Why Fermented Foods Could Improve Your Health
Probiotics. Gut health. Lactic acid.
Chances are you’ve heard these words before.. They’ve been trending in the alternative health industry for a while now. But what do they mean?
Basically, all these buzzwords come down to one thing: supporting the body--your body. There are many ways you can achieve gut health and digestive support. And fermentation is a great way to get started.
Why Should I Care About Fermentation?
Before I yammer on about the nerdy aspects of the fermentation process (and I can yammer for a looong time), let me share a couple of reasons why you should consider adding fermented foods to your diet:
Your immune system loves fermented foods. Did you know that roughly 70% of your immune system exists in the gut?¹ So eating fermented foods is a surefire way to support your immune health. Many of these foods are also high in iron, zinc, and vitamin C. These vitamins and minerals are essential to boosting immunity.
Fermented foods offer a bounty of health benefits. Some of these benefits include:
• Better digestion
• Increases nutrient absorption
• May help with weight loss
• May reduce risk of heart disease
One cool thing about fermented foods is that they are often more nutritious than their unfermented counterparts. Sound crazy? Well, during the fermentation process, acids develop along the way and help break down the nutrients in the food. When this happens, the body absorbs those nutrients more easily.
So if I eat regular cabbage, it’s sometimes hard for my body to digest. But sauerkraut— aka fermented cabbage— is much friendlier to my gut. And that’s because the nutrients have been broken down for me before my fork even reaches my mouth.
What is Fermentation?
Another thing fermentation has going for it is that it’s been around forever.
I’m (barely) exaggerating.
People used to preserve their food this way out of necessity, before refrigerators roamed the earth. So fermented foods were far more common back in the day.
Today we have it easier, thanks to innovation and invention. But are we really healthier? I can tell you one thing. Scarfing down a Yoplait from the grocery store is not as healthy as eating a batch of your very own homemade, probiotic-packed yogurt (yes, you really can make your own yogurt!)
Okay, I promised you a nerdy rant. Ask and you shall receive.
In a nutshell, fermentation is the process of microorganisms— like yeast or bacteria— to convert carbs to alcohol or acids over time.²
There are two kinds of fermentation:
Alcoholic. Delicious beverages like beer, wine, and kombucha are made via alcoholic fermentation.
Lactic acid. Wondering how that tasty Gouda cheese came to be? Lactic acid fermentation, my friend.
Whichever method you choose, once you get started, you’re in for a treat— literally.
What Can I Ferment?
One of the best— and tastiest— ways to achieve optimal gut health is by regularly eating fermented foods. You may have heard of sauerkraut and pickles, but that’s just the beginning. Once you start fermenting your own foods, you’ll see that the possibilities are endless. Carrots. Beets. Radishes. Yep, radishes.
Okay, so maybe vegetables aren’t your thing. No worries, there are lots of other options out there (plus that leaves more radishes for me). You can create fermented jams. Or try making your own yogurt. And how about that most beloved food of 2020: sourdough?
You really can ferment pretty much anything, from fruits and vegetables, grains, even meats. I haven’t tried that last one yet (recovering vegetarian over here).
But why stop at food? You can concoct your own delicious wines and beers, too—I’ve got a hard cider brewing in the kitchen right now, actually.
Suffice it to say, the possibilities are endless when it comes to fermenting. And the best part is that you’re doing your body a favor by nourishing it with probiotic and nutrient-rich foods.
What Tools Do I Need For Fermenting?
When you dive down the fermentation rabbit hole, there are a few required tools. The good news is, you probably already have a lot of these in your kitchen. The second good news is, if it’s not in your kitchen, it’s on the internet! There are lots of fermentation kits out there nowadays, so if you don’t have something I’ve listed below, check around online.
A few items you’ll need when fermenting:
Preserving agents or starter cultures. These prevent the food from spoilage. They also kickstart the fermentation process by helping the nutrients to break down. Salt, whey, and sauerkraut juice are a few examples of what a recipe might require.
A vessel (Not the boating kind). Crocks, glass jars or bowls are all great options when it comes to fermenting. Avoid using anything made of plastic, as chemicals from the plastic can leach into the food. Don’t use metal containers, either. Metal inhibits the fermentation process.
Weights. One of the basic principles of fermentation is to keep the food submerged. This prevents mold from developing. Lots of places sell special fermentation weights. Or you can use plates, jars filled with water, or even boiled rocks to keep your concoction submerged.
Coverage. Unless you like your food filled with critters, you’ll need to properly cover whatever it is that you’re fermenting. Each recipe requires different coverage, but towels, coffee filters, and airlock lids are some common examples of fermentation covers.
Attention. Be sure to taste your product along the way. This allows you to halt the process when you find the taste to your liking. Also, if you’re checking in on your product every day or so, you can avoid potential mishaps (ask my husband about The Great Kombucha Fiasco of 2018).
Patience. Remember how I said to pay attention to your product? Well, oddly enough, you also need to not pay attention to it. Fermentation takes time— anywhere from a few hours to months. So give your product some time to develop in taste, texture, and quality. My advice? Start in on another fermentation experiment while you wait. There’s plenty of room in the kitchen— just ask my husband (or don’t).
What About Safety?
Let’s face it. Things don’t always go as planned. This is just as true with fermentation as with anything else. In a matter of hours, your product might develop a weird smell. Or it might get moldy. Don’t feel bad— it happens to all of us from time to time.
If you find yourself with an awkward-smelling or fuzzy food, my advice would be to throw it out. There’s some debate as to whether or not fermented foods are safe to eat once mold develops. But I side with the anti-molders, if only for the aesthetic considerations. You can’t pay me to eat blue cheese, so you definitely won’t find me munching moldy fermented pickles.
Just don’t beat yourself up if your delectable dish does turn into a pile of moldy mush overnight. I’ve been there. It’s part of the process. Sometimes your experiment will turn out perfectly, and sometimes, well, not so great. But don’t give up. Failure is a fantastic way to learn (ask Thomas Edison).
Conclusion
Right now, fermentation may be trendy. But for good reason. It’s a tried and true, ancient food preservation method of the past. But it’s also a tool of the future— and a delicious one at that.
Never before have we cared so much about our health. And with fermentation, we have all we need to add delicious, gut-healthy foods into our diet.
So what are you waiting for?
It’s time to start your own fermentation journey.
Your gut can thank me later.
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