Researchers have found another reason why consuming an apple a day can help keep the doctor away: probiotics in a raw food diet.

If you are aiming for optimal health, probiotics are a great starting point.

You require the assistance of these beneficial bacteria - probiotic bacteria - residing in your digestive tract. The significance of these helpful bacteria has gained considerable attention over the past decade.

Researchers have now identified specific foods that contain higher amounts of these beneficial "bugs" than previously believed. It has been revealed that raw foods harbor more beneficial bacteria than was initially known.

Let's delve into why raw food is a powerhouse for probiotics and can contribute to a longer life. Additionally, you will learn how straightforward it is to incorporate raw food into your daily diet, reaping incredible health benefits for your stomach and overall well-being.

Overview

• Probiotics are live bacteria known to enhance digestion, immunity, and overall health.
  
• Recent research emphasizes the abundance of probiotics - and prebiotics (a starch probiotics require for growth) in raw fruits and vegetables, especially organic varieties.
  
• Incorporating more raw foods into your diet, even without fully embracing a raw food lifestyle, can significantly contribute to gut health and overall well-being. So, enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables in their natural state for a probiotic boost.
  

Probiotics Extend Beyond Gut Health

Probiotics are live microorganisms and proteins that, when consumed sufficiently, offer numerous health benefits including improved:

• Digestive Health: Probiotics can alleviate diarrhea, constipation, and stomach discomfort. They also help maintain regular bowel movements.

• Immune Function: They assist in combating unfriendly microorganisms and enhancing immunity against infections.

• Inflammation Levels: Probiotics have been associated with reducing inflammation in the body.

• Intestinal Health: They can enhance intestinal health, ease symptoms of lactose intolerance, and have shown promise in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea, managing infant colic, and maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis.

These health benefits are believed to stem from probiotics' ability to restore the natural balance of gut bacteria, promoting a healthy gut microbiome and supporting various bodily systems. Nourishing your body's probiotic bacteria and fostering a healthy gut microbiome is considered one of the secrets to living a healthy life to 100 years. 

Different Types of Probiotics

The most common probiotics come from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera. These probiotics are present in various fermented foods like yogurt, certain cheeses, and pickled vegetables. They can also be consumed through dietary supplements.

Other probiotic types include specific strains of Streptococcus, Saccharomyces, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus. Each type of probiotic microorganism has distinct effects on the body, and their benefits are specific to the strain. For example, each of these probiotic strains supports digestive health differently, from alleviating gas to constipation, but this is just the beginning:

• Lactobacillus shields the intestinal lining, aids in fatty acid digestion, boosts the immune system, regulates cholesterol levels, prevents cold and flu symptoms, and reduces symptoms of skin conditions like eczema.

• Bifidobacterium enhances the immune system and supports lipid metabolism, aiding in maintaining a healthy weight.

• Streptococcus thermophilus also boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation, aids in dairy digestion, and improves cholesterol levels.

• Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast, is effective in treating various gastrointestinal diseases and can safeguard the normal gut microbiota. It inhibits the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, decreases Candida albicans pathogenicity, and guards against traveler's diarrhea.

• Enterococcus faecium, a probiotic bacterium, reduces gut inflammation, boosts the immune system, and lowers cholesterol levels.

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) - yes, E. coli - can be harmful, but certain strains naturally present in the gut are beneficial. Studies indicate that these beneficial E. coli strains aid in iron absorption, crucial for addressing iron deficiencies and preventing anemia.

• Bacillus probiotics, like Bacillus coagulans, enhance the immune system, aid in lactose digestion, and provide antioxidant protection in the digestive system.

While many individuals consume probiotics through supplements and fermented foods, they may not realize that a raw diet or incorporating raw foods can naturally elevate probiotic levels in the gut and combat health issues.

Raw Foods: Underrated Dietary Champions

Raw foods are primarily unprocessed, whole, plant-based foods consumed in their natural form, either completely raw or heated at very low temperatures.

The premise behind consuming raw food is based on the belief that cooking diminishes digestive enzymes and essential nutrients in food, while consuming food in its raw state maximizes its health advantages.

What Constitutes a Raw Food Diet?

A raw food diet involves mainly or entirely consuming uncooked and unprocessed plant-based foods. This typically includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains and legumes, with some variations allowing fermented foods or low-temperature processed options like dried fruits. The diet supplies ample vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, and essential fatty acids and protein.

Regrettably, very few Americans follow a strictly raw food diet. In fact, according to research on typical American diets, fewer than one in ten individuals consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables daily. Furthermore, within that group, an even smaller percentage consumes fruits and vegetables in their raw form.

Unfortunately, by skipping raw fruits and vegetables, most Americans miss out on rich sources of beneficial nutrients. This is well-known. However, what's less known is that they are also forgoing high levels of probiotics. These friendly microorganisms aid the immune system in fighting diseases, support cognitive function and emotional well-being, enhance nutrient absorption, help combat cancer, and may assist in weight management.

"Wealth" of Probiotics in Raw Food Diet

One study on a raw food diet that highlights the abundance of probiotic bacteria in raw foods was conducted at Graz University of Technology in Austria. Researchers analyzed the microbiome (the collection of live bacteria) present in one of the most popular fruits - the apple.

In this study, researchers examined the bacteria in both conventionally grown apples (treated with pesticides) and organic apples grown without chemicals. They discovered that both types contained approximately the same number of bacteria - around 100 million bacteria.

However, crucial differences were noted...

Organic apples hosted a significantly greater diversity of bacterial types. According to the researchers, this diversity makes the bacteria from organic apples healthier. The variety of bacteria helps prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria that could cause digestive issues.

Organic Apples vs. Conventional Apples

“Freshly harvested, organically managed apples harbor a significantly more diverse, more even and distinct bacterial community, compared to conventional ones,” states researcher Gabriele Berg, Ph.D. "This variety and balance would be expected to limit overgrowth of any one species, and previous studies have reported a negative correlation between human pathogen abundance and microbiome diversity of fresh produce.”

Furthermore, the study revealed that potentially pathogenic bacteria were more likely to be present in conventional apples. These tests found none in organic apples.

“Escherichia-Shigella - a group of bacteria including known pathogens - was present in most conventional apple samples, but none in organic apples,” notes Dr. Berg. “For beneficial Lactobacilli - of probiotic fame - the opposite was true.”

Improving Your Overall Health with Raw Food

A raw diet may not be suitable for everyone, and we're not suggesting that you adopt one. However, everyone can and should include more raw foods in their daily meals. In fact, we believe a balanced diet should incorporate some elements of a raw diet. You might be surprised by the examples of raw foods rich in probiotics and other nutrients.

Examples of Raw Food

Raw food encompasses more than just fruits and vegetables, including:

• Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, berries, mangoes, and citrus fruits.

• Vegetables: Carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, leafy greens, and tomatoes.

• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

• Legumes: Some legumes can be eaten raw after sprouting, such as lentils, mung beans, and chickpeas.

• Dairy and Alternatives: Raw milk, raw cheese, and nut-based milk. You can also get ample muscle-building protein from whey products.

• Meat and Fish: Some individuals following a raw food diet consume raw or dried meats and fish, but these are not rich sources of probiotics and should only be consumed when handled safely.

• Other: Sprouted grains, seaweeds, dried fruits, and raw honey.

Health Benefits of Consuming Raw Food

Regarding probiotics, raw food offers another health benefit: it provides prebiotics - the starch that probiotics consume to proliferate - along with postbiotics, the beneficial byproduct resulting from this feeding process.

Other studies indicate that raw fruits and vegetables, along with all their nutrients, including their probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, benefit your health by:

• Enhancing mental health: Research at the University of Otago in New Zealand shows that individuals who consume more apples, dark leafy greens like spinach, raw carrots, bananas, kiwi fruit, cucumber, grapefruit, citrus fruits, fresh berries, lettuce, and cucumber tend to experience less depression and have better psychological well-being.

• Reducing blood pressure: A higher intake of raw produce (along with fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt containing probiotics) has been linked to healthier blood pressure levels in a large study involving researchers from the US and Europe.

• Boosting nutrition: Raw foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, are rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, as cooking can diminish certain nutrients like vitamin C and vitamin B.

• Promoting healthier digestion: Raw foods contain natural enzymes that aid digestion and contribute to improved gut health.

• Facilitating weight management: Including raw foods in the diet can aid in weight loss due to their high fiber and nutrient content, as well as their low calorie density.

• Enhancing disease prevention: A diet rich in raw foods may help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer, strengthen the immune system, and reduce the risk of acute illnesses.

• Boosting energy levels and skin health: Consuming raw foods is associated with increased energy levels and improved skin health.

Our Perspective

Our viewpoint - we have long advocated for the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables nearly every day - along with taking probiotic supplements. The research now firmly supports the notion that it's not just an apple a day that can keep the doctor away. Virtually any raw fruit and vegetable you prefer can provide probiotic bacteria to maintain optimal health. Best of all, you don't need to adhere to a raw food diet to reap the benefits. You can and should enjoy cooked foods; simply include as many raw foods as possible in your daily meals. With raw foods, perfection is not necessary to enjoy the benefits.

Summary

Recent research emphasizes the abundance of probiotics in raw fruits and vegetables, particularly organic varieties. A study revealed a higher diversity and beneficial probiotic types in organic apples compared to conventional ones. While a complete raw food diet may not be suitable for everyone, adding more raw fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods into your diet offers significant health benefits. Studies connect raw food consumption to improved mental health, blood pressure, digestion, and weight management, alongside disease prevention and increased energy levels. Incorporating more raw foods into your diet, even without fully embracing a raw food lifestyle, can significantly contribute to gut health and overall well-being. So, relish diverse fruits and vegetables in their natural state for a probiotic boost!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does raw food have probiotics?

Yes, raw food contains probiotics! Probiotics are live bacteria that benefit gut health. The probiotic content in raw food can vary based on the type of food, its cultivation, and storage. For instance, organic fruits and vegetables are generally believed to have more probiotics than non-organic ones due to the absence of pesticides that can kill probiotics.

Does raw meat contain probiotics?

While there has been debate about the presence of probiotics in raw meat, the general consensus is no. Strong scientific evidence supporting significant, beneficial probiotic bacteria in raw meat is lacking. It's crucial to note that not all raw food is equal. Some raw foods, like raw meat and fish, can be unsafe if not handled properly. Always ensure that any raw food you consume is safe.

What food is richest in probiotics?

Determining the single "richest" probiotic food is challenging as probiotic content varies depending on the source of the food, processing, and storage. Excellent sources of probiotics include fermented foods followed by raw foods.

Is raw food better for the microbiome?

Whether raw food benefits the gut microbiome more than cooked food is a complex question without a definitive answer. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but raw food's unique benefit is preserving probiotic bacteria, which can contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. Some studies suggest that raw plant foods may support specific beneficial strains. Raw plants are typically higher in fiber, acting as a prebiotic to nourish existing gut bacteria and promote their growth. Certain raw foods retain enzymes that could aid digestion.