Fermented foods may spark debates regarding their impact on the digestive system, yet they offer significant benefits.
Surprising Benefits of Fermented Foods
In Vietnam, people are familiar with fermented foods like pickled mustard greens and salted eggplant. Globally, dishes such as napa cabbage kimchi and radish kimchi (Korea), natto and miso (Japan), pickled cucumbers, and olives are also well-known.
These foods are produced using various bacteria, yeasts, or other probiotic organisms to break down sugars, facilitating the fermentation process.
Fermented foods provide numerous health benefits. (Photo: little_plant).
Sarah Anzlovar, a nutrition expert at Sarah Gold Nutrition (Massachusetts, USA), states: “Fermentation was primarily used for food preservation. However, it has now become a method of food preparation to create specific flavors and enhance health.”
For example, olives are too bitter to eat fresh due to a compound called oleuropein. Therefore, they are often fermented to convert oleuropein into a non-bitter product, making them more palatable for consumers.
Health Benefits of Fermented Foods
Probiotic Boost
One of the top benefits of kimchi and other fermented foods (like pickled cabbage and pickles) is their high probiotic content. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria or yeasts that support and restore balance in the gut. They stimulate digestive function and bolster the body’s immune system.
Gut Health Improvement
Fermented foods are high in probiotics and beneficial bacteria that help support digestion and address gut issues. Many individuals with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Crohn’s disease (a form of inflammatory bowel disease), digestive disorders, and related conditions can improve their situation by regularly consuming fermented products like yogurt and kefir. If you often experience constipation, consider adding fermented foods to your diet.
Fermented foods are good for gut health. (Photo: healingenergiesinc.com).
Addition of Live Enzymes
Enzymes are essential proteins in the body that support chemical and biological reactions. Fermented foods like kimchi are extremely rich in enzymes, which help enhance digestion, making you feel less uncomfortable and bloated after meals.
Brain Enhancement
The gut and brain are closely linked; therefore, having a healthy stomach and efficient digestive system will help you maintain mental clarity and improve your focus.
Inflammation Reduction
Consuming a lot of processed foods or unhealthy meals can lead to inflammatory symptoms, often in the gut. Adding fermented foods can help minimize inflammation, improving your overall health.
Immune System Support
Gut function is linked to immune capabilities and the body’s defense against diseases. Fermented foods rich in healthy probiotics and beneficial compounds can help you ward off illnesses. If your immune system is weak, or you frequently get sick with changes in weather or environment, try incorporating fermented foods like kimchi, kefir, yogurt, and pickled vegetables into your diet, and you will notice a change in your body.
Body Balance
Fermented foods help balance the ratio of good bacteria to harmful bacteria in the body, making you healthier and more balanced. Whether you are vegetarian or following any weight-loss diet, fermented foods are genuinely a healthy addition to your diet.
Incorporating Fermented Foods into Daily Diet
Anzlovar recommends diversifying the types of fermented foods in one’s diet. The reason is that each type of food can provide different strains of beneficial bacteria.
Another note is to consume fermented foods in their unprocessed form. According to the expert, high cooking temperatures can kill many probiotic strains.
People should diversify their fermented food intake for optimal health benefits. (Illustrative image: Women’s Health).
However, consuming fermented foods still carries some risks, especially for those who are new to or rarely include them in their diets.
“In some unfamiliar cases, eating various fermented foods simultaneously may cause mild stomach discomfort, leading to symptoms like bloating,” says Kelsey Kunik, a nutrition expert and consultant for Zenmaster Wellness (USA).
To avoid this situation, the expert recommends gradually introducing fermented foods into the diet in small amounts.
On the other hand, Kunik notes that, in theory, fermented foods are safe. However, this food group, due to not undergoing pasteurization to preserve beneficial bacteria, can create opportunities for harmful bacteria to thrive.
The expert shares: “Although rare, outbreaks of Salmonella and E. Coli have originated from fermented foods in the past.”
