The Power of Fermented Foods for Wellness

In my previous post on the Gut Biome- What it is and why it matters I explained the importance of having a diverse and abundant amount of good bacteria in your gut. I will offer a short review of that information below, and then I will talk about fermented foods.

The good bacteria in your gut are called probiotics—yes, the same probiotics you see on the label of your favorite yogurt! The various roles these gut ‘bugs’ play and their benefits for human health are outlined in the list below.

• Digest your food
• Govern your appetite
• Make vitamins (K2, biotin, folate, B2)
• Influence your mood (make serotonin)
• Make your brain sharp
• Govern your immune system

For best health, it is important to keep those gut bugs healthy and to allow them to grow and expand. You feed them (or kill them) with every bite of food you consume. The more sugar, processed foods, and cheap vegetable oils (fried foods) you eat, the more they starve. Even some pharmaceutical drugs can impact the health of your gut bugs. On the flip side, the more vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, beans and plant foods you eat, the more they thrive. They live on the fiber that is in plant foods.

It is well known that plant diversity allows for bacterial diversity. Bacterial diversity is what makes you healthier. Without the function of your gut biota, you may begin to suffer chronic health problems. Numerous studies (here, here, and here) clearly link high fiber diets to reduced cancers (including colorectal, breast, esophageal) and other diseases.

30 plants a week

In my previous blog, I discussed a global research project from 2017, led by Dr. Rob Knight. His findings revealed that consuming up to 30 different plant foods per week was associated with the best health outcomes. It all comes down to variety. If you eat the same five fruits and vegetables all the time, you’re missing out. When you go to the supermarket next week, try to choose 5 different fruits and vegetables that you normally don’t eat. In doing so, you’ll increase your plant diversity. And since there are about 300,000 edible plants on the planet, it should be easy to find several more to add each week!

Fermentation

Fresh plant foods as discussed above are good for your diet, however, there are ways to make them even better. Let’s talk about fermented foods. You can greatly increase the nutritional value of plant foods by fermenting them. Fermented foods contain many times more beneficial bacteria than the original fresh food. And this benefit extends beyond plants. Fermented animal foods are also a source of good probiotic bacteria. Here are some examples of fermented foods:

History of fermentation

Food fermentation dates from the Neolithic period, ~7000 BC, in China. Rudimentary processes to convert milk to cheese by fermentation had emerged by 6500 BC. All regions of the world relied on some sort of fermented foods throughout history. Since refrigeration was not available hundreds or thousands of years ago, fermentation was used to preserve food for long periods of time. Here are some examples of common fermented foods from around the world. How many have you eaten?

• Sauerkraut – Germany
• Kvass- Russia
• Kimchi – Korea
• Tempeh- Indonesia
• Injera- Ethiopia (teff sourdough)
• Fermented fish- Alaska
• Sourdough rye bread- Switzerland

What is the process of fermentation?

Fermentation (sometimes called “lacto-fermentation”) is where the natural bacteria (called lactic acid bacteria) found on a food item is allowed to proliferate in a controlled manner. These natural bacteria are found on fruits, grains, vegetables, in milk and in meat.

The simplest method of lacto-fermentation is to submerge a food that naturally contains lactic acid bacteria, such as cabbage or cucumber, in a brine of salt water. As bacteria break down sugars in the food, lactic acid and carbon dioxide form. The bubbling carbon dioxide displaces oxygen. The lactic acid makes the food more acidic. The high acidity, combined with the layer of carbon dioxide, protects the food from “bad” bacteria. If the food was not prepared in this manner, it would eventually decay, rot, and “go bad” (like that unrecognizable lump in the back of your refrigerator!) In this way, humans have discovered an elegant way to tame Mother Nature and increase her abundance.

How do fermented foods help the body?

• Fermentation pre-digests our food.
• Fermented food has enzymes to help our bodies process food.
• Fermented food provides good bacteria to help your gut biome.
• Fermented food provides lactic acid which stops bad bacteria.
• Fermented food Increases vitamin content.
• Fermented food neutralizes anti-nutrients and improves digestibility.
• Breaks down difficult-to-digest proteins and carbohydrates.

Where to find fermented foods- can you make them yourself?

If you don’t have the time or patience for fermenting, you can certainly go to the store and purchase fermented foods. There are many to choose from. But there are a few things to look out for. Truly fermented foods will be in the cooler section of the supermarket. (A jar of pickles in the condiment aisle will not be a fermented food). Also, truly fermented vegetables will NOT have vinegar as an ingredient. They will have only the vegetable(s) and salt.

This sauerkraut is truly fermented-

Here is an example of a food that is probably NOT fermented-

The vinegar in the above pickles gives it a tart (acidic) taste but is not the same as lactic acid that is produced by a fermented vegetable.

Fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir are superfoods as well. If you buy them from the supermarket, try to avoid those with added sugars or artificial flavoring. If the label says ‘plain’ yogurt, it means no sugars have been added. Technically, yogurt only needs to be fermented for a minimum of four hours to be classified as ‘yogurt.’ However, that short fermentation time doesn’t allow for the development of many probiotic bacteria. Making yogurt at home can be a better option. I ferment mine for up to 36 hours, resulting in a very tart yogurt rich in beneficial lactic acid and billions of gut bugs. I follow Dr William Davis’s recipes in his book Super Gut, 2022. You can also make yogurt from non-dairy foods such as coconut cream or sweet potatoes (pdf LINK).

If you want to ferment foods yourself, there are plenty of resources online and in books that you can refer to. I will give you a recipe at the end of this blog for sauerkraut. In the meantime, here are some photographs of wonderful fermented foods-

All about sauerkraut

To make sauerkraut, all you need are vegetables (primarily cabbage), sea salt, and spring or filtered water. Start with high-quality, store-bought organic vegetables or produce from the farmers’ market, or from your own garden. Fresh vegetables naturally contain all the necessary lactic acid bacteria for the fermentation. You don’t need a “starter” such as whey to make fermented veggies (link, link). Also, it is best to use filtered water (with no fluoride or chloride).

Fermented foods significantly enhance the nutritional value of your diet. Probiotic bacteria are naturally present in fresh foods and can be cultivated through fermentation. Both plant- and animal-based foods can be fermented. Give them a try! If you want more information on fermentation, you can go to these websites –

Dr. Bulsiewicz’s website: https://theplantfedgut.com/.

Or the Weston Price Foundation:  What’s so good about fermented foods

I love your comments!! Scroll way down to make a comment. Always talk to your health professional before starting anything new.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition and is intended only for entertainment.