How do we benefit from fermented food based probiotics?
How do we benefit from fermented food based probiotics?
Nature has a lot of beneficial microbes all around us. Peels of certain fruits, roots of certain vegetables, skins of certain berries carry these powerhouses of good bacteria.
Through the process of wild fermentation, it is possible to harvest this bounty of nature.
In short, Fermented foods have few key advantages
- They are full of probiotic microbes that are great for us
- The diversity of the microbial profile is near impossible to replicate in labs
- Fermentation dramatically enhances the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals of the foods
- The good bacteria produce a mass of enzymes needed by our body
By now, you know I love analogies! Isnt it a fabulous tool of story telling? The listener engages their ability to interpret the information provided and not just be a passive recipient of highly processes information.
Imagine World War 2 was in progress and the big 5-6 countries were fighting an intense battle. What’s the first image that comes to mind? Hoards of soldiers, in large numbers, performing various roles and aggressively fighting the enemy? Can you imagine Winston Churchill trying to fight World War 2 on behalf of UK, all on his own? Imagine him with his political astute but no hands-on military fighting experience, being the lone soldier from UK. I believe the course of history would have been different if this had been true.
The picture defies logic, isnt it? You need armies of soldiers to wage war. You don’t wage war alone or even with a small band of soldiers. Each of the sets of soldiers plays different roles and overall, one improves the chances of winning a war.
So, I ask you- why do you want to wage the war of health management all on your own. You have an army of millions of good microbes provided to you by nature. Does it make sense to tell them to rest and you proceed to battle alone?
Fermented foods and the good bacteria inherent provide a host of services. I will describe just three key ones among them.
- A diverse ecosystem of good gut bacteria that work in the most complex and interconnected way to keep your body’s functions progressing seamlessly. These range from helping with hormonal balance, telling our brains to stop eating endlessly, helping us be happy, keeping brain function safe from sudden deterioration to keeping cancers at bay.
- Do know that gut bacteria produce enzymes as they multiply and grow. Our body needs quite a lot of enzymes to function properly. And strangely, on its own, the human body cannot produce many of the enzymes. One such enzyme is butyrate. Have you ever heard of it? Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that provides fuel for the cells of our gut lining, supports immune system functions of the colon wall and protects against certain diseases of the digestive tract. And it helps you lose weight. Can I bet that last one got you to pay a little more attention 😊. We can supply our body by eating foods that contain butyrate but here is a wonder of nature. If you had enough of the butyrate producing microbes in your gut, they would produce it meet your body’s needs. Imagine losing weight easily. Imagine having a strong immune system for your kids and spouse and yourself?
- Good bacteria enhance the nutritive content of the foods we eat. So take a piece of beetroot and take another which is fermented. The lift in bio absorbable iron is close to 58 times. The same goes for Vitamin C. You buy the best quality fruits and vegetables you can afford. Don’t you wish to absorb the maximum nutrition out of the foods you eat?
Take away three messages with you.
- Kindly don’t choose to walk the path of health on your own. The army of good microbes provided by nature will make the journey so much easier. Take their help today.
- Good bacteria help you
- Maintain balance in your body function
- Creates enzymes for your body
- Enhances the bio availability of vitamins/ minerals and nutritive value of foods.
- Fermented foods provide a massive diversity of good bacteria.
Next article alert- I will try to address specific questions sent in by people. Eg- does cooking kill good bacteria? We eat yogurt- do we need more probiotics? Is cottage cheese a probiotic? Do cooked fermented foods have any residual benefits from good bacteria? What is the difference between regular pickles and ferments?
Wish you all a good day ahead. Our continued promise to only share informative and well researched content. Do head over to our website to know the fermented food products we make.
Bhavani Suryavanshee
Director – Nature Nudge Wellness Pte ltd
Makers of hand crafted fermented foods in Singapore