way to get live probiotics into your body? It’s quick but it’s not really tasty and certainly won’t fill you up and put a smile on tour face, right?

Luckily then, there’s heaps of yummy naturally-fermented foods and drinks out there (as well as kombucha!) that you can choose from. Quite a few of them you might already be eating, due to them being common here in Asian culture and cuisine!

1. Yoghurt
If you can, always try and go for the least-processed yoghurts that don’t have a load of extra sugar in them. Greek yoghurt and those listed as having “lactobacillus” or other “good bacteria” in them are great choices – especially if you add your own toppings like fresh fruit for example. (Not gonna lie though – those strawberry ones from 7-11 are one of my faves!)

2. Kefir
This used to be hard to find in Thailand, but now most grocery stores and convenience stores like Family Mart and 7-11 – they all sell kefir. It’s very similar to drinking yoghurt, and it’s got the same sourness level. Kefir can be made from dairy milk, or water/plant milk. The more common variety sold in Thailand is the dairy version made from cow’s milk. Remember though, it’s probably been pasteurised under Thailand Law, so your results on the amount of probiotics will vary. You can use kefir in smoothies, and you will love them!

3. Sauerkraut
The taste of pickled cabbage is not for everyone, but those who love it think it’s perfect on sandwiches, with sausages, or as a side dish.

4. Tempeh
Gaining popularity now in Thailand, this fermented bean cake is best when sliced and shallow fried or BBQ’d like a meat. While many people sell unpasteurised tempeh, you’re going to be cooking it which in itself is basically you pasteurising it, so while you can expect a lower level of probiotics in there, you’ll still get all the other benefits from tempeh. DON’T EAT RAW TEMPEH!

5. Kimchi
Here in Asia, we all know what this delicious spicy fermented cabbage mixed with chili peppers, salt, garlic, and vinegar is – and I don’t know about you, but I will eat an entire jar in one go!

6. Natto
In Thailand, natty is gaining popularity. Originating from Japan, this fermented soybean dish can be an acquired taste (most Falangs like me aren’t really fans!), but it’s packed with probiotics.

7. Pickles
Whether you like pickled onions or a load of Australian-stye picked beetroot on your burger: Make sure you eat brands that have water and sea salt (brine). Keep a watch out for unnecessary added sugar – blargh!

8. Miso
This popular paste, made from soybeans fermented with brown rice, is a great addition to soups, marinades, and dipping sauces. (A bowl of miso soup for me in the morning is one of my secret health weapons!)

So yeah – I’m guessing most of these are foods or drinks you’re already consuming, but it’s nice to have a list of them like this to choose more from!

I know, I know, you’re still asking me, “Which Has More Probiotics: Yoghurt Or Kombucha?” but by NOW, I’m kind of hoping you’re understanding this isn’t as easy as it first sounds, right?

Do All Fermented Foods Contain Probiotics?

Short answer; NO!

Remember the raw tempeh example above? Well, that’s not a special case.

While there’s many foods that could contain beneficial probiotics are available, chances are that they’ve most likely been pasteurised at a high heat that kills ALL bacteria – including the beneficial “good” ones too!

This is a great thing for making our food safer to eat (yay!) but obviously it means not all fermented foods are created equal – a side effect of these pasteurised foods is that the process kills off good bacteria that could be beneficial to our bodies.

It’s only products that are not treated with heat or chemicals — like raw kombucha — that have the live bacteria that we know as probiotics.

I say look for products such as KombuchaWOW and others that are labeled as “raw kombucha”, and TOTALLY IGNORE any kombucha that is NOT in a refrigerator. This means all the ones at the grocery store on a shelf – they’ve been pasteurised to within an inch of their life, and there’s likely nothing left that’s beneficial to you. I’m not a fan of “shelf stable” kombucha, as you can probably tell!

So, if you want the best probiotic food sources, look for products that are labeled “raw” or “live cultures”. Although pasteurised fermented foods may be a tasty part of a varied diet, they might not contain any significant number of probiotics at all (looking at you still, all commercial Thailand shelf-stable kombucha..grrrr….)

Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

I’ve already spoken above, about how naturally-fermented foods contain probiotics, and how those probiotics are super valuable towards you having good gut health.

So there’s a direct link that Scientists and Medical Researchers are investigating, between consuming probiotics and helping to maintain good overall health – from losing weight, through to mental health.

It’s pretty cool to think that those microscopic bacteria in our gut microbiome are such a huge contributor towards our good health, but the scientific evidence is there.

I promise we’re almost at the end, and thanks heaps for sticking with the article this far hey? We’re juuuuust a few paragraphs away from finding out which has more probiotics: Yoghurt or kombucha? (and yeah, I’m DYING to tell you my answer just as much as you wanting it!)

Why Do Probiotic Levels Vary?

So in addition to pasteurisation massively affecting a food or drinks’ probiotic level, there’s a few other spanners that can be thrown in to the wrench to make a “high” or “low” probiotic level.

The ingredients used in the product, including type and quantity. Manufacturers are always under thin profit margins, and anything they can do to shave costs, you can bet they probably will.

• How long the product is fermented for, and what the fermentation process is. Let’s take kombucha for example! Now you can ferment kombucha in as little as a week when it’s in your own home. However, when you need to make a commercial amount of kombucha (thousands of litres a week for example, like us here at KombuchaWOW in our Thailand kombucha factory in Phuket!) – well, you’re going to need to take special care to ferment in small batches still, to preserve those precious probiotics. This is something we still do to this day, actually!)
• How the food is preserved and stored. Like any food that’s “alive”, you can slow the ongoing fermentation process by refrigeration. But the moment you put in a freezer, well that’s going to affect your probiotic levels. Same result if you leave in too hot conditions between buying and eating.

So What Is The Final Answer?

You cannot get all your full daily probiotics from kombucha alone.

I’d also be the first to suggest that providing you’re eating a variety of foods and drinks – including naturally-fermented ones we’ve talked about then you WILL be getting all the probiotics you need as part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Just choose to consume more products that are as unprocessed as possible, and you look for products that are as natural as possible.

Obviously like KombuchaWOW of course..

OK seriously, that was a long read and I’m stoked you stayed until the end – thank you for reading and letting me answer that perennial question of “Which Has More Probiotics: Yoghurt Or Kombucha?” It was a bit of a mission explaining it all, and I kinda hope now you can confidently tell others a more detailed answer if you’re ever asked the same question.

And as always – if you have any questions on this or any other topic around kombucha – please hit me up here or on our socials over at Facebook, Instagram and TikTok! We ALWAYS READ ALL COMMENTS – and we grow from your feedback too, ok? Feel free to tag us with #kombuchawow with your pictures – the best ones we like from time to time, we’ll reach out with some freebies if you’re lucky!

Booch on!

Nate

Oh, final thing: While the search engines are fantastic at sending you to my articles such as this “which has more probiotics: Yoghurt or kombucha?” one, you can find some REALLY interesting science and medical research the same as I read, on the same website I refer to when researching and writing these articles. Have a look here at PubMed (I’ve already added the search term, “kombucha” on the link for your convenience. This is a site where all the latest research is posted, and you can get lost for hours. I recommend having a look yourself once in a while!