It's Alive
Heal Your Gut With Fermented Foods
Fermentation is back
Fermented foods are traditional foods. They’ve been with us for thousands of years. As food processing methods changed, we turned away from them. Now, many of us struggle to digest our food properly & are unable to efficiently ferment & break down certain foods, particularly high-fibre ones.
Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Maybe not all disease begins there, but at least 90% of it does. Our digestive system is crying out for the diverse range of bacterial species that our ancestors had in their gut. Fermented foods can help provide these.
Why has a lot of our good gut bacteria vanished?
The increase in consumption of pasteurised foods, chlorinated water & antibiotic medications combined with too much sugar, alcohol, salt & processed foods have all led to an imbalance of good & bad bacteria.
The gut bacteria of people in developed countries are different from those of people in traditional & developing societies. Studies show that the gut health of immigrants arriving in America from Asia deteriorates within months of moving.
How can we replenish our gut?
Scientists are discovering that fermented foods have an intriguing effect on the gut. They are rich in natural probiotics i.e. live cultures of beneficial bacteria. When you eat these foods, you’re introducing numerous strains of beneficial bacteria into your digestive system. These bacteria then take up temporary residence in your intestines where they produce vitamins, strengthen the immune system & help crowd out disease-promoting bacteria.
When we ferment food it is easier to digest. For example, the fermentation process in sourdough bread makes gluten easier for our digestive system to absorb. Similarly, some people can tolerate yogurt but do not feel well after drinking milk.
The good bacteria present in fermented food help reduce symptoms associated with leaky gut syndrome, including bloating, abdominal pain, stool changes, fatigue, & brain fog. They do this by producing short-chain fatty acids that maintain the integrity of the cells lining the digestive tract.
If you change the gut bacteria, you can change the progression & the severity of some diseases. Many health ailments have been linked to poor bacteria in the intestines such as allergies, eczema, IBS, constipation, lactose intolerance, asthma & a range of other health problems.
Proof that fermented foods improve health
Research by Dr. Sonnenburg at Stanford University has given us new insight into the effects of eating fermented foods. The findings also produced some surprises on how a high-fibre diet is impacted by the absence of gut bacteria.
The research team split the participants into 2 groups for the 10-week study. They gave one group increasing amounts of fermented foods. The other group ate a diet rich in fibre e.g. fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, etc.
The research team found that the more fermented foods people ate, the greater the number of bacterial species that bloomed in their guts. At the end of the study, the fermented group showed marked reductions in 19 inflammatory markers. These markers are the ones associated with chronic disease.
The results for the people on the high-fibre diet were unexpected. Some of the participants that had a diverse range of bacteria to start with, showed improvements in health i.e. reduced inflammation. The other group didn’t. The take from this is that a high-fibre diet must have sufficient good bacteria for the best health outcome.
Where do you get these good bacteria?
It may seem like an easy solution to take probiotic supplements to restore the balance of gut bacteria. However, it can be difficult for these supplements to reach the gut, as they can often get swallowed up by stomach acid. Furthermore, they may actually do harm as explained in a recent article in The Washington Times.
Not all fermented foods are created equal. By this, I mean not all fermented foods contain live microorganisms. Originally, foods were fermented to preserve them but now we eat them because of their wonderful flavour & health benefits. Think of rich dairy live Greek yogurt, kefir, cheddar and Stilton cheeses, tangy sauerkraut, spicy kimchi, and drinks like kombucha.
When you eat sauerkraut or kimchi, you also eat the lactic acid bacteria, which make themselves at home in your colon and help you to digest food. In fact, fermented veggies lower gut inflammation because they supply beneficial bacteria that have a soothing effect on the gut.
The best place to find these products is in the refrigerated section of your store. They need cool temperatures to keep the active cultures alive. Fermented foods will say they are fermented! They often have a label that says ‘contains live cultures’. Fermented foods are not pasteurised or canned, as both processes kill the bacteria.
Pickled food is not the same as fermented food. Pickled foods are brined, not fermented, so pickled foods will not give you the probiotic benefit of fermented foods. The sour in sauerkraut (sour cabbage) comes from fermentation, not vinegar.
Make your own fermented foods
Fermented foods can come under the heading of artisan foods. If you want to save money & be sure of getting a good product, make your own. The best ones to start with are sauerkraut & fermented veg. Kefir is very easy to make & provides an endless supply of fermented milk.
Recipe #1 ~ Fermented Carrots with Dill & Garlic
Almost any veggie or fruit can be fermented e.g. cabbage, carrots, radishes & cucumbers. If you like pickles, you’ll love these fermented carrots. They give you a healthy dose of gut-friendly probiotics.
Ingredients
500g/1 lb. carrots, cut into sticks of similar size, enough to tightly pack the jar.
1 litre jar, with lid
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh or 1 tsp dried dill (or other herbs such as thyme, rosemary or sage)
1½ tsps salt
Water (non-chlorinated)
Method
Place the garlic, dill & salt into a litre size jar.
Pack the carrot sticks into the jar as tightly as you can.
Fill the jar to within 2cm of the top with water, screw on the lid tightly & shake gently to mix.
Allow the jar to sit at room temperature.
Check after 3 days. If you are not happy with taste & texture, leave for longer.
Store in the fridge for 3-4 months.
Notes
Keeping the vegetables below the salted water creates an anaerobic environment that lactic acid bacteria love. This also means that potentially harmful bacteria, many of which need air to survive, essentially get crowded out and thus preserve the vegetables rather than allowing them to simply rot.
Non-chlorinated water is best as the chlorine in tap water is likely to kill off the bacteria that is naturally present.
Recipe #2 ~ Sauerkraut
If you want the best bacteria, you can’t go past fermented cabbage products such as sauerkraut or kimchi. This is because bacteria hiding in the folds of cabbage leaves convert natural sugars to lactic acid. Cabbage-based fermented foods are known to be high in Lactobacillus plantarum, which is a superstar of good bacteria. Sauerkraut is a European style of fermented cabbage. Kimchi is the Asian version one & has many more ingredients.
Ingredients
500g/1 lb red cabbage
1½ tsps salt
Water (non-chlorinated)
Method
Weigh the cabbage.
Peel off the other layers & save one or two for later.
Shred or chop the cabbage into a large bowl.
Add 1½ tsps of salt per 500g/lb of cabbage.
Massage the cabbage & salt for 10-15 minutes until it starts to release liquid.
Take clumps of the cabbage & pack it into the jar until close to the top.
Pour the leftover liquid into the jar. Top it up with a lightly salted water solution, if needed.
Take the cabbage leaf you saved earlier & place it on top of the cabbage in the jar.
Close the jar & allow the cabbage to ferment.
Check in on it every other day or so, until there are no more bubbles are visible (usually about 7 -10 days).
Recipe #3 ~ Kefir
Kefir is traditionally a fermented milk drink, similar to yogurt. Milk is fermented by clusters of bacteria (called ‘grains’) for about 24 hours. The bacteria digest the lactose and the resulting liquid is slightly sour and fizzy to taste and virtually lactose-free. More than 20 strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast have been identified from milk kefir.
Ingredients
You need a starter kit with the kefir grains, or you need a friend who can give you some of theirs.
1 litre milk
Jar
Jug
Plastic sieve
Method
Put the kefir grains in a jar.
Add enough milk to fill the jar 2cm from the top.
Cover the jar with either a few layers of paper towels or a few paper coffee filters. Secure with a rubber band to prevent any bugs or dust from getting in.
Leave on a worktop for 18-24 hours to ferment.
When the milk is thickened & turned into kefir it is time to pass it through a sieve to save the grains & start again.
Notes
You can reuse the kefir grains indefinitely but if you need a break, pop the kefir grains into the freezer. You can also put the grains into some fresh milk & store them in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer
This blog is for informational purposes only & should not be construed as medical advice. If you have any questions about your own nutrition plan, please consult your doctor.