Fermented Foods: Benefits and Basics

Listen to the audio version. Have you ever tried fermented foods? Do you make your own fermented food or drink, like sauerkraut or kombucha? In this post, I will introduce the benefits of fermentation. In future posts in this series, I will describe how to make your own, starting with kombucha!

What is fermentation?

Fermentation is an ancient technique used to preserve food. It is still used today to make food and drink like wine, cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and tempeh. Fermented food and drink are full of bacteria and yeast that are beneficial for our bodies, rather than harmful. These are called probiotics. While you can take probiotics in capsule form as a supplement, adding fermented food and drink to your diet can have the same benefit, while also tasting great!

During fermentation, microorganisms convert carbohydrates like sugar and starch into acids or alcohol, which are natural preservatives. Popular fermented foods are kombucha, yogurt, kefir, cheese, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, miso, wine, cider, sourdough and sprouted bread, and more!

Fermented foods have several health benefits. Scientists are just now beginning to scratch the surface about their health-boosting properties. I’m a big fan of fermented foods, not just for their taste, but for their health benefits.

Health benefits of fermented foods

Here are a few of the health benefits of fermented foods:

Improved digestion

Fermentation produces beneficial bacteria called probiotics. These critters help restore the balance of “good” flora in our gut. Probiotics can help alleviate digestive issues¹, including irritable bowel disorder (IBS) and bloating². Studies also found that consuming fermented foods may lessen the severity of other unpleasant digestive issues, like constipation, gas, and diarrhea. If you experience digestive distress on a regular basis, it might be worth looking into consuming more fermented foods!

Go slowly at first – when your gut flora begins to change, you may notice a period of adjustment time where your symptoms may worsen before they improve. Also, a little goes a long way! Eating too much of these delicious goodies can make bloating and gas worse, so try not to overdo it.

Our gut flora can be disturbed when taking antibiotics that target specific harmful bacteria. When that happens, the “good” bacteria in our gut is destroyed along with the targeted bacteria, leading to an upset of the balance of bacteria in our intestines. That’s why you may notice digestive discomfort while taking a course of antibiotics. One way to help restore the balance of beneficial bacteria in our gut is by consuming probiotics – whether in supplement form, or in fermented foods.

Fermentation makes food more digestible

If you are lactose intolerant, have you noticed that you can consume yogurt without experiencing as many unpleasant side effects? That’s because the process of fermentation breaks the content of food down to more digestible forms. In the case of dairy products, fermentation breaks down the lactose sugar in milk to simpler, more digestible sugars like glucose and galactose. While you might have difficulty with ice cream as a lactose-intolerant person, you can probably have yogurt or kefir (fermented milk) without issues³.

Fermentation breaks down anti-nutrients like lectins and phytic acid found in nuts, seeds, beans, and grains. These anti-nutrients interfere with nutrient absorption. When you consume fermented soybeans like tempeh, for example, you are able to absorb more of the nutrients in the beans. Fermented, or sprouted, grains also have more of their nutrients available for absorption, because the soaking process removes the phytic acid from the grains. You can choose sourdough, or a brand like Ezekiel or Manna bread. (I’m a huge fan of Food for Life’s Ezekiel bread!) Note that fermenting grains does not remove the gluten from the bread. Try a gluten-free sprouted bread like Sprouted for Life if you must avoid gluten. You can also make your own sourdough!

Immunity

There is some evidence that consuming probiotic-rich foods can boost your immune system. A systematic review of randomized control trials that investigated the effect of probiotic consumption on upper respiratory tract infections (common colds) in children showed a 10% decrease in the incidence of these infections⁴. Many fermented foods are high in vitamin C and zinc, which are known immune system boosters!

Mind-body connection

There has been a lot of recent buzz about the mind-gut connection. In the past decade, there have been several promising studies exploring the associations between the effects of probiotics and improved mental health, including resilience against depression⁵. More research needs to be done in this area, but so far, it is promising!

Side effects and risks

With all of the amazing health benefits and the delicious taste of fermented foods, are there any risks you should be aware of when consuming them? Yes! Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of the probiotics in fermented foods than others, and may experience side effects. You may notice initial bloating and an increase in gas when consuming these foods, especially fermented cabbage like sauerkraut and kimchi. Take it slow when adding fermented foods to your diet.

Some fermented foods and drink, like some kombuchas and yogurts, may be high in added sugars or contain alcohol, so be sure to read labels when purchasing them.

When attempting to ferment at home, follow all temperature and fermentation time guidelines! Use a well-researched recipe. It’s also important to sterilize all equipment before fermenting. Failure to do so can result in spoiled and unsafe food.

How to make your own

I’ll provide some tips on making kombucha in my next post, and you can learn how to make tempeh at home along with me in a future post!

Where to find fermented foods

You can make your own fermented foods, but you can also find them in most supermarkets, health food stores, and specialty stores. I’m a big fan of GTS kombucha, and I’m looking forward to visiting Fermentation Farm in Costa Mesa, California – a store and small restaurant specializing in fermented foods! They even have fermenting classes.

What are your favorite types of fermented foods? Let me know in the comments.

References

1. Ritchie, M. L., & Romanuk, T. N. (2012). A meta-analysis of probiotic efficacy for gastrointestinal diseases. PloS one, 7(4), e34938. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034938
2. Hoveyda, N., Heneghan, C., Mahtani, K. R., Perera, R., Roberts, N., & Glasziou, P. (2009). A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. BMC gastroenterology, 9, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-9-15
3. Hertzler, S. R., & Clancy, S. M. (2003). Kefir improves lactose digestion and tolerance in adults with lactose maldigestion. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103(5), 582–587. https://doi.org/10.1053/jada.2003.50111
4. Wang, Y., Li, X., Ge, T., Xiao, Y., Liao, Y., Cui, Y., Zhang, Y., Ho, W., Yu, G., & Zhang, T. (2016). Probiotics for prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 95(31), e4509. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000004509
5. Selhub, E. M., Logan, A. C., & Bested, A. C. (2014). Fermented foods, microbiota, and mental health: ancient practice meets nutritional psychiatry. Journal of physiological anthropology, 33(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1880-6805-33-2
6. MacFarland, L., Karakan, T., & Karatas, A., (2021). Strain-specific and outcome-specific efficacy of probiotics for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet eClinicalMedicine, 41(10101154). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101154