Fermentation!
Yummy! I love fermented foods. I love to add them to my salad, as side and sip on fermented tea. Starting to play around making my one fermented foods was a game changer! Mixing different veggies to make varying flavours of sauerkraut or kimchi; in season fruits to flavour home brew kombucha is fun!
What is fermentation?
Fermentation has been used around the world for centuries. Foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir and yogurt are scratching the surface of examples. It has been used as a method to preserve foods. More recently they have become popular due to the health benefits. Microorganisms like yeast, bacteria and mould are all around us Fermentation occurs when we put them into an environment where they thrive and grow. The process of fermentation of we love to eat like sauerkraut is when the microorganisms transform into lactic acid; a process called lactic acid fermentation. This process creates a highly nutritious, probiotic-rich food that is fantastic for our digestion and immune system (1).
There are three types of fermentation:
Lactic Acid Fermentation: is the battle of good vs. bad organisms the lie on and in the foods that you are fermenting. The salt brine kills off that bad and allows the good (lactobacillus). The lactobacillus coverts the sugars in fruits and veggies into lactic acid. Lactic acid is a natural preservative; fights bad bacteria and preserves not only the flavour but texture of food and nutrients. Some strains of Lactobacillus bacteria supports digestion and immunity (2). Foods such as fermented vegetables, sauerkraut and yogurt are all examples of lactic acid fermentation.
Alcoholic Fermentation: uses yeast, fungi and bacteria to convert sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process is typically used to make alcoholic beverages (3).
Acetic Acid Fermentation: is sugars from alcohol are fermented with acetobacter bacteria, producing vinegar.
What are the health benefits of fermented foods?
Eating fermented foods are a great way to reintroduce good bacteria to our gut. They are a powerful food source of probiotics. They help to support our health by improving digestion, immunity, weight management by supporting metabolism, get rid of anti-nutrients, support the brain (gut-brain axis) and improve skin/complexion.
Some of my most favourite fermented foods are
Sauerkraut
Kombuchas
Ginger carrots
“pickles”
Onions
coconut yogurt
Fermented nut cheeses
While it is fun making your own I realise that this isn’t for everyone. If you are shopping for fermented foods ensure that you are purchasing them from the refrigerated section. Be sure to check the ingredients - they should consist only of the vegetable, salt and water. If you are interest in learning how to make your own we do have classes come up from time to time. Check out the Classes section to see if one is happening anytime soon.
While it is great to include these health building foods at each meal. If this is not the norm for you or you got out of the habit remember to introduce these powerful foods slowly.
Resources
(1) Parvez, S., K.a. Malik, S. Ah Kang, and H.-Y. Kim. “Probiotics and Their Fermented Food Products Are Beneficial for Health.” J Appl Microbiol Journal of Applied Microbiology 100.6 (2006): 1171-185. Web. 6 Oct. 2016.
(2) Di Cerbo A, Palmieri B, Aponte M, Morales-Medina JC, Iannitti T. Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of lactobacilli. J Clin Pathol. 2016;69(3):187-203.
(3) Alcoholic fermentation. Alcoholic Fermentation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/alcoholic-fermentation
Curious of Other Great Fermentation Resources
5 Fermented Foods we Can’t Live Without
Improve Your Digestions with these 7 Fermented Foods
