There are some phenomenal health benefits we can gain from an ancient method of food preservation... Fermenting". This process can help you optimize your health or reverse some diaseases as it works to support and promote intestinal activity.
The reason fermented foods are so good for the body lay in the v content which helps promote the growth and generation of good bacteria in the intestines.
When an ideal balance of good and bad bacteria is created and maintained in your gut this forms the foundation for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
This list includes so many great tasting foods such as:
They can contain 100 times more probiotics than any supplement, so with regular consumption of fermented foods (a portion per day), you will enjoy these many benefits like:
Vital nutrients:
Fermented foods are great sources Vitamin K2, which helps prevent arterial plaque buildup and heart disease. As an example, cheese curd is an great source of probiotics and Vitamin K2 and many B Vitamins.
Immune System:
Approximately 80% of your immune system is located in your gut. Both Pre and Probiotics play a vital role in the development and function of the mucosal immune system of your digestive tract. They also assist in the production of antibodies for your immuneprotection system against disease.
Detoxifiers:
The beneficial bacteria in fermented foods are potent body detoxifiers, that can expel a wide range of toxins and heavy metals.
Probiotics, are so vital to your health (along with many other microorganisms), that many researchers have compared them as being another organ. The Microflora and other microbes are your inner ecosystem and ramify on so many functions in your body.
"Gene expression is the process by which genetic instructions are used to synthesize gene products. These products are usually proteins, which go on to perform essential functions as enzymes, hormones and receptors, for example. Genes that do not code for proteins such as ribosomal RNA or transfer RNA code for functional RNA products." - Dr.Anayana Mandal, MD
A probiotic-rich gut can influence the activity of hundreds of your genes to help them express in a positive, disease-fighting (Immune) system, making the gut health a very powerful variable of epigenetics, so your lifestyle plays a vital role in your genetic expression.
Diabetes:
The bacterial population in the gut of diabetics is different than those in non-diabetics. Many researchers also believe that type 2 diabetes in humans is drirectly linked to changes in theirintestinal microbiota composition. A change in dietary maintenance that is low in sugar and grains as well as high in whole raw and fermented foods can restore the balance of the gut flora.
Autism:
The establishment good gut flora is vital within the first 20 days of a babies lif. It is vital to the natrual maturation process of the baby's immune system. Those babies with abnormal gut flora can develop compromised immune systems as well as a high risk for developing; Autism, Learning Disabilities, and ADHD, this grows in probability if they are vaccinated prior to establishing a balance to their gut flora.
Obesity:
Probiotics may help fight obesity with better body functions thoughout your systems, digestive,absortive,hormonal, etc.. Restoring and developing good gut flora is a vital consideration if you're struggling to lose weight.
Behavior:
Your gut acts as a second brain of sorts as it produces more Serotonin (Nuerotransmitters), which has been found to have a more positive influence on your mood, than the brain.
It is vital that you are aware of the huge differences between healthy Probiotics like those from
natural fermented foods compared to commercially processed types.
Not good for infants as well... stay tuned for tomorrows article!
Fermentation is more of an art than science as it is inconsistent in processing. Commercial food production develops methods to help standardize more consistent yields especially that of pasteurization, which actually destroy the naturally occurring probiotics in the process.
Image Credit: bbci.co.uk, sciencemag, fermentingsolutions
