Fermented foods are enjoying a surge in popularity as scientists uncover their powerful effects on gut health. Classics like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha have long been popular staples around the globe, and now they are returning to the spotlight like never before.
How Fermented Foods Work
Fermentation initially was an ancient way of preserving food. Currently, in our day and age, fermentation is still used to produce many of the foods we eat. For example, wine, cheese, and sauerkraut are all fermented foods.
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial for the body because they aid digestion and strengthen immunity. Probiotics can also lower body-wide inflammation, which scientists are linking to a wide range of diseases tied to aging.
A study published in the journal Cell wanted to examine the impact of eating fermented foods on the gut and immune system. Researchers recruited 36 healthy adults and randomly split them into groups. One group was assigned to increase their intake of fiber-rich foods, and another was told to eat plenty of fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi.
The study followed participants’ diets for ten weeks, while the researcher monitored levels of inflammation in their blood and changes in their gut microbiomes. By the end of the study, the group that was told to double their fiber intake increased it from 22 grams per day to 45 grams. The second group went from consuming no fermented foods to eating about six servings a day. After the ten-week period, the group that was told to eat fermented foods showed marked reductions in 19 inflammatory compounds.
Benefits of Eating Fermented Foods
In addition to reducing inflammation, eating fermented foods offers many health benefits. Consider a few.
Improves Digestive Health
The probiotics produced during fermentation have a profound effect on gut bacteria, alleviating digestive problems. For example, probiotics can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. This happens when probiotics fight harmful bacteria and restore balance in the gut microbiome.
Boosts Your Immune System
The bacteria in our gut affects our overall health. Because fermented foods are rich in probiotics, they can boost our immune system by reducing the risk of infections like the common cold. Probiotic foods have many beneficial compounds that may help you recover faster when you are ill. Many types of fermented foods are rich in vitamins C, iron, and zinc, all of which contribute to a healthy immune system.
Makes Food Easier to Digest
Probiotics in fermented foods aid digestion; the bacteria partially break down food components, making it easier to digest. Fermentation plays a key role in breaking down the nutrients in food. For example, lactose, a natural sugar in milk, is broken down during fermentation into glucose and galactose. That’s why people with lactose intolerance are fine eating foods like kefir and yogurt. Fermentation also helps break down antinutrients found in seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes, all of which can interfere with nutrient absorption.
How Should You Shop for Fermented Foods?
If you prefer buying fermented foods rather than making them at home, there are a few important factors to consider. After all, not all fermented foods made through fermentation contain live microorganisms when they reach store shelves or your kitchen.
For example, the dough that’s used to make sourdough bread is fermented by bacteria, but the microbes are destroyed during baking. The most important thing to look out for is to read the packaging for statements like “contains probiotics” or “contains live cultures.” Many foods, like yogurt and kefir, for example, usually list the probiotic strains they contain on the label.
David Messiha | Staff Writer
