Why Consume Fermented Foods?
Fermentation imbues our foods with probiotics – that is the beneficial bacteria. These bacteria, when ingested, populate the intestinal tract and begin to interact with the body in a positive way by training the immune system, manufacturing vitamins and keeping opportunistic bacteria. That is why fermented foods are an essential aspect of not only a tradit ional foods diet but also an essential aspect of healing protocols (ex. GAPS diet). In a nut shell, fermented or cultured foods can “heal and seal” your gut to optimize health or reverse disease!
Although there are a plethora of health benefits to eating fermented foods, one KEY benefit is the optimization of your immune system. This is because an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is actually located in your gut. Probiotics play a crucial role in the development and operation of the mucosal immune system in your digestive tract, and aid in the production of antibodies to pathogens. This makes a healthy gut a major factor in maintaining optimal health, as a robust immune system is your top defense system against all disease.
What do fermented foods offer over a probiotic supplements?
Mainly fermented foods provide a natural variety of microflora. As long as you vary the fermented and cultured foods you eat, you’ll get a much wider variety of beneficial bacteria than you could ever get from a supplement. Not only do fermented foods contain more LAB’s (lactic acid bacteria) and different strains, but they also are full of nutrients. Moreover, the fermentation process actually predigests the foods making the food more digestible and the nutrients in the food more bioavailable. Some vitamins are actually created in the fermentation process like B vitamins. For example, the vitamin C in sauerkraut is 20 times higher than in fresh cabbage!
So, if you are suffering from less them optimal health, you can heal with nutrition by increasing your sources of fermented foods. And with a little knowledge you can even make your own fermented foods at home. Your gut and your wallet will thank you!
Andrea Hauser, Homeopath (novice kombucha fermenter!)
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