By Olivia Cross


A probiotic is basically a good bacteria that helps your gastrointestinal tract to stay healthy and keep your digestion up to par. Many people take these supplements and they are found naturally in foods like yoghurt. If you are following a dairy-free diet, you may be wondering if there are options available for you. Fortunately, there are a variety of lactose free probiotics available today.

People on non-dairy diets are usually careful to read labels when buying products. Some ingredients may be confusing such as whey, curds, milk sugar and milk by-products but they should also avoid these. When buying a probiotic, the expiry date is also important as live cultures have a limited life span.

Did you know that yoghurt and kefir can be made with a number of other ingredients besides dairy? A number of dairy-free versions of these foods can be found at local and online health food stores that can help boost probiotic intake. They are made from soy, coconut or almond milk and contain live cultures like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

Other foods like sour pickles, sourdough bread and sauerkraut are other non-dairy sources of beneficial bacteria. Another way to incorporate a probiotic into a diet is with a drink. People find this most convenient and enjoy the different flavors of these drinks that are available for purchase online.

Of course many people prefer to take their supplements in the form of capsules or sachets as they find this easiest. Some capsules are far more effective than others and they all contain different strains and in various different combinations. Reading online reviews of these products can help with making a decision as to what to buy. The best probiotic will contain beneficial bacteria able to survive the stomach acids and remain effective.

Another important factor when it comes to purchasing dairy-free probiotics is to find out how the bacteria were cultivated. Was a non-dairy base used? Sometimes strains are grown on an organic dairy base and traces of the dairy remain. This will probably only affect those who are extremely intolerant but it is preferable to buy one grown on a non-dairy base.

Some studies have been done that seemed to suggest that digestion of dairy actually improved when a probiotic was used consistently. However, not all scientific evidence seems to support this theory. However, if you are battling a chronic digestive condition, an autoimmune disease, recurrent yeast infections and many other health problems, these can often be improved by taking a probiotic. The good bacterial strains will compete with harmful bacteria for nutrients, starving out yeasts, fungi and bad bacteria. The digestive immune system is supported and nourished.

A probiotic contains live cultures. This means that care has to be taken when storing it. If stored on a shelf it will have a limited shelf life but when stored in a refrigerator it can last a number of months. The great news for people who cannot eat dairy, is that there are numerous probiotic products available that do not contain dairy. If they cannot be found at a local health store, they are available from a number of online sources.




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