Fermented foods such as kombucha are a beneficial addition to an eating plan and may support gut health. The amount of probiotics (live beneficial microbes) varies widely between batches or brands of fermented foods, making it impossible to know how many are in any given food, but some studies provide a glimpse of how they might compare.
1. Sauerkraut
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Probiotics: 3 million to 3 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) in 2 tablespoons.
Sauerkraut is fermented green or red cabbage. It’s made by salting finely shredded cabbage and allowing it to ferment in a sealed container that keeps oxygen out but lets built-up fermentation gases escape. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage, creating brine, which allows Lactobacillus bacteria to grow.
Lactobacillus is a probiotic, and there is usually enough in unpasteurized versions to make sauerkraut a probiotic food. According to one study, unpasteurized sauerkraut may contain 100,000 to 100 million CFUs per gram. In a serving size of 2 tablespoons, this could range from 3 million to 3 billion CFUs.
Pasteurization and Probiotics
Many foods, such as milk and other dairy products, are heated to kill harmful bacteria, a process called pasteurization. Pasteurizing fermented foods kills the helpful bacteria (probiotics). Check the labels of fermented foods, as heated or pasteurized foods may not contain the expected amount of helpful probiotics. Non-viable probiotics are sometimes called postbiotics and may have health benefits.
2. Kimchi
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Probiotics: 300 million to 30 billion CFUs in 2 tablespoons.
Kimchi is also fermented cabbage, but it also includes ingredients such as radish, ginger, spring onions, sugar, and fish paste. The cabbage and other ingredients are fermented with salt in an oxygen-free environment (like a sealed jar), allowing the microorganisms to grow.
Because it uses several ingredients, each of which carries its own microorganisms, kimchi will contain a variety of probiotic strains. According to one study, kimchi may contain between 10 million and 1 billion CFUs per gram, which would be 300 million to 30 billion CFUs in a serving size of 2 tablespoons.
Colony Forming Units (CFUs)
The number of beneficial organisms in probiotic foods is expressed in colony-forming units (CFUs). More CFUs aren’t always better for gut health. It is a starting point for understanding how many probiotics are present in a particular food or supplement.
CFUs are highly variable in foods, even when the amount is on the ingredient label. It won’t always be possible to know exactly how many CFUs are in any particular food sample.
3. Kefir
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Probiotics: 560 million to 740 million in 6 ounces.
Kefir is a milk-based, fermented probiotic food. Cow’s milk is the typical base, but other common milks include sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, coconut milk, oat milk, water, or juice. Kefir is created by adding kefir grains (which are a combination of bacteria and yeast) and letting the mixture ferment in a closed container at room temperature. This is similar to how kombucha is made.
Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeast. When combined with milk and fermented, they allow the microbes to grow, resulting in a probiotic-rich drink. According to one study, commercial kefir could contain between 3 million and 4 billion CFUs per milliliter, or about 560 million to 740 billion CFUs in a 6-ounce serving.
4. Yogurt
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Probiotics: 8 billion to 500 billion CFUs in 6 ounces.
Yogurt is typically made with pasteurized milk (pasteurization kills most of the disease-causing bacteria), which is then fermented. Low heat and bacteria are used to create a creamy food with probiotics and less lactose than milk. Commercial yogurt will often say “live and active cultures” if it contains probiotics.
One study showed that fresh yogurt may contain anywhere from 140 million to 8.8 billion lactic acid bacteria per gram, or 23.8 billion to 1.2 trillion in a 6-ounce serving.
Probiotic amounts in commercial yogurt are extremely variable, and another source reports there could be between 8 and 500 billion CFUs of probiotics per 6-ounce serving. Some yogurts may have added probiotics, yet they may not all be still alive if the yogurt is closer to its expiration date.
How Many Probiotics Are in Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented beverage containing probiotic bacteria and yeast. One study of commercially produced kombucha found bacterial and yeast levels ranging from 3 billion to 10 billion CFU per 8-ounce serving. As with other fermented foods, how many remain viable in a product when you consume it will vary widely.
5. Miso
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Probiotics: 1,700 to 170 million CFUs in 1 tablespoon.
The base of miso is fermented soybeans, which create a paste often used in Japanese cuisine. Like other fermented foods, salt is part of the fermentation process, along with a type of mold called koji. Miso contains various bacterial and fungal strains.
One source shows that miso contains a broad range of probiotics, from 100 to 10 million CFUs per gram. A tablespoon of miso, which might be a typical serving size, could have between 1,700 and 170 million CFUs.
Heat kills microorganisms, so when cooking with miso, the probiotic count will be lower if it is heated or used in hot foods.
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