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Tap Into Probiotic Benefits with a Glass of Your Favorite Sour Beer

Tap Into Probiotic Benefits with a Glass of Your Favorite Sour Beer

 

Beer has always been touted as a great way to expand your waistline. It’s also the perfect way to watch the game, celebrate with friends, and can be a good post-exercise recovery drink (depending of course on the type of beer you choose). Did you know that beer can also be a source of probiotics?

Yep, those Belgian Monks who used wild fermentation to make beer knew what they were doing! Not only were they brewing a delicious beverage, they were also loading their delicious brews up with probiotics.

Before we go on, let’s get one thing straight. There’s only one kind of beer that contains those probiotics people are raving about: Sour Beer. There are lots of different types of sour beers, but here’s what they all have in common: they were fermented using a combination of wild or commercial yeast, and bacteria strains lactobacillus, brettanomyces and/or pediococcu.  

Lactobacillus is the same strain of bacteria that gives yogurt its probiotic qualities. When added to beer it gives it a probiotic boost and a tart and funky flavor. Adding more probiotic-rich foods and beverages can have huge benefits on gut health. It’s all part of adding more beneficial bacteria to your microbiome – a world of microbes that helps your body perform certain functions.

One word of warning: sour beer may contain beneficial bacteria, but it’s still beer, so drink responsibly. Want to find more foods that will boost gut health? Check out this article on fermented foods and be sure to read up on probiotics here.