Fermented foods
Overview of fermented foods and their benefits
Fermentation is a time-honoured method of food preservation. Humans have been enjoying fermented foods like yoghurt, wine, chocolate, miso, beer and bread for thousands of years. Fermented foods are not new to most of us however different cultures around the world love and enjoy different types of fermented foods. In the Australian food culture ferments like Kimchi, which is loved in Korea or fermented fish from Scandinavian are newer food tastes that people are exploring with the explosion of interest in fermentation.
Research on the health benefits of fermented foods has seen more people become interested in eating and making different types of ferments. If you haven’t been brave enough to try them you have probably at least heard of kombucha or sauerkraut.
The process of fermentation can increase the nutrient content of the foods being fermented, introduce different varieties of bacteria to your diet to increase gut flora diversity and even introduce you to new tastes.
Why fermented foods and not just capsules?
Fermented foods are more than their probiotic value. They provide nutritional benefits above what you can buy in a bottle. The food matrix (‘a complex assembly of various physical and chemical interactions that take place between the compounds present in the food’(1)) often provides prebiotics – food for the probiotics which enhances the efficacy of the probiotics. Fermented foods will also provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that you would not get by just taking a probiotic capsule. The benefit of the bacteria/yeast/fungi from fermented food is that the food matrix in which these live are often acidic. Your stomach is also an acidic environment which means that more of the bacteria will survive the stomach, increasing the diversity of your gut flora. Yes, it is easy buy a probiotic but making your own ferments will often provide you with a higher probiotic value and increased nutrient density than a capsule will and for a fraction of the price.
Are fermented foods for everyone?
The fermentation process can result in strong flavours which can make them an acquired taste for a lot of people. Also, fermented foods should be approached with caution by people whose gut and immune systems are badly compromised. There is some research to suggest certain bacteria can translocate to other areas of the body in people who have altered intestinal permeability – potentially causing ill health(2).
In this series of blog posts, I will be going through the nutritional benefits of different types of fermented foods and why you should try making them yourself.
The information provided on this website is for information purposes only and is not meant to be nor should be considered medical advice.
References
(1) Thomas, G., Kalla, A. M., B, R., & Kumar, A. (n.d.). Food matrix: A new tool to enhance nutritional quality of food. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. Retrieved February 7, 2023, from https://www.phytojournal.com/.
(2) Min-Tze Liong, Safety of probiotics: translocation and infection, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 66, Issue 4, 1 April 2008, Pages 192–202, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00024.x
