If you’re like most Americans, you don’t eat a lot of fermented foods. Fermented foods are most popular in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese culture, where fermented soy products like tempeh and kimchee are a staple in the diet. In fact, the only exposure many Americans have to fermented foods is when they eat a container of yogurt with active cultures, but that’s changing fast.
Fermented products are becoming increasingly popular, including fermented drinks such as kombucha, a drink made from fermented mushrooms, and kefir, a fermented milk drink. More health food stores sell fermented foods and beverages because of the health benefits they offer.
What are the health benefits of fermented foods?
One of the reasons fermented foods and drinks are good for you is because of the natural probiotics they contain. Probiotics are “good bacteria” that keep disease-causing bacteria at bay by competing for the same resources. There isn’t much space available in the gut for bacteria and when the good ones get in, they push out the bad ones. Unfortunately, most people who eat westernized diets don’t get many natural probiotics in their diet. That’s changing as the popularity of yogurt and other fermented foods grows.
Probiotic bacteria not only keep bad bacteria at bay, but also help to “tune up” your immune system. You may not know it, but 70% of your immune system is in your gut, so nourishing your gut immunity with probiotic bacteria keeps your intestinal tract healthy.
Some studies also show that these friendly bacteria offer greater resistance against infections. In addition, they offer potential benefits for treating irritable bowel syndrome, some types of diarrhea, and preventing vaginal yeast infections. If you have gas and bloating after meals, probiotics can help with these symptoms because fermented foods are a natural source of beneficial bacteria for your gut.
Food fermentation reduces antinutrients
Another benefit of fermenting foods, especially soy, is that it inactivates antinutrients that block the absorption of minerals from the food you eat. Soy contains phytates, compounds that reduce the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium in the intestine. Fermented soybeans inactivate phytates, making it a healthier way to eat soybeans.
Examples of fermented soy foods that you can buy at most health food markets are miso and tempeh. You may have enjoyed a cup of miso soup at a Japanese restaurant and didn’t realize you were doing something good for your intestines. Trust me, your intestines would thank you if they could.
Other examples of foods rich in probiotics are sauerkraut, kimchi (fermented cabbage), fermented cheeses, and soy sauce. Just like fermented foods exist, you can nourish your intestines with probiotic drinks like kefir and kombucha.
Fermented Drinks: Another Source of Probiotics
Kefir is a probiotic-rich drink that has the consistency of liquid yogurt and is available in several flavors at health food markets. It tastes slightly sour like yogurt, but can be mixed with fresh fruit for a sweeter taste. You can even make your own kefir at home.
Kombucha is fizzy and has a rather sour taste. Some companies that make it, like Synergy, add flavors like lemon, strawberry, and blueberry to it for more mainstream appeal. Being an acquired taste, some people don’t like it when they first try it, but after drinking it a few times, its bubbly fizz becomes addictive for some.
How to Enjoy the Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
You can enjoy the benefits of probiotic bacteria simply by eating a container of yogurt with active cultures every day. If you’re a little more adventurous, try kefir or kombucha. There are ways to make eating kefir more fun. Try to make a perfect kefir by adding nuts, seeds, fresh fruits and spices to the kefir. It’s a healthy way to start the morning. Drink a bottle of flavored kombucha as a healthy replacement for soda.
Why not make your own sauerkraut? You’ll reap the benefits of cabbage’s probiotic bacteria and anticancer compounds at the same time. The sauerkraut you buy in cans at the grocery store does not contain live probiotics. Here is a video to show you how:
When shopping for cheese, skip the packaged cheese at the grocery store and buy aged cheese with natural probiotics. Fermented soybeans are rich in isoflavones, natural compounds that may reduce the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. You can buy miso at most health food markets and use it to make soups, sauces, and salad dressings. You can also add it to soups and stews for further health benefits.
You’ll want to avoid using high heat, as it can destroy the probiotic bacteria. Try tempeh, another fermented soy product, as a meat substitute. It is a good option for meatless Mondays. By exploring the web, you will find several tasty recipes that use tempeh.
The next time you’re at your local health food market, pick up some kimchi. It is a popular Korean vegetable side dish made from fermented cabbage and other fermented vegetables. It has a spicy flavor that is as tongue-tingling as it is healthy. In fact, you can ferment your own vegetables at home using a starter culture you buy at health food stores or online.
The bottom line?
Enjoy the health benefits of fermented foods and beverages. You may find that you enjoy the taste as much as the health benefits.
References:
British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 107 / Number 06 / March 2012, pp 876-884.
Eden Foundation. “Fermented Foods: Safer to Eat”
