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Feb 23, 2023 · One of the main reasons why fermented foods are so beneficial for human health is because they contain live organisms that offer a health benefit, also known as probiotics. When it comes to your health, probiotics may be able to: Displace pathogenic, or “bad,” bacteria. Play a role in supporting immune health.
Apr 10, 2024 · 1. Gut Health. Fermented foods support gut health by easing digestion and promoting a healthy balance in your gut microbiome. This can have beneficial effects for people who suffer from constipation, diarrhea, or other digestive complications.
- Overview
- What Is Food Fermentation?
- Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
- Safety and Side Effects
- Common Fermented Foods
- The Bottom Line
Common fermented foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh, kombucha, and yogurt. These foods may reduce heart disease risk and aid digestion, immunity, and weight loss.
Fermentation is an ancient technique of preserving food.
The process is still used today to produce foods like wine, cheese, sauerkraut, yogurt, and kombucha.
Fermented foods are rich in beneficial probiotics and have been associated with a range of health benefits — from better digestion to stronger immunity (1, 2).
Fermentation is a natural process through which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert carbs — such as starch and sugar — into alcohol or acids.
The alcohol or acids act as a natural preservative and give fermented foods a distinct zest and tartness.
Fermentation also promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics.
Probiotics have been shown to improve immune function as well as digestive and heart health (1, 2, 3).
Therefore, adding fermented foods to your diet may benefit your overall well-being.
Summary
Improves Digestive Health
The probiotics produced during fermentation can help restore the balance of friendly bacteria in your gut and may alleviate some digestive problems (1). Evidence suggests that probiotics can reduce uncomfortable symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common digestive disorder (4, 5, 6). One 6-week study in 274 adults with IBS found that consuming 4.4 ounces (125 grams) of yogurt-like fermented milk daily improved IBS symptoms, including bloating and stool frequency (7). What’s more, fermented foods may also lessen the severity of diarrhea, bloating, gas, and constipation (8, 9, 10, 11). For these reasons, adding fermented foods to your diet may be useful if you regularly experience gut issues.
Boosts Your Immune System
The bacteria that live in your gut have a significant impact on your immune system. Due to their high probiotic content, fermented foods can give your immune system a boost and reduce your risk of infections like the common cold (12, 13, 14). Consuming probiotic-rich foods may also help you recover faster when you’re sick (2, 15, 16). Additionally, many fermented foods are rich in vitamin C, iron, and zinc — all of which are proven to contribute to a stronger immune system (17, 18, 19).
Makes Food Easier to Digest
Fermentation helps break down nutrients in food, making them easier to digest than their unfermented counterparts. For example, lactose — the natural sugar in milk — is broken down during fermentation into simpler sugars — glucose and galactose (20). As a result, those with lactose intolerance are generally fine eating fermented dairy like kefir and yogurt (21). Plus, fermentation helps break down and destroy antinutrients — such as phytates and lectins — which are compounds found in seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes that interfere with the nutrient absorption (22). Therefore, consuming fermented beans or legumes like tempeh increases the absorption of beneficial nutrients, making them more nutritious than unfermented alternatives (23, 24).
Fermented foods are considered safe for most people. However, some individuals may experience side effects.
Due to the high probiotic content of fermented foods, the most common side effect is an initial and temporary increase in gas and bloating (32).
These symptoms may be worse after consuming fiber-rich fermented foods, such as kimchi and sauerkraut.
It’s also important to note that not all fermented foods are created equal.
Some products may contain high levels of added sugar, salt, and fat — so it’s important to read nutrition labels to make sure you’re making a healthy choice.
If fermenting at home, make sure you follow recipes closely for safety purposes. Incorrect temperatures, fermentation times, or unsterile equipment can cause the food to spoil, making it unsafe to eat.
There are many different types of fermented foods consumed around the world, including:
•Kefir
•Sauerkraut
•Tempeh
•Natto
•Cheese
Fermentation is the breakdown of carbs like starch and sugar by bacteria and yeast and an ancient technique of preserving food.
Common fermented foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh, kombucha, and yogurt. These foods may reduce heart disease risk and aid digestion, immunity, and weight loss.
- You can’t digest food alone. Good bacteria help break down complex carbohydrates that you eat. This fermenting and metabolizing process results in other substances that are beneficial to your body, too.
- The good bacteria fight the bad — and usually win. Every day, you swallow pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria. You don’t always get sick from it, though, because your tiny microscopic helpers take care of it.
- Your body needs help making certain vitamins. Good bacteria are to thank for synthesizing, or producing, many vitamins your body needs. That list includes vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and K.
- A healthy body needs balance. Tiny bacteria in your intestine have full-body effects. Research shows a less diverse gut microbiota is associated with many chronic disease, such as obesity, asthma and chronic inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Aug 20, 2024 · Why are fermented foods good for you? The consumption of fermented, probiotic foods has many positive effects on not only the digestive system, but basically the whole body.
Fermented foods are produced through controlled microbial growth, or fermentation, the breakdown of carbohydrates such as starch and sugar by using bacteria and yeast. The fermentation process...
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Feb 24, 2023 · Fermented foods aren’t just tasty. By boosting good bacteria in your gut, they can have healthy effects that ripple through every part of your body.
