Lactose Intolerant? Try These 5 Probiotic Foods For Good Gut Health

By Kapiva Editorial

Do you find yourself clutching your belly in pain and visiting the bathroom after taking any dairy in your meals? This might mean you’re lactose intolerant. People with this condition cannot digest lactose, which is present in dairy products. This results in bloating, gas, abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhoea, and even constipation in some cases.

Probiotics are a great, natural way to restore gut flora that can improve gut health. These microorganisms that are available in many fermented foods promote the growth of good bacteria that help your digestion. Some common probiotics include lactobacillus, bifidobacterium, and saccharomyces boulardii that are known to improve gut health.

5 Probiotic Foods For A Healthy Gut

1. Fermented Pickles

best probiotics

Packed full of intense taste, these salty and sometimes sour condiments popular in India are not just a shot of flavour in your meals, but they’re also full of good bacteria that are the result of fermentation. With a horde of health benefits to offer, it’s no wonder then that this age-old method of pickling various veggies with salt, chilli, spices, and oil can improve gut health due to the good bacteria present in it. This makes it one of the common probiotic foods.

2. Dosa

dosa for probiotics

Dosa is best describes as a thin Indian crepe made with fermented rice and lentil batter. It is full of probiotics and at the same time low in calories which can improve gut health. Naturally packed with vitamins and minerals in addition to the bacteria that make it one of the best probiotic foods, it gives you energy and is a healthy choice for any meal.

3. Dhokla

dhokla for probiotics

An incredibly popular snack food from India, dhokla is also one of the tasty probiotic foods that’s good for you! This spongy delicacy is made with a fermented batter consisting of besan, dal, or rice. The main ingredient besan adds protein to your meal as well. Additionally, it uses curd which we already know is a great probiotic in itself. While it can also be fried, steaming it is better for maximum probiotic preservation to improve gut health.

4. Dahi

dahi for probiotics

You might think you can’t have dahi since you’re lactose intolerant but think again. Made from milk fermented by lactic acid and bifidobacteria, research shows that it contains lactase, which is an enzyme that helps break down the lactose in milk and dairy. Not only does a probiotic improve gut health, but it also is a great source of calcium, protein, and vitamins. This makes it one of the best probiotic foods for lactose intolerant people.

5. Buttermilk (Chaach)

buttermilk

A popular summer drink in India that can be flavoured with salt and spices, chaach or traditional buttermilk is also known as “grandma’s probiotic” sometimes. Not to be confused with modern cultured buttermilk, chaach is the liquid left behind in the process of making butter that ferments naturally. Like dahi, this is also a good option for lactose intolerant people to improve gut health and give them the nutrients of milk without the hard to digest lactose. Low fat, nutrient-packed and one of the favorite probiotic foods, chaach also soothes acidity and helps dehydration, in addition to aiding digestion.

This information is part of the series produced for

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Kapiva Editorial

We are a team of food scientists and Ayurveda experts at Kapiva. Our mission is to raise awareness and educate people on ancient principles and herbs found in traditional texts. We work together to develop the most comprehensive content on Ayurveda which is grounded in peer-reviewed, scientific research.