7 Reasons to Eat Fermented Foods Every Day

March 3, 2014 by naturallyinsideout 1 Comment

Fermented foods have been around in all societies since ancient times, everything from beer, to sauerkraut, miso and kimchi. Lacto-fermentation (the kind I’m talking about here -and no it has nothing to do with milk!) is an anaerobic process where lactic acid bacteria converts sugar into lactic acid, which acts as a preservative.

Did you know that recent estimates suggest that the human body is made up of about 37 trillion human cells and that at any given time, the average human body is carrying around 3 times more bacterial cells than human ones. Kind of difficult to ignore – 75% of yourself being bacteria I mean!   The fact that there are good and bad bacteria in there is well known and it is important that the good don’t get overrun by the bad.

So why eat Fermented Foods? 

1.     They are an excellent Natural source of Probiotics. The probiotics in fermented foods are a good way of introducing good bacteria, or replenishing good bacteria after a course of antibiotics, or any other illness for that matter. Incorporating as many fermented foods into your daily diet as possible provides a diverse range of good bacteria.

2.     Fermenting foods increases the Nutrient Density of the food – Probiotics enhance the vitamins and minerals in the original food actually substantially increasing them in most cases. Given how nutrient deficient the average Western diet is – this is an amazing thing!

3.     Fermenting Food Improves Digestion by deactivating phytates and anti-nutrients (basically pre-digesting the food) and promoting the right amount of stomach acid. Both low and high stomach acid cause countless health problems for many people. This is really important for any of us with digestive issues of any kind.

4.     Fermented Foods increase your Natural Immunity – They are great for bolstering your natural immunity which is now known to live mainly in the gut. They also helps in healing leaky gut/gut permeability .

5.     Fermented Food Balances Gut Flora – Probiotics contribute to the microbial balance of the gastrointestinal tract—supporting the immune system and reducing inflammation in the gut. Fermented foods promotes the growth of healthy gut flora.

6.     Eating Fermented Foods an Improve mood and brain disorders – current research is indicating that there is a gut brain connection which is causing anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s and even Schizophrenia. Healing the gut is also a route to heal the brain.

7.     Fermenting is Cheap and Easy and makes the food last longer. If you make sauerkraut in theProbiotic Jar it will last for a year or more!

Salt plays a pivotal role in traditional fermentation by creating conditions that favour the bacteria, preventing the growth of bad bacteria, and adding flavour. This is the reason I recommend the Probiotic Jar for fermenting. It uses less salt than other methods and is completely anaerobic. Creating a ferment, should you wish to try, is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

So what can you ferment? Well that is up to you and your family and what you think will go down best! We love fermented salsa, sauerkraut and grated carrot best but really the world is your oyster!

Let me know how you get on.