9 Probiotic-Rich Foods for Better Digestion and Gut Health

If you haven’t yet heard of them yet, probiotics are good bacteria that often occur naturally in fermented foods. They have the ability to improve gut health and thus provide additional health benefits such as a boosted immune system and better digestion—both of which are common pain points for runners.

“Runners and athletes have a lot more stress on their immune systems because of their training,” says Kristen Chang, R.D., a sports dietitian based in Virginia. “Probiotics can also enhance digestion and nutrient absorption, and decrease bouts of diarrhea.”

That’s good news for porta-potty-bound folks.

Runners also experience higher levels of inflammation, which is a normal response to training, says Chang, but if that inflammation gets out of control, it can lead to illness and injury. Probiotics may also help reduce that inflammation, which can keep runners training healthy.

Probiotics are readily available in many foods, making it fairly simple to incorporate into your daily diet, says Chang. In addition to regularly consuming probiotic foods, it’s important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which contain the often-overlooked prebiotics.

“Prebiotics are good bacterial promoters,” says Change. “They help populate your gut with the good bacteria, and they work together with probiotics.”

The best way to add these probiotic-rich foods to your diet is slowly so you won’t overwhelm your system, which could result in—ironically—GI distress. Here are a few probiotic foods to help you get started.

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