Why Fermented Foods are Good for You

What is common to sauerkraut, kimchi, cultured beets, pickles, kombucha, miso, yogurt, tempeh and tamari? Yep, they are fermented. And yes, they are great for you. When I tell people about fermented foods, they get excited and tell me about all the pickles they buy at the store. Unfortunately, most store-bought pickles are not actually fermented.

Real Fermented vs Fake Fermented

Most pickled foods you find in the supermarket have been made using vinegar. The vinegar itself is a product of fermentation and helps preserve the food as well as give the food its special pickled taste. However, this kind of pickled food is either not fermented, or was fermented, but the vinegar killed the healthy bacteria we are seeking. Pickles can be fermented but only when using salt for the fermentation process. Check the ingredients, and skip those that contain vinegar.

Fermented foods are mostly created using salt, water and sometimes a starter that then allows the food to ferment and create its own healthy acidic liquid. Some fermentation requires sugar to feed the bacteria, but if you wait long enough, the sugar will be eaten by the bacteria. The liquid maintains the living enzymes in the food and creates B vitamins and various strains of probiotics. Fermentation also helps preserve the food and gives it its unique fermented flavor.

Nothing New

The fermentation craze started around 2400 BC with the Mesopotamians and slowly spread around the world. Now, you can find sauerkraut in Germany, kimchi in Korea, tempeh, natto, shoyu and miso in Japan, raw yogurts in Europe, fermented fish in northern Europe and China, and many more examples. Some even attribute Cleopatra’s beauty to her regular consumption of fermented cucumbers (real fermented pickles).

I love fermented foods as they taste like cooked food, are easier to digest, and yet are actually still raw. Many pickled foods you would find in a supermarket are heated to high temperatures in order to kill the enzymes in them because this prevents the food from going bad. However, those live enzymes are extremely beneficial; that is why it is healthy to eat some raw food with every meal. How much raw food you should eat, may vary according to the season and your body’s constitution.

This is the book that changed my eating life. A really useful book to learn all about your health

Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3rd Edition)

How to incorporate fermented foods into your diet

Some diets recommend you eat your food cooked for digestive purposes. Eating fermented foods allows you to enjoy the best of both worlds. You get raw food with living enzymes, while the fermentation process predigests the food. Good bacteria in fermented foods convert natural sugars and starches into lactic acid, saving your saliva and digestive acids some work.

Fermented foods are a great balance to acidic foods such as animal products and sugar. At first, they will help you balance these foods by alkalizing the body, and when you make a habit of eating them, they may actually help reduce your cravings for acidic foods as well!

The healthy bacteria in fermented foods enter your gut and help remove toxins and clean your digestive system. Once your digestion improves, you will absorb nutrients much better and be more effective at assimilating your vitamins and minerals. This means more antioxidants in your system, which also means a better immune system, a well-nurtured body, and a longer, healthier life in general.

There’s more!

The benefits of fermented foods, or cultured vegetables, is that they are ready to go into your guts and do some cleanup work. They will improve your digestion and offer you real, high quality, low-cost substitutes for probiotic capsules. One other benefit may be weightloss. Since you will crave and eat less sugar, your gut will be cleansed, your digestion will improve, and you will naturally lose unnecessary weight. And of course, if you have constipation, the wonderful bacteria will loosen you up!

Note that if you are new to fermented foods, you may actually experience increased intestinal gas when you begin to eat them, as your body is going through a cleansing mode and removing old toxins. Later, however, you will find that your digestion is much stronger and smoother.

My favorite book about fermentation. Easy and tasty recipes, and very clear instructions

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

12 Benefits of Fermented Foods

1. So delicious!
2. They offer natural probiotics.
3. They contain live enzymes.
4. The enzymes in fermented foods predigest your food.
5. They help control cravings.
6. Aid weight loss.
7. They help eliminate toxins.
8. They help release constipation.
9. Alkalizing the body (most of us are too acidic).
10. They strengthen your immune system.
11. Increase overall health and longevity.
12. They are a cost-effective alternative to probiotic supplements.

Sharing is Caring

If you like fermented foods, check out our Golden Glow Sauerkraut recipe from our cookbook. The Doron Yoga cookbook has 108 healthy and delicious recipes to help you change your life!

Please leave us a comment with any recipes and recommendations you may have. We would love to hear from you and learn some more! Share this article with a friend who struggles with digestion, see if it helps them!