Are Fermented Foods Really Good for You?
In short, the answer to the question is a “yes” but there is quite a bit more to it (good thing too because otherwise, this would be a very short post).
Prebiotics and probiotics are the two health benefits that are most often listed as the reasons to consume fermented foods. In the blog post Restoring Gut Flora, Chris provides a clear explanation on which foods contain prebiotics and probiotics, as well as, why including these types of food could benefit your overall gut health.
More Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
In addition to the significant benefits of prebiotics and probiotics, fermented foods actually have a host of other health benefits. In fact, these types of food can actually boost the nutrients they contain. For example, the fermenting process can produce B vitamins in foods that did not contain them prior to fermentation (CRAZY)! Furthermore, fermented foods can improve digestion and make it even easier on our bodies to absorb their nutrients (think of it like pre-digestion]. [1]
Some of the known benefits of fermented foods include [2]:
- Synthesized vitamins and minerals
- Active peptides and enzymes
- Removal of non-nutrients
- Blood pressure lowering effect
- Prebiotic properties
- Anti-microbial effects
- Anti-fungal effects
- Anti-carcinogenic effects
- Anti-oxidant effect
- Anti-allergenic effect
- Anti-inflammatory effects
One benefit that I found personally interesting is that fermented foods can actually reduce the symptoms of lactose intolerance. [3, 4]
I don’t think I can overstate to potential health benefits of fermented foods, especially after reading statements like this:
“Studies are now looking at how the fermentation of prebiotics such as fructo-oligosaccharides can help in the prevention of diseases such as osteoporosis, obesity, and colorectal cancer. The potential to prevent or even treat disease through the fermentation of food is a medically and commercially attractive goal and is showing increasing promise.”
Department of Biosciences in Ireland [5]
What is Fermentation?
Put simply, it’s the process of using microorganisms like bacteria and yeast to change carbrohydrates to alcohol or organic acids.
Lactic Acid Bacteria:
| Carnobacterium | Oenococcus |
| Enterococcus | Pediococcus |
| Lactococcus | Streptococcus |
| Lactobacillus | Tetragenococcus |
| Lactosphaera | Vagococcus |
| Leuconostoc | Weissella |
If you would like to dig even deeper and learn about the functional properties of the microorganisms used to ferment foods and beverages, then I would recommend reading the article Functional Properties of Microorganisms in Fermented Foods published in the Frontiers in Microbiology Journal.
Are Fermented Foods Safe?
Most forms of fermented foods are generally safe. However, like the maxim suggests “too much of a good thing can be a bad thing” and fermented foods are no different. If you ingest too many fermented foods in one day, then it is likely that you will experience bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements.
When Chris and I started to introduce fermented foods into our daily diet, we both had the worst gas, and I certainly had a pooching belly. We reduced our intake, and eventually, the gas and bloating subsided.
Because each person’s gut biome is unique to them, there are always going to be different responses and outcomes to eating fermented foods.
When it comes to fermented foods, less is more.
There is one caveat to fermented foods being safe. Fermented soy products may not be safe for consumption. Both Korean and Japenese populations have been studied to assess why they have a higher incidence of gastric cancer, and it was determined that “a high intake of fermented soy foods was significantly associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer.” [6]
Common soy fermented foods:
- Natto
- Tempeh
- Miso
- Soy Sauce
Again, that’s not to say that, in moderation, soy fermented foods are not safe, but it’s clear that and overconsumption can have serious consequences.
Are the Health Benefits of Kombucha Real?
Chris and I love kombucha and buy our supply of the exorbitantly priced beverage in bulk at Costco (although, we do have plans to start making our own in the not-so-distant-future). If I’m being perfectly honest, even if kombucha didn’t deliver the health benefits it’s acclaimed for, we would likely still drink it because it’s the yogi’s sweet tea and it’s delicious.
Nevertheless, I was glad to find that there is indeed research to back up the acclaimed health benefits of the fermented beverage.
Potential health benefits of kombucha include:
- A natural source of probiotics [7, 8]
- Reduces the toxicity of the liver [9, 10, 11, 12]
- Has antibacterial and antifungal properties [13]
- Improves kidney and liver function [14, 15]
- Protect against cancer cells [16]
It is important to note that the first study mentioned in that list does caution against homebrewing for individuals with a compromised metabolism.
“Subjects with a healthy metabolism do not need to be advised against cultivating Kombucha. However, those suffering from immunosuppression should preferably consume controlled commercial Kombucha beverages.”
Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
With that said, whether you purchase kombucha at your local grocery store or have a SCOBY (symbiotic culter of bacteria and yeast) brewing in your kitchen, there do appear to be legitimate health reasons to consume kombucha.
What’s the Difference Between Fermenting and Pickling?
While these two processes are certainly overlapping categories, there are also some key differences between them.
- Probiotics: Probably the most relevant difference between the two is that fermenting encourages good bacteria to grow (aka probiotics), while pickling is designed to kill off all pathogens (good and bad).
- Adds Nutrients: Fermenting can produce added nutrients to food, while pickling cannot.
- Preserving Liquid: Fermenting uses a brine that produces lactic acid as its preserving liquid while pickling uses vinegar.
- Process Time: Fermenting is a slow process, taking days and sometimes months to complete. Pickling, on the other hand, is typically a one-day project.
- Shelf Stability: One last thing to note, because fermented foods still have living organisms in them, they are not shelf-stable and will eventually go bad, whereas, pickled foods have removed all living organisms so they are stable and have a much, much longer shelf life.
The difference between pickling and fermenting can be seen in a quick peruse of the grocery store; canned sauerkraut will be found on a shelf, while fermented sauerkraut will be found in the refrigerator section (normally near the produce section). One has been pickled while the other has been fermented.
Moral of the story: If you want the health benefits associated with fermented foods, then don’t buy it canned. Living things typically need to be kept cool, so I would start by looking for fermented products (sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha) in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. If the item isn’t refrigerated, then it’s not fermented.
Self-Care = Taking Care of Your Gut
We’ve spent a significant amount of time exploring gut health, and we may never stop because it’s that gosh darn important. If you want to take care of yourself, your mental, metabolic, and immune health, then you must take care of your gut health. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, and fermented foods have a dramatic impact in the area of gut health.
If this topic interests you, then I would recommend checking out a few of our previous blogs.
We hope you have found this information helpful and, as always, please do not hesitate to shoot us a message or leave us a comment – we look forward to hearing from you!
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*Generic Disclaimer: Chris and I are not medical professionals – if you have any pressing medical concerns, please consult your doctor.
