Evidence of human consumption of microbially fermented foods has been found since the beginning of recorded history. Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Fermentation also facilitated the transition from a purely hunter-gatherer existence to an agricultural society, as the advent of food preservation techniques allowed people to settle in one place and no longer have to constantly search for food. The invention of the refrigerator allowed new methods of food preservation, but it also gradually replaced fermented foods in our diet.
High-tech food preservation methods that use chemical preservatives dominate the modern food industry, eclipsing traditional preservation methods like fermentation. Fortunately, in recent years, fermented foods seem to have regained popularity with everyone from gourmets to health professionals, and consumption of fermented foods has increased dramatically. In the refrigerated section of the supermarket, we can find a large number of fermented foods. This is by no means an outdated trend, and the re-emergence of fermented foods marks the return of an older, healthier way of eating.
Fermented foods can be added to our daily diet in moderation. With the growing interest in fermented foods, you may be wondering how these foods can actually benefit our health.
Fermented Foods from an Evolutionary Perspective
Fermented foods are foods produced through controlled microbial growth and enzymatic activity, a process that naturally alters the composition of the food, creating different textures, flavors, and aromas . In the case of cheese, for example, which starts as a liquid and goes through various stages of fermentation to eventually become a solid, it becomes rich in flavor and changes its appearance dramatically.
Anthropological studies have shown that humans have been eating fermented foods for a very long time in history. From genetic mapping studies, it is known that early humans developed specialized cellular receptors designed to interact with metabolites produced by lactic acid bacteria commonly found in fermented foods. This evolutionary milestone allowed our ancestors to broaden their diets by consuming fruits that had fallen to the ground and begun to ferment. These findings suggest that our bodies have evolved to eat and benefit from fermented foods.
Almost all traditional cultures ate fermented foods
Ancient people in China may have been making fermented beverages 9,000 years ago. Chemical analysis of ancient organic matter absorbed from early Neolithic clay pots in Jiahu Village, Henan Province, China, revealed that people began producing a fermented beverage made from a mixture of rice, honey and fruit (hawthorn and/or grapes) as early as 7,000 BC. As agriculture developed, humans began fermenting a variety of foods, including grains, legumes, meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits.
Almost every culture in the world has its own specialty fermented foods. Bulgaria is often credited with popularizing yogurt around the world, with ancient nomads in the region storing raw milk in animal skins for fermentation; Japan is known for natto, and South Korea for kimchi; and fermented bean curd is a distinctive traditional folk food that has been passed down in China for thousands of years, and seems to be practiced in different ways in different regions......
Historically, fermentation was a method of preserving food. The fermentation process produces unique compounds, such as antimicrobial peptides and lactic acid, that inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms and prevent food from spoiling. However, it was soon realized that fermentation has more benefits than just preserving food; it also improves the taste and texture of food and enhances its nutritional value.
Food fermentation has a rich and colorful history and is an excellent way to eat healthy. Early food fermentation was a much more organic process, where food was naturally fermented by the hands of the people who made it, as well as by microbial inoculation of raw materials, water, equipment, and the environment in which the food was made. However today, we use standardized cultures to produce fermented foods, purposely using specific bacteria, yeasts, or fungi for fermentation, as well as previously fermented ferments . In order to meet the demands of industrial production and people's increasingly discerning taste buds, a variety of chemical additives are used in large quantities, which makes fermented foods lose part of their authenticity and soul . Therefore, if you have the conditions, you can try to make your own fermented food, not only can you enjoy the fun of the production process, but also more healthy.
13 Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
Much of the interest in fermented foods is due to their well-known link to gut health, and there is a wealth of scientific research to support these claims. In addition to this, there is a growing body of research that suggests fermented foods may support various aspects of our health through a variety of other mechanisms.
1. Supporting Gut Flora
A growing body of research has reported on the effects of fermented foods on gut flora, increasing the number of beneficial gut bacteria, which themselves provide many of the beneficial microorganisms. For example, kefir, a fermented dairy product, has shown significant benefits on gut flora, increasing concentrations of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Bifidobacterium; short-term intake of yogurt can also increase levels of intestinal Lactobacillus; tempeh, a fermented soybean product originating from Indonesia, has been found in a small study to increase levels of mucinophilic Acromegaly and immunoglobulin A, a A small study found that tempe can increase levels of the mucinophilic bacterium Ackermannia and immunoglobulin A, a molecule involved in the gut immune response; and that fermented foods such as kimchi can benefit gut health by providing short-chain fatty acids and dietary fiber, which promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria.
2. Promote digestion and bowel regularity
Regular consumption of fermented foods can promote healthy digestion and bowel movement . For patients with chronic constipation, kefir helps to improve stool hardness and frequency of bowel movements; yogurt also improves constipation caused by slowed intestinal transit time.
Certain foods may also be easier to digest when fermented than when unfermented . For example, consumption of fermented bread reduces gas production, abdominal discomfort, and bloating compared to unfermented bread, possibly due to the fact that fermentation reduces the levels of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) in the grain.
3. They have antimicrobial properties
In addition to providing beneficial microorganisms, fermented foods produce antimicrobial substances such as lactic acid and antimicrobial peptides during fermentation, which exert antimicrobial effects against opportunistic pathogens and pathogenic microorganisms, helping to balance the overall intestinal flora.
Kefir grains are the fermentation agent for traditional kefir, which has an irregular shape with a curly, uneven or highly twisted surface, mostly white or light yellow, with some elasticity and a special sour flavor that looks like cauliflower. The active kefir grains are inhabited by a large number of probiotic bacteria, such as Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus lactis, Streptococcus mutans, Acetobacter, and yeast. Kaefir grains have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and can fight common opportunistic intestinal pathogens and pathogens including Candida albicans, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus and many more.
Kefir may also be a useful adjunct in the treatment of H. pylori infections; kombucha, a fermented tea drink made from black or green tea, inhibits the growth of H. pylori, E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Campylobacter jejuni; and yogurt, which also contains lactic acid-producing bacteria, has a wide range of antibacterial properties.
4. Reduce the content of anti-nutrients and enhance the nutritional value of food
Fermentation has a profound effect on the nutritional composition of food. Antinutrients are compounds in plant foods that reduce or prevent the body from absorbing beneficial nutrients from the food, and fermentation can reduce the levels of antinutrients while improving the bioavailability of a range of micronutrients.
Fermentation also:
5. Helps strengthen bones
Studies have shown that fermented dairy products can promote bone health. Fermented dairy products are rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein, vitamin D, and vitamin K2, all of which are essential nutrients for healthy, strong bones.
Fermented dairy products also appear to help prevent bone loss associated with estrogen deficiency suggesting that consumption of fermented dairy products may be beneficial to bone health in postmenopausal women.
6. Promote Cardiometabolic Health
Cardiometabolic risk factors are a set of interrelated factors, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or stroke. Numerous studies have shown that fermented foods may help reduce these risk factors and promote cardiometabolic health.
7. Helps with weight management
Fermented foods may promote a healthy weight . Consumption of sauerkraut affects genes involved in fat cell production. Epidemiologic studies have shown that yogurt consumption is associated with lower BMI, smaller waist circumference, and reduced body fat.
8. Boosts immunity and reduces inflammation
Fermented foods have a positive effect on the immune system and may reduce inflammation . Immunoglobulin E is an immune molecule involved in allergic reactions, and the probiotics found in kefir can inhibit immunoglobulin E production. A polysaccharide contained in kefir can inhibit mast cell degranulation, which means that kefir can help prevent or reduce allergies. Babies born to women who consumed fermented foods during pregnancy had a reduced risk of atopic dermatitis.
9. Regulates cell growth
Preliminary research suggests that fermented foods may help regulate cell growth and proliferation and therefore may play a role in cancer prevention. In vitro studies have shown that kombucha has selective toxic effects on colon cancer cells while protecting the health of normal colon epithelial cells. Some of the probiotics in kimchi prevent the formation of cancer cells, and fermented beet juice prevents the formation of abnormal intestinal crypts, which are often an early sign of bowel cancer.
10. Maintain Skin Health
Fermented foods can help maintain skin health by affecting gut flora, systemic inflammation levels, and insulin signaling. For example, fermented dairy products may be a better choice than non-fermented dairy products for acne sufferers because fermentation significantly reduces levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, a molecule in dairy products that increases inflammation and sebum production that leads to acne. Fermented foods may also benefit skin health by regulating the enteric dermal axis, a network of signaling molecules that connects the gastrointestinal tract to the skin.
11. Helps maintain a healthy mood
Imbalances in the gut flora can trigger a chronic inflammatory response throughout the body, which can affect our brains and lead to mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Fermented foods can support mental health by reducing levels of inflammatory microbes and minimizing gut inflammation.
Food fermentation also increases the bioavailability of certain phenolic plant compounds that regulate neurotransmission. Finally, probiotics in fermented foods may also act directly on neural pathways in the brain via the gut-brain axis, a complex neural network that connects the enteric nervous system to the central nervous system.
12. Helps with cognitive function
Preliminary research suggests that consuming fermented foods may improve our cognitive function . Lactobacillus pentosus, a probiotic isolated from kimchi, was able to inhibit drug-induced memory impairment in mice. In a human trial using functional magnetic **** vibration imaging, it was found that consuming probiotic-rich fermented dairy products modulated brain activity. Finally, a randomized controlled trial found that fermented soy products significantly reduced mild cognitive impairment and increased blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which stimulates neuroplasticity, our brain's ability to reorganize and create new neural pathways, compared to subjects taking a placebo.
13. Defense against toxins
Fermented foods have shown promise in enhancing defense against environmental toxins and facilitating detoxification . Lactobacillus bacteria, commonly found in fermented foods, can bind heavy metals and excrete them from the body. Certain probiotics contained in fermented foods such as sauerkraut can reduce intestinal absorption of organophosphorus pesticides. Fermentation can also reduce levels of mycotoxins in certain foods, such as grains. If you want to strengthen your body's defenses against toxic substances and slowly flush toxins from your body, consuming fermented foods properly on a daily basis may help.
In summary, the proper incorporation of fermented foods into our daily diet can have tremendous health benefits that touch every aspect of our physiology and psychology. So, how do fermented foods play a role in these health benefits, and how can we best incorporate them into our daily diet? Let's hear it next time.
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