Fermented Foods:
What Are Fermented Foods?
Fermentation is a chemical process by which sugars are converted to alcohols and carbon dioxide. Food products are typically fermented using bacteria or yeast. Fermentation has been used by many cultures for many centuries, perhaps most notably to make alcoholic drinks such as beer. Fermentation is also important for making bread and cheese. Some foods such as cured meats and pickled vegetables can also be preserved through fermentation.
Partial List Of Fermented Foods:
- Artichokes can also be fermented and can be found in specialty delicatessens
- Beer is probably the most well known fermented food. Most beers are made by boiling barley and hops to release their sugars. Yeast is then added to this mixture to convert the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Beer fermentation can take anywhere from a few days to several months.
- Bread fermentation produces carbon dioxide gas to help bread dough to rise, making the dough easier to work with and also possible to bake. Fermentation also adds to the flavor and texture of baked goods and also helps increase the shelf life of baked goods.
- Buttermilk is made by the fermentation of milk.
- Cheese is made by the fermentation of milk. Bacteria found in milk convert the milk sugar lactose to lactic acid. When rennet is added to fermenting milk, curds form which eventually ripen into a cheese.
- Cured Meat products such as salami, pepperoni and sausages are also fermented. Fermentation plays a key role in adding flavors to cured meats and also helps to preserve cured meat products. Fermentation also removes moisture from cured meats and helps to give cured meats their color.
- Kefir is a fermented milk product originating in the Caucausus. Kefir is tangy like yogurt, and contains a mix of cultures such as Saccaromyces kefir, Torula kefir, Lactobacillus brevis and Streptococcus lactis, amongst others. True kefir has a slightly alcoholic content due to the presence of yeast, which gives it its unique flavor.
- Miso is a fermented soy product which raises the levels of isoflavones, the beneficial plant estrogens thought to protect against breast cancer and osteoporosis. It also makes them much more digestible than modern processed soy products, which are an invention of the West and are not eaten by long lived Japanese.
- Mushrooms can also be fermented and can be found in specialty delicatessens
- Olives can also be fermented and can be found in specialty delicatessens
- Peppers can also be fermented and can be found in specialty delicatessens
- Poi is fermented from taro
- Sauerkraut is a pickled cabbage dish and its origins trace as far back as the 13th century and was used in later years to prevent scurvy in sailors.
- Sour Cream is made by the fermentation of milk.
- Soy Sauce is made through a very carefully controlled fermentation process. Soy beans are first soaked in water and steamed at high temperatures. Wheat is then added to give soy sauce its characteristic aroma. The resulting mix of soy and wheat is fermented with bacteria in the presence of high amounts of salt. Salt helps to control the growth of bacteria during the fermentation process and also helps to preserve soy sauce.
- Sprouted Beans are made by soaking them in water which causes the outer hull to be broken down by probiotics, whith is fermentation and enables the sprouting process. Sprouting also reduces the content of antinutrients, such as phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc from these grains.
- Sprouted Grains are made by soaking them in water which causes the outer hull to be broken down by probiotics, whith is fermentation and enables the sprouting process. Sprouting also reduces the content of antinutrients, such as phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc from these grains.
- Sprouted Rye bread can be obtained from good health food stores. Some delicatessens make sourdough bread from dough which has been fermented with lactic acid. These breads are much more digestible than ordinary bread.
- Sprouted Seeds are made by soaking them in water which causes the outer hull to be broken down by probiotics, whith is fermentation and enables the sprouting process. Sprouting also reduces the content of antinutrients, such as phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of minerals such as iron and zinc from these grains.
- Sprouted Wheat bread can be obtained from good health food stores. Some delicatessens make sourdough bread from dough which has been fermented with lactic acid. These breads are much more digestible than ordinary bread.
- Tempeh is a fermented soy product which raises the levels of isoflavones, the beneficial plant estrogens thought to protect against breast cancer and osteoporosis. It also makes them much more digestible than modern processed soy products, which are an invention of the West and are not eaten by long lived Japanese.
- Thai Fish Sauce is a fish sauce made from fish (often anchovies), which have been allowed to ferment and is popular in Asia as a dipping sauce and for use in cooking. Nam Pla which has been allowed to ferment for a long period has a slightly nutty, cheesy flavor whereas sauce which has fermented for only a short time tastes more fishy.
- Tofuyo (Fermented Tofu) is made from tofu which has been fermented for three to four months in rice wine and malted rice. It is prized for its medicinal properties, mellow flavor, and succulent texture.
- Umeboshi Plums are small, reddish purple, wrinkled, salty and very tangy pickled plums which are sometimes eaten in Japan after a meal, as they are thought to aid digestion. Good Umeboshi Plums are left for six months to ferment in a mixture of salt and shiso leaves. They also contain probiotics with powerful antibiotic properties and they are also thought to be beneficial for hangovers and bad breath.
- Wine is fermented using grapes and other fruits. The two sugars, glucose and fructose are converted to alcohol (ethanol) by the action of yeast
- Yogurt is a dairy product formed by fermentation of milk.
Fermentation was used more than a thousand years ago, primarily to preserve food. Yet over the years, science has learned that the process of fermentation yields powerful health benefits. Fermented foods will improve gut health, enhance digestibility and enhance nutrient content.
Friendly Bacteria Are Good For Our Health In The Following Ways:
- Protect the integrity of the intestinal lining.
- Maintain immunity, since around half of the body's immune cells are in the intestines.
- Manufacture B vitamins (useful for vegans).
- Manufacture essential fatty acids.
- Extract calcium from dairy products.
- Aid absorption of vitamins and minerals.
- Produce enzymes to break down foods.
- Produce butyric acid, required for building colon cells.
- Produce anti-tumour substances.
- Produce antiviral substances.
- Produce anti-fungal substances.
- Prevent candida overgrowth.
- Destroy e coli, shigella, and salmonella by making the intestinal tract more acidic and by releasing substances such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and selective antibiotics.
- Neutralize endotoxins produced in the body.
- Neutralize potentially carcinogenic nitrites in the digestive tract.
- Aid peristalsis (the movement of the gut muscles for stool elimination) to prevent constipation.
- Get rid of excess cholesterol by breaking down bile.
- Regulate cytokines so as to reduce inflammation.
- Produce anti-cancer isothiocyanates, such as sulfurophane and indol-3-carbinol from foods. (These beneficial compound
The modern diet lacks beneficial bacteria and is high in factors which prevent it from colonizing in our guts as it should. Dysbiosis, a bacterial imbalance, is common in Western society thanks to diets high in sugar and meat, but low in probiotics.
Dysbiosis encourages yeasts and putrefactive bacteria to flourish, instead of fermentative beneficial bacteria. In turn, toxins build up and damage the sensitive microvilli brush border that lines our intestinal wall. When it's healthy, that area helps assimilate nutrients and prevent toxins from passing through the gut wall into the bloodstream.
The modern diet also causes inflammation of the gut and excessive intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome), leading to conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. Allergies, systemic candida, eczema, autoimmune disease, arthritis, and even mental illness have all been linked to dysbiosis. If your stool smells unpleasant, it is a good sign of too much putrefaction and an imbalance of gut flora.
How You Can Get More Good Bacteria In Your Diet
Make sure you get enough probiotics from fermented foods or from probiotic supplements, can protect you from these illnesses and help you attain optimum health. By eating plant foods rich in plant fibers, you also provide FOS, the food beneficial bacteria feed off, thus helping them thrive in your system. Avocados, Bananas, and Jerusalem Artichokes are high in FOS.
Fermented Foods Information: Natural News 11/9/2009 - Fermented Vegetables Boost Immunity And Improve Health
Fermented Foods Information: Natural News 10/3/2009 - Fermented Soy Is The Only Soy Food Fit For Human Consumption
Fermented Foods Information: Natural News 7/7/2012 - Germination And Fermentation - The Secret To Easily Digestible Grains
Fermented Foods Information: Natural News 7/30/2012 - The Secret Healing Benefits Of Miso
Fermented Foods Information: Natural News 9/29/2012 - Eat A Diet Rich In Fermented Foods To Help Achieve Optimal Health
Fermented Foods Information: Dr. Mercola 7/16/2011 - The Food That Helps You To Detox Pesticides
