Fermented foods and why you need them
Fermented foods may not be on most people’s radars. Although they are readily available, most people ignore them. They may seem daunting because they have strong smells or tastes, but they are packed with nutrients and probiotics that can promote a healthy digestive system.
Your gut is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by approximately 10 to 1. The goal is to create a balance of good and bad bacteria for a healthy body. Good bacteria help improve digestion and can even boost immunity. So how do you promote the growth of good bacteria? While there are a few different answers, an easy way to do this is by eating foods full of probiotics, which are abundant in fermented foods.
What are fermented foods?
They have been around for many years. Romans ate sauerkraut, Indians continue to drink lassi (a fermented yogurt drink), Bulgarians are known to eat kefir, and various Asian cultures eat kimchi or other fermented vegetables. These foods go through a process of lactofermentation, which means that the bacteria feed on sugars and starches in the food. This creates beneficial enzymes, omega-3 fatty acids, and probiotics.
List of the top 7 fermented foods you should eat:
Tempeh
Miso
Sauerkraut
Yoghurt
Kefir
Kombucha
kimchi
Why you should eat them:
Better food absorption: If you have the right balance of good and bad gut bacteria, you can better absorb nutrients from the food you eat. Just because you eat fermented foods doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. It means that if you eat healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, your body will better absorb the nutrients in those foods.
Optimize your immune system: A healthy gut creates a strong immune system because about 80% of your immune system is in your gut. Probiotics help make antibodies to fight pathogens (scientific words for fighting germs). A healthy digestive system is ideal for maintaining optimal health.
Help you detoxify: The last thing you want in your body is accumulated toxins. That is why we always recommend cleansing the body to restart your system. Because fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria, eating them can help your body naturally flush out toxins and even heavy metals.
Cost effectiveness: Why is it profitable to eat these foods? To get probiotics, most people take probiotic supplements. Fermented foods actually have 100 times more probiotics than supplements. So put on your kimchi or kombucha.
Essential nutrients: As you may already know, these foods are excellent sources of probiotics. They are also rich in nutrients like vitamin K2, which helps prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. B vitamins are also abundant in fermented foods.
Don’t be afraid to try new foods, especially fermented ones. Not only do they taste great, but they’re great for your health.