Thinking about switching to a healthier diet? Then, why not change your diet and embrace the idea of food fermentation? Fermenting your food could very well be the next step in your culinary journey, a step worth taking as it turns out. Here are four reasons why this can be an incredibly good idea for you.
Boosts Your Immune System
Research shows that eating aged vegetables can boost the human immune system. Scientists have found that lactic acid bacteria contained in fermented foods have multiple anti-inflammatory effects, that’s good news for your overall health! Your body always needs to let in new microbes for its immune system to remain active. This is uncommon to most people but bacteria isn’t always bad. In this day and age when having a well-working immune system is more important than ever, it’s a great choice to eat healthily and choose a variety of foods that contribute to making your body tougher. With an active immune system, you’ll defeat the bad bacteria, viruses, and other nasty bugs way faster.
- Helps Digestion
Think of digestion as a team project. No organ or system can digest food all alone. You need the right bacteria that facilitate digestion. There’s a range of fermented food products available on the market, so you should consider choosing vegetables that help boost your biome. Good bacteria make your metabolism faster, allowing your body to quickly break down food and also absorb more nutrients. Fermented vegetables are very good for replenishing your gut bacteria, which can also be a huge boost for someone suffering from the side effects of antibiotics. Even though we sometimes need antibiotics to defeat infections, these medicines can destroy some of our gut bacteria. This means that after a treatment, you definitely need to replace lost gut microbes. Good bacteria also help your body produce vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, and Vitamin K.
- Increases Your Intake of Healthy Microbes
When it comes to the gut biome, diversity matters. Professor Tim Specter of King’s College, London, recommends that people eat fermented foods which house many different types of bacteria. A great example of this fermented food is kimchi, a Korean vegetable side dish made from a base of napa cabbage, radish, scallions, and different spices. Kimchi’s many different ingredients act sort of like fertilizers, allowing your gut bacteria to grow faster. This way, your digestion will also be improved and your body will get the good bacteria it needs to really thrive.
- Wild Fermented Products Promote Diverse Intestinal Ecology
Many companies unfortunately don’t go that extra mile when it comes to making fermented foods. Thankfully in Australia, the Certified Organic logo is a guarantee that your food really is sustainable and organically produced according to the highest standards. When choosing fermented foods, it’s best to look for products that have gone through wild fermentation. The method of wild fermentation means recreating natural conditions and letting vegetables grow as they would in nature, without additives or any other artificial means. The wild fermentation process is about reintroducing diversity into your intestinal ecology.
By choosing fermented vegetables, you’re doing your body a big favor. Not only does the consumption of fermented vegetables boost your digestion, but your immune system will also be stronger and more resilient. Fermented vegetables are definitely the way to go if you’re looking to improve your health and diet.
