What Are the Benefits of Fermented Foods?
Key takeaways:
Fermented foods contain live microorganisms like bacteria or yeast. Examples of fermented foods include yogurt, pickled vegetables, and tofu.
Fermented foods provide probiotics that keep your gut microbiome healthy. The process of fermentation also creates new and nutritious compounds that benefit your health.
The benefits of fermented foods include improving digestion and lowering cholesterol levels. Fermented foods can also help lower your risk of long-term conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
A healthy gut is a critical part of a healthy mind and body. The bacteria in your gut — known as the “gut microbiome” — can affect everything from your digestion, to your immune system and your mood. And a balanced diet, full of gut-healthy foods, is key to creating a healthy microbiome. Fermented foods can be particularly helpful in giving your gut health a boost.
What are fermented foods?
Fermented foods are foods that have gone through the process of fermentation. This process uses live microbes to help break down and change the food components. For example, live microbes can break down sugar and turn it into gasses, alcohol, or acid.
The process of fermentation adds new compounds and nutrients to the foods that are beneficial to your body. Consuming fermented foods can also deliver live microbes to your gut, which includes probiotics.
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It might sound weird to think you’re eating live bacteria. But these organisms are present in things we eat and drink all the time. And fermented foods have been around for a long time. Beer is an example of a fermented beverage. It is fermented using yeast, which gives it both the alcohol content and a sour taste. Pickles are also a common fermented food.
You can find many different types of fermented foods across different cultures. Examples of fermented foods include:
Dairy foods like yogurt, kefir, and cultured buttermilk
Fermented vegetables like pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut
Soy products like tempeh, tofu, and miso
How are fermented foods good for gut health?
The process of fermentation uses live microbes such as yeast or bacteria to alter the contents of the food. Fermentation can change the taste and nutrients of a food and act as a probiotic for the gut. These live bacteria and yeast interact with your existing gut microbiome, helping you digest your food and regulate your appetite.
Fermented foods can also help lower inflammation in the digestive system. So they may help treat symptoms of a gut-based disease called inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is caused by excessive inflammation in the gut.
Eating fermented foods might also improve gut health in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some studies have shown that eating fermented vegetables can help people with IBS feel better.
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Are there any other benefits of fermented foods?
Fermented foods may help lower inflammation throughout the body. And researchers are starting to learn how this can provide health benefits that extend beyond the gut. There’s evidence to show it can lower your risk for the following long-term conditions.
High cholesterol
Cholesterol levels in the blood are markers of overall health. High levels of bad cholesterol — like high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides — can lead to increased risk for strokes and heart attacks. Research suggests that fermented foods — like kimchi and dairy products — can help lower levels of cholesterol.
Heart disease and stroke
Eating fermented foods has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This includes reduced strokes and heart attacks. And this is not just because it helps lower cholesterol. Regularly eating fermented foods can help lower blood pressure, which plays a big role in heart and blood vessel health.
Type 2 diabetes
Fermented foods may help insulin do its job. Insulin is the hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar. And Type 2 diabetes can happen when insulin stops working as well as it used to. But fermented foods help improve glucose metabolism, even before the development of diabetes. There is research to show that people who eat a lot of fermented foods have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Weight
Eating fermented foods as part of a well-rounded and nutritious diet has been shown to:
Help regulate appetite
Regulate lipid metabolism
Help in the production of short-chain fatty acids which supports metabolism
Promoting adipocyte conversion
For people with increased body fat, these factors may be beneficial for your overall health.
Who should not eat fermented foods?
Most people can eat fermented foods without any issues. Occasionally fermented foods can cause gas or abdominal pain. So, consider avoiding fermented foods if you frequently experience abdominal bloating, discomfort, or gas.
It’s also important to remember that fermented foods contain live bacteria. So it is best to avoid fermented foods if you have a compromised immune system. Or if you take medications that suppress your immune system.
Children, as well as those who are pregnant and/or nursing, should avoid all fermented foods to be safe. This is because they may contain small amounts of alcohol. If you have any questions about whether fermented foods are safe for you, ask a healthcare professional who knows your medical history.
The bottom line
Fermented foods are found in many different diets and styles of cooking. Common fermented foods include kimchi, pickles, and yogurt. Fermented foods help provide probiotics to your gut and improve gut health. And their health benefits extend beyond the gut. Fermented foods may play a role in improving your heart health and blood sugar. So the next time you reach for a snack or plan a meal, consider trying out some fermented food choices. You can enjoy the extra flavor, while giving your body an extra health-boosting ingredient.
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References
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Hills, R. D., Jr., et al. (2019). Gut microbiome: Profound implications for diet and disease. Nutrients.
Kanai, T., et al. (2014). Diet, microbiota, and inflammatory bowel disease: Lessons from Japanese foods.
Marco, M. L., et al. (2021). The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
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Snyder, A. B., et al. (2018). Risk mitigation for immunocompromised consumers of mucormycete spoiled and fermented foods: Germane guidance and remaining needs. Microorganisms.
Song, E., et al. (2023). Effects of kimchi on human health: A scoping review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Ethnic Foods.
St-Onge, M., et al. (2000). Consumption of fermented and nonfermented dairy products: Effects on cholesterol concentrations and metabolism. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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