Fermented Foods vs. Probiotics for Gut Health: Trending Now Presentation
Written by: CDHF
Updated: February 5th, 2024
As part of our 10th educational summit, “#TrendingNow: Putting the Biggest Gut Health Trends Under the Microscope”, Andrea Hardy, RD and Terese Mazurewich, Dietetic Intern spoke about Fermented Foods versus Probiotics for Gut Health! Watch their full presentation below.
What are Fermented Foods?
Fermented foods are foods or beverages that are produced by controlled microbial growth. Simply put, they are foods that have been changed by microbes. Fermented foods have different tastes and an increased storage life.
Examples of fermented foods include:
- Probiotic yogurt
- Tempeh
- Kimchi
- Sourdough
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (WHO). Probiotics are mostly found in supplement form (capsules, powder, chewables, drops), but can be found in some foods including probiotic yogurt.
Eating to Support Your Microbiota
A good tip to support your microbiota is to eat one living food per day, meaning food with a live culture. For example, sliced pepperoni as a snack, probiotic yogurt for breakfast. The bacteria in our gut and bacteria passing through our gut love to eat carbohydrates and fibre. A good way to feed them is by eating vegetables and plant-based proteins!
About the Speakers
Andrea Hardy is a registered dietitian from Calgary, Canada where she runs a multi-disciplinary digestive health practice called Ignite Nutrition. She specializes in gut health & gastrointestinal diseases and is recognized in the media as Canada’s Gut Health Expert. She is passionate about translating science into ‘easy to digest’ information to support a healthy gut. She has spoken on the TEDx stage, as well as internationally about digestive health. Follow her on Instagram at @andreahardyrd or tune into her gut health podcast ‘Let’s Gut Real’ which is all about making nutrition science easy to digest!
Terese is a dietetic intern from the University of Alberta. While completing her kinesiology degree, she discovered her passion for nutrition. Topics about digestive health and the gut microbiome caught her eye and launched her into post-secondary education in nutrition. Upon graduation and becoming a Registered Dietitian, Terese would like to work in the digestive health field. Outside of studying and internship, Terese can be found in a gym or an arena — either coaching or playing ringette.
This information was made possible due to an unrestricted educational grant from Activia.
