Fermented foods and beverages have been a staple in the diets of virtually all cultures. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy have all been used as mediums for growing bacteria that are responsible for the fermentation process. While bacteria get a bad rap, not all bacteria are “bad”. Rather, the strain of bacteria determines whether it is considered “good bacteria/beneficial” or “bad bacteria/pathogenic” to the body. How important are bacteria to our health? The average adult has over 5 pounds of bacteria that reside in and on their body. While most of the bacteria live within the digestive tract, they also exist on our skin, eyes, ears, hair, and in our sinuses, nose, throat and oral cavity.
These bacteria are an essential part of life. They assist us in digestion, immunity, protection and can even help to prevent certain cancers. When we eat and drink fermented beverages with beneficial strains of bacteria (probiotics), we are seeding our body. These organisms grow into colonies and can “crowd out” other species that may cause disease. An example of this would be a yeast infection. While many may think that a yeast infection (candidiasis) is caused by yeast “invading” a region, the truth is the yeast were already there. When the tissue the yeast is living on becomes more acidic and/or other bacterial microflora were disrupted or killed, the most opportunistic organism will begin to multiply. This can be either because of the metabolic conditions of the tissue (acid/base)are compromised or there is more surface area to colonize because another species was eliminated (ex. antibiotics). Remember, many antibiotics will not just kill the “bad” bugs, but the beneficial bacteria as well!
So are fermented foods and beverages good for us? They are not just good, but essential in our diet.
Some examples of fermented foods are beer, wine, sake, spirits, vinegar, olives, yogurt, cheese, bread, kombucha, miso, sake, soy sauce, kimchi and sauerkraut (cabbage), kefir (milk or coconut), and pickled vegetables. There are also many probiotics on the market that you can supplement if you are not including fermented products in your diet. One of my favorite sources of probiotics is coconut kefir. It is not only beneficial, but tastes great too.
If you are interested in learning more about kefir, check out the Organic Soul article on kefir.