What is the definition of fermentation?

It seems that Hippocrates was a man who knew what it meant to be healthy. When one begins to talk about general nutrition or tries to establish a starting point for a journey back to better digestive health, one can usually look back at what the father of holistic medicine said many centuries ago.

Eating fermented (or probiotic-rich) foods is a timeless approach and a much better solution than taking the current medical industry approach of taking probiotic pills and supplements. Hippocrates believed that if you have digestive problems, it is a contributing factor or the main factor of most chronic and degenerative diseases. And ultimately, his first line of defense against disruptive factors in his intestines can be found naturally in food or water.

So what exactly are fermented foods? Fermentation occurs through a lactofermentation process in which natural yeasts feed on the sugars and starches in food, creating lactic acid. This process of breaking down sugars actually preserves food and produces beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics that are important to our overall health.

The natural fermentation of food has also been shown to preserve the nutrients in the food and break it down into a more digestible form. This, along with the large amount of probiotics created during the fermentation process, could explain the link between consuming fermented foods and reduced digestive problems.

Traditional fermented foods have beneficial lactic acid bacteria, which are the friendly organisms responsible for the fermentation process in the first place. When you think of sour milk, it’s because of this lactic acid bacteria.

What are some of the benefits of incorporating fermented foods and beverages into your diet?

According to some research, a serving of fermented vegetables has 100 times more beneficial bacteria than an entire bottle of a high-potency probiotic product.

1. They provide a greater variety and complexity of beneficial bacteria than probiotic supplements.

2. Cultured vegetables “pre-digest” sugars and starches, which helps support overall digestive function. This is called being more bioavailable to our body.

3. The fermentation process is alkaline due to its abundance of vitamins and minerals.

4. The lactic acid produced during fermentation helps you digest other foods that are eaten at the same time as cultured foods, especially important for digesting protein and starchy foods.

5. If you have a sugar addiction or want to stop sugar cravings, many people report that eating locally grown vegetables on a regular basis can help you regain control over these cravings.

So what’s the best way to start incorporating more fermented foods into your diet? Is there a step by step process? Each person has different bacterial balances in their body, so there is no hard and fast rule. However, I can give you some ideas and suggestions on how to get started.

• When you start adding traditional fermented foods to your meals, the key is to eat a small portion of them regularly. Best is once or twice a day with meals.

• If you want to get your health’s worth from probiotic foods, keep in mind that there are big differences between healthy fermented foods and the ones you typically see in the grocery store. As an example, store-bought sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) is in fact nutritionally worthless because it has been pasteurized, which kills any live cultures in the food. Similarly, cheeses and milks are pasteurized, so they have little to no live cultures.

• Start a diet of eating fermented foods. Fermentation (or the creation of an anaerobic environment) often takes place in low-oxygen environments like our gut and is not found in supplements. Examples of fermented foods you can find are non-bleached Greek olives or head to local Asian markets and look for traditional or cultured foods like natto, miso and kimchi. As a tip, in general, the stronger the flavor (excluding jalapeno and hot peppers), the more likely the food still has active and beneficial lactobacteria.

• Increase the prebiotic content in your diet by eating more soluble fiber and resistant starch. These are the foods your gut flora thrives on, the kind of fiber you really want, not the physically abrasive insoluble kind you’ll find marketed on breakfast cereal boxes, but it does very little besides bulking up your stool .

The bottom line is that you just have to go out and try a variety of organic fermented vegetables and fruits – the possibilities are endless, and as more and more consumers become aware of these powerhouses that can be a part of every healthy dinner, ideas or a healthy diet.