When last did you hear someone say that they would just love a bowl of natto right now? That stringy soya beans with the smell of rotten shoes. This could be natto, sauerkraut, or any other fermented foods. However, what is so super special back these type of foods, and why is it that we should be eating it?
Simply put, fermented foods are necessary for a healthy gut. More so a healthy gut means, a healthy you.
The problem is that we are so used to a Western style diet, filled with processed foods, which are a mere half of the nutritional value of the original raw foods. Fine, it would be better to remove all the processed foods out of our diets and just eat raw vegetable, but there is still a benefit of eating those smelly fermented foods.
The main reason why these fermented foods are super great for us, are since they contain healthy bacteria. Interesting enough, this is nothing new. The Ancient Greek, the Romans and the Japanese knew that eating food that was fermented in acid prevented where good at treating intestinal infections for instance. It is know now again, since people clicked that the processed foods were damaging our guts by creating an unbalance in the bacteria there in. But the damage can be undone by adding probiotics to our diets, and that is what fermented foods really are.
Fine, you could opt for the probiotic supplement route, but eating fermented foods are not only cheaper, but you will get the added benefit of consuming fiber and good digestion.
When food is fermented, it is exposed to lactic-acid producing bacteria. These bacteria will help to produce more acidic environment in your gut, which helps with the production of good enzymes and good digestion. In the end, you will have a health digestive tract free from some illnesses.
Some of the signs of an unhealthy digestive tract
Constipation
When you are struggling to digest some types of foods, then you might not have enough acetylcholine in your bloodstream. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps by sending out messages to the nerve impulses. These can rise the movement and responsiveness of the gut that helps in digestion and relieves constipation. By eating fermented foods, you are able to get acetylcholine in as it is naturally produced in the fermenting process.
Diabetes
The good bacteria that is found in fermented foods can rise pancreatic function. More so, since the organic matter that sits in the lactic acid is somewhat already digested, there is less strain on the pancreas. This is something no other foods can do.
Weakened immune system
Adding fermented food can help to boost your immune system. That is since if you get ill regularly then your bacteria in your gut might be unbalanced. But fermented foods contain good bacteria that can destroy the bad bacteria which then will keep you healthy.
Some fermented foods to add to your diet
The benefits of fermented foods have been discussed, but know you need to add these to your diet. Oddly, most of them can be rather cheap and some you can do at home yourself.
Here are some ideas for you:
You can use any sort of vegetables to make pickled vegetables. Just add some whey protein, sea salt, dill, and garlic for taste. Try not to use vinegar, but to get the full probiotic potential of your fermented vegetables leave it out. Instead, rely on the bacteria on the surface of their skin to do the work for you.
The German standard, sauerkraut is easily made with sliced cabbage, salt, and caraway seeds. In addition, it is easy.
Alternatively, you can opt for kimchi, which is a type of kraut that is deliciously spicy. Relying on lacto-fermentation and a whole lot of chili, kimchi is the perfect way to dress up traditional kraut.
Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink and a great way to get your probiotics in. You can ferment milk and juices if you like.
Then there is also fermented cranberry sauce. This is another way to get your probiotics in with your dinner.
The last word
There are many benefits of adding fermented foods to your diet. This can range from boosting your immune system to having a healthy gut. More so, fermented foods can be cheaper than buying probiotics from the drug store. Moreover, they are a natural way to get the goodness in can most you can even make at home.
