Fermentation can produce quite distinctive, strong, slightly sour flavours. The consumption of foods and drinks that have undergone fermentation contain benefits to health that stretch beyond food preservation. The transformation of sugars and starches enhances the natural, beneficial bacteria in food.
Discover more tips for digestive health and browse our gut-healthy recipes. Want to have a go at making your own ferments? Follow our guides for how to make kombucha , how to make kefir and our quick kimchi recipe. Also check out our health and nutrition page for more recipe inspiration, health benefits guides and advice on special diets. The bacteria that live in our gut are essential.
They help with digestion, absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Plus, they play a role in the function of our immune system. When the balance is shifted in favour of the bad bacteria, symptoms may arise such as bloating, constipation or diarrhoea. Modern diets, high in refined sugars and busy, stressful lifestyles can contribute to dysbiosis by feeding the bad bacteria, enabling them to flourish.
Eliminating refined, high sugar foods and including probiotic-rich fermented foods is thought to bring the gut back into balance and support the immune system. Their total weight is about four pounds!
In Africa, millet is fermented for several days to produce a sour porridge called ogi, and in India rice and lentils are fermented for at least two days before making idli and dosas. Fermented foods are rich in probiotic bacteria so by consuming fermented foods you are adding beneficial bacteria and enzymes to your overall intestinal flora, increasing the health of your gut microbiome and digestive system and enhancing the immune system.
As some of the sugars and starches in food have been broken down through the process, fermented foods are easier to digest. For example, fermentation breaks down the lactose in milk to simpler sugars — glucose and galactose — which, if you are lactose intolerant, can make products such as yogurt and cheese potentially easier to digest.
Fermentation can also increase the availability of vitamins and minerals for our bodies to absorb. Additionally, by boosting the beneficial bacteria in your gut, you are promoting their ability to manufacture B vitamins and synthesise vitamin K. A large proportion of the immune system is housed in the gut. By consuming probiotic-rich foods, you are supporting the mucosa gut lining as a natural barrier, making the immune system more robust.
A lack of beneficial bacteria allows disease causing microbes to grow causing inflammation in the gut wall. If you have recently taken a course of antibiotics, probiotic foods are particularly helpful. Read more about how to prevent a cold and which natural cold remedies actually work. Be sure to eat a diet high in fiber and plant-based foods, which gut microbes flourish on. A modern Western diet can upset the balance of your gut bacteria, but eating fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles and kimchi can help keep the balance.
Learn more about vaccine availability. Advertising Policy. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. Related Articles. What Is a Superfood, Anyway? Is Sucralose Splenda Bad for You? What Are the Best Sources of Protein? Trending Topics. Fermented vegetables have existed since the mists of time, and humans have learned to master their production because of their many benefits. Indeed, lacto-fermentation is an excellent ally for our health, as well as preserving food safely and creating addictive flavours.
Fermented vegetables are easier to digest , rich in nutrients , safe , and good for the microbiota. Most importantly, they are delicious! Here are 6 interesting benefits of fermented vegetables, including its many health benefits! Did you know that vegetables are much more digestible when fermented? Lacto-fermentation is a great ally of our digestive system. They create enzymes and break down some of the large molecules that are difficult to assimilate by our digestive system.
Among other things, fermentation reduces carbohydrates as well as some components oligosaccharides that cause flatulence and digestion problems. Fermented cabbage sauerkraut , for example, is much more digestible than raw cabbage and will cause less discomfort. Fermented foods also help support the digestive system.
Fermented vegetables are proven to help reduce the symptoms of chronic gastrointestinal diseases , such as irritable bowel syndrome. Fermentation increases the nutritional value of food, the bioavailability of nutrients, and the enzyme concentration, in addition to neutralizing several toxic substances.
Contrary to canned vegetables, fermented vegetables retain all their nutrients and vitamins. Their nutritional value can even increase! In fact, during fermentation, microorganisms generate various nutrients such as vitamin C , B group vitamins including the famous B12 , and vitamin K. Lacto-fermentation can also destroy or neutralize several toxic substances such as cyanide 4 , phytates, and saponins 5.
The work of the bacteria enables to breaking down of large molecules and releasing of nutrients, which can then be absorbed by our bodies. Indeed, studies have shown that iron 6 and zinc 7 are more easily absorbed through fermented vegetables. Lacto-fermentation also releases proteins , amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants 8. Real energy foods!
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