Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

Fermentation is an ancient form of food preservation, literally dating back several thousands of years in a variety of human cultures.  It is caused by bacteria that create lactic acid via lacto-fermentation.  (In Japan, this is known as Umami, or the fifth taste - tangy, tingly, and sour.)

In a study conducted at the University of Leipzig, Germany, it discovered receptor cells that recognize the bacteria in fermented foods and respond by bolstering the human immune system.  Investigators theorize that it might have developed as a form of evolutionary protection.  It would allow our ancestors to eat food lying on the ground that might have begun to decay.

In a separate study released by Humboldt University in Berlin, they found a positive correlation between the consumption of fermented foods and a decrease in COVID-19 deaths. One gram of a ferment each day results in a 39% reduction in COVID-19 deaths.

Even today, approximately 45% of the food consumed around the globe is fermented food.  This has broad implications for disease control.  In a vetted European research study, over 160 factors were studied in COVID deaths and only fermentation stood out as a departure.   To give a statistic, the death rate for COVID in South Korea is 103 per million where they eat fermented foods with all three meals daily; in the United States it is 3500 per million where we rarely eat fermented vegetables.

Fermentation also produces several key enzymes and B vitamins.  For example, fermentation causes a 580% increase in thiamine and a 950% increase in niacin.  B vitamins are key to cardiovascular health and many Americans today consume far less than the body needs.

Mental health improvements from eating fermented foods are due to the increase in "good" gut bacteria, which is driven by the lacto-bacteria. The gut, when populated by beneficial bacteria, produces more serotonin than the brain can.   Serotonin is a key enzyme that helps to control mood and outlook.

Fermented foods are safe.  The lacto-bacteria in fermented foods are potent and beneficial.  For example, in food contaminated with the e-coli bacteria (a cause of many food poisoning outbreaks), the lacto-fermentation process will kill the e-coli, rendering the food safe to eat.  German scientists successfully used sauerkraut (lacto-fermentation) to treat outbreaks of typhoid fever in the 1950s.  More recently, scientists have shown that lacto-bacteria can potentially treat "super bugs," a significant modern-day medical threat.

One of the most exciting health implications of fermented foods is for Type 2 Diabetes.  The bacterial content of intestines differs markedly when comparing Type II diabetics to non-diabetic gut populations.  This has several implications.  Lactic acid and acetic acid help block the absorption of carbohydrates from rapidly converting to blood sugar, helping eliminate spikes.

Fermented foods help the digestive process by stimulating acetylcholine receptors which are neurotransmitters that help movement of the bowel, reducing constipation.  It also improves the release of digestive juices and enzymes from the stomach, pancreas, and gallbladder.  Thus, fermented foods are potent digestive aids.  It, therefore, follows naturally that fermented foods have a big impact on acid reflux.  This is a critical health issue in the United States now, with sixty million cases annually, or one in five people.  It has long-term health implications on a variety of concerns, including asthma. 

Ironically, it is reported that acid reflux is caused by levels of stomach acid that are too low, allowing partially digested food and pathogens into the small intestines which leads to undesirable chemical processes that generate gases.  These force the stomach acid past the valve at the top of the stomach up into the esophagus.  Antacids neutralize the acid that has escaped, providing some relief but do not solve the underlying problem. 

Normally the high acidity of the stomach kills harmful bacteria and pathogens in the area surrounding the surfaces of the food that we eat.  When acidity in the stomach falls, harmful bacteria survives and leads to bad outcomes. These bacteria enter the intestine where they produce methane and hydrogen which forces the lower esophageal valve to open and acid to flow back up into the esophagus. Low stomach acid interferes with the triggering mechanism of the valve. These bacteria interfere with proper digestion which provides more time for the gas production to continue. Lacto-fermented foods contain bacteria that fight bad bacteria that instigate acid reflux disease.

In general, the lacto-fermentation process assists in controlling inflammation and augmenting the immune system, including helping suppress polyps relating to colon cancer, and even augmenting the immune system for HIV patients.

Fermented foods are "living" foods: an ancient process to fight modern-day food problems. The optimum way to maximize the health benefits is to consume small amounts of live-fermented foods with at least one meal a day, every day.

In summary, fermented vegetables such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and fermented soy products are a source of natural anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. These products should be considered functional foods as they provide both nutritional and therapeutic effects against various inflammatory chronic disorders.

Bon AppetÍt