Benefits Of Eating Fermented Foods

Eating fermented foods may sound disgusting, but these foods can save your life and make you healthier. The human body needs the bacteria that lurks inside fermented foods, in order to function properly, such as the gut or the digestive system.
Fermented foods go through a process called lacto-fermentation. Read more about lacto-fermentation here. In this process, the natural bacteria feed on the starches and sugars, and aids in creating a substance known as lactic acid. During this process, the food is preserved, and B vitamins, enzymes, strains of pro-biotics and Omega 3 fatty acids are created.

Fermented Foods Linked to Healthy Digestive System

Yogurt tastes great, but many people are not aware of its full health properties. Yogurt is one of the fermented foods doctors recommend for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and for the prevention of ulcers. There are many kinds of yogurt on the market. So it is important to choose the yogurt with “active cultures.” The label should say L. acidophilus, or streptoccus thermophils.
Cottage Cheese is actually fermented cheese, and has lesser bacteria benefits. However, it does provide an essential amount of calcium and protein. Whey is considered the residue that is left over after the cream and curds are removed from clabbered milk. Whey is used in protein drinks and shakes, soups, steamed vegetables and in blended fruit drinks. Kefir is another food that contains a host of healthy bacteria. Kefir actually resembles clumps of cooked rice. It is added to milk to produce an excellent fermented milk based product. Find out more about the benefits of kefir here.

Non-Dairy & Other Benefits of Fermented Foods

Everyone cannot tolerate milk or milk products. There are more than a dozen non-dairy fermented foods that can restore balance to the bowels and help create a healthy digestive system.

Fermented foods aid in improving great benefits to people with diabetes. Some pathogenic bacteria like typhoid cholera are sensitive to most acidic environments. As early as 1950, sauerkraut was used as an effective treatment method for treating typhoid fever. Even the bacteria found in sourdough bread are found to kill microbes, which are resistant to antibiotics. Fermented foods need not be feared or tossed out, they have been proven  to be highly effective for good gut health.