Fermented Foods???

I know.  Until recently, I hardly thought of them at all. But then I started hearing about how much money people pay regularly for bottled, manufactured pro-biotics, and wondered.  And I've been drinking kombucha for a few years, which I knew was a natural probiotic, and as such, was known for it's helpfulness in keeping positive flora in the intestine, so that digestion goes smoothly, and digestive issues such as IBS, gassiness, bloating, and other such things, are minimized, if not eliminated. I began to wonder how much we really need to be spending on bottled, prepared probiotics, and how much better we might do by getting them more naturally. So, now, I am in the process of doing some research about fermented foods, in preparation for a talk that I am giving in Clover's, our favorite Columbia, Missouri Health Food Store ,later this week. For more information about that event, click here.

In a nutshell, fermentation is one of the most ancient methods of food preservation. It involves breaking down foods by using living microorganisms, such as enzymes.  Fermented foods are rich in friendly bacteria which convert starches and sugars into lactic acid and acetic acid. 

 

Fermented foods also aid in the colonization of other beneficial bacteria that inhibit the overgrowth of unfriendly microorganisms, such as candida.   They are easy to digest and bring a rich supply of enzymes into the body.  The are a superb food for the elderly. That's another story --- about why some elderly people no longer have the stomach and intestine enzymes they need. Maybe we'll talk about that another day.

Miso, tamari, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, kim chee, yogurt, Rejuvelac, kombucha, and kefir are all fermented products, and there are many others. All are incrediblly beneficial to the digestive system, and should be eaten often, young or old.  And the best way to get them is to prepare them yourself.  I do buy apple cider vinegar, but make sure that it is raw, so that those precious enzymes are still in tact.

 

So, read up on the subject, or come to Clover's on Thursday for the Fermented Foods--Nature's Best Probiotic discussion.