Pickles and sauerkraut might not be the first foods that come to mind when you think of health foods, but research has increasingly shown that including fermented foods in your diet might offer quite a few health benefits! (Hopefully, hot dogs and hamburgers didn’t come to mind!) In moderation, fermented grapes might even offer some benefit! (I will continue that research later on this evening! Insert wink emoji here!) And no, I don’t plan to include my fermented grapes research in this post! Stay tuned.
For ages, fermenting and pickling has been used for food preservation, but it turns out it might be beneficial in preserving health as well! Many are now rediscovering this process of fermentation to preserve the seasonal harvest, promote health, as well as offering culinary dishes a flavor boost. Fermented foods have played an important role in the diet in many cultures since time immemorial. In many cultures, fermented drinks still hold a special place in the social life of people, playing a supportive role in art and entertainment.
While fresh food might only last a week, fermented or pickled food can last for many months, therefore increasing the shelf life. But not only does this process of fermenting foods boost the food’s shelf life; it also amplifies the nutritional value of foods, as well as providing your body with a healthy dose of probiotics. Probiotics, as most folks know (unless you’ve been living under a rock!) are live microorganisms crucial to good digestion and gut health.
Fermentation transforms nutrients in food in several ways. Fermentation is defined as a chemical breakdown of food by bacteria, yeast, or other types of microorganisms such as lactic acid. It involves changing the chemical character of foods. These microorganisms break down natural sugars into alcohols and organic acids, which act as natural preservatives. During fermentation, these bacteria synthesize vitamins and minerals, produce peptides with enzymes (proteinase and peptidase) which aid in digestion. Pre-digestion is a process that breaks macro nutrients down into more digestible forms increasing the availability of minerals and other nutrients.
Fermentation also releases vitamin B and vitamin K and other micronutrients as metabolic byproducts. Fermentation reduces poorly absorbed short chain carbohydrates in the small intestine that can ferment in your colon and cause gas and bloating. Not cute!
By consuming fermented foods, you ingest a rich biodiversity of beneficial bacteria. Fermented foods have living bacterial cultures which makes them highly beneficial for enriching the gut microbiome. A diverse microbiome plays a significant role in supporting immune function, increasing antioxidants, lowering inflammation, and regulating emotions. Studies have linked many fermented foods with improved gut health and better management of chronic allergies. Some examples of fermented foods are wine, yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, kefir, cheese, vinegar, and tempeh. (I lied. I mentioned fermented grapes.)
Recent research suggests that, based on the standard American diet (SAD) of highly processed foods, (Or products disguised as food!) the bacteria in our guts has changed. Overuse of antibiotics is yet another contributing factor. These over-prescribed meds kill off not only the bad bugs, but beneficial organisms as well. As a result, we often end up with an imbalance between beneficial and harmful gut bacteria. The imbalance can result in a weakening of the intestinal walls and what is known as leaky gut syndrome. (What’s in your gut leaking into your bloodstream!) Leaky guy has been linked to health issues ranging from eczema to Alzheimer’s disease. Fermented foods can help to improve the gut microbiome and strengthen the intestinal walls to prevent leaky gut.
“The digestive tract is teeming with some 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms, says Dr. David S. Ludwig, a professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Research today is revealing the importance of a diverse and healthy intestinal microbiome because it plays a role in fine-tuning the immune system and wards off damaging inflammation inside the body, which may lead to conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to neurodegenerative diseases. “It’s a very exciting, dynamic area of research,” says Dr. Ludwig.
That said, as with everything else, all fermented foods are not created equally. Live cultures make all the difference! They can be found in yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Just be sure to look for “naturally fermented” on the label. When you open a jar, look for bubbles. Sometimes pickles are made using vinegar and not through the actual fermentation process, which means they will not contain those beneficial probiotics. And while the first thing we usually think of when we think of probiotics and fermented food is yogurt, keep an eye on the sugar content. “Microorganisms good. Sugar bad.”
8 reasons for including fermented foods to your healthy habits
1. Promote gut health
Fermented foods are natural sources of probiotics that support a healthy and complex gut microbial community. They create favorable conditions for the beneficial bacteria while inhibiting the growth of bad bacteria. Feeding the beneficial bacteria helps support digestive health, promoting regular bowel movements and keeping the GI tract clean of germs and parasites. Eating a diet rich in natural probiotics has been known to help in preventing common digestive problems like heartburn, incomplete digestion, accumulation of toxins along intestinal walls, bloating, constipation, etc. Fermented foods also play a role in soothing gut inflammation. Studies have shown that yogurt (fermented milk) may help in reducing symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as IBS and Crohn’s disease.
2. Strengthen the immune system
A healthy digestive system translates into a well-functioning immune function, given that about 80% of the immune system resides in your gut. Fermented foods can help in strengthening your natural defenses by feeding the good bacteria, which fights off the bad bacteria by crowding them out. Research shows that your microbiota plays a heavy role in fending off invading pathogens, and keeping a diverse gut microbial community is, therefore, the key to preventing inflammatory and auto-immune diseases. Including probiotics like fermented foods in your diet has been shown to reduce the frequency, as well as the severity of common infections in several studies.
3. Contain more nutrients
During the process of fermentation, microorganisms produce various water-soluble micronutrients, such as vitamins B, C, and K. B group vitamins, including B-12, are particularly increased in fermented vegetables and fruits. In addition to increasing the nutritional capacity of your diet, fermented foods also increase the concentration of digestive enzymes inside your gut. These enzymes help in breaking down food, increasing the bioavailability of proteins, vitamins, and antioxidants. Moreover, fermentation destroys certain harmful substances called anti-nutrients (compounds that reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients) from foods, making them more nutritious than their raw form. Studies have shown that fermented foods may increase the absorption of iron and zinc from plant sources.
4. Easier to digest
Most of the complex carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, are broken down into simpler molecules by the fermenting bacteria, which makes fermented foods more digestible than their original counterparts. For example, sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) digests much better than raw cabbage. People with lactose intolerance can easily digest yogurt.
5. May help in inflammatory conditions like asthma and eczema
Allergic and inflammatory conditions are a long-term consequence of a weakened or overreacting immune system. Fermented foods are extremely beneficial for the gut microbiome, which plays a key role in regulating the immune system. A number of studies have shown that people who eat fermented foods (which contain natural probiotics) are less likely to develop lifelong allergic conditions like eczema and asthma. This may be due to the fact that people with asthma and eczema have a much less diverse gut microbe than others. Fermented foods and drinks like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi contain inflammation-fighting compounds, which can help in reducing the severity of symptoms. Kimchi, a fermented Korean dish, has been shown to help in asthma, eczema, and rhinitis.
6. Improve mental and emotional wellbeing
Our gut is intimately linked with the brain through the vagus nerve. Studies have shown that probiotic-rich fermented foods can activate the vagus nerve, stimulating the production of serotonin – a neurochemical that boosts the feeling of wellbeing. Keeping a healthy gut microbiota has been known to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression while also boosting cognitive function.
7. Good for your heart
Research suggests that including fermented foods in your diet may help strengthen heart muscles and reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating a diet rich in naturally produced probiotics has been shown to lower blood pressure, bad cholesterol, as well as total cholesterol levels. Limited research also suggests that fermented foods may help block an enzyme that is associated with increased blood pressure. Please note that these studies were done on low-fat fermented foods.
8. Support sustainable weight loss
While fermented foods alone cannot make you burn more fat, they can offer your weight loss efforts an extra boost. Naturally fermented probiotics can create favorable conditions for sustainable weight loss by multiple mechanisms of action, such as increasing the number of good bacteria, reducing gut inflammation, lowering stress levels, promoting bowel regularity, improving satiety from food, boosting micronutrient absorption, and activating fat-burning enzymes. However, remember that not all fermented foods are equally beneficial for weight loss. For example, yogurt is more beneficial than cheese when you are trying to lose some pounds.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17635382/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fermented-foods-can-add-depth-to-your-diet
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24780623/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28945458/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901325/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056765/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531715002912
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