What are fermented foods?

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What’s the big deal with bacteria?

Pickled cabbage in mason jars may not sound like a culinary treat, but fermented food is having its moment in the gourmet spotlight. No longer just for the mung bean eating set, bacteria-promoting foods are popping up on menus in the hottest restaurants around the world. But what’s so good about bacteria? While most of us are familiar with the ‘bad’ bacteria that makes us sick, the majority of it—‘good’ bacteria—keeps our bodies fighting fit. According to Donna Schwenk, author of Cultured Food For Life (Hay House), 99% of the bacteria in your body is harmless. From regulating digestion to providing a healthy supply of vitamins and balancing blood sugar levels, these bacteria (or probiotics) keep you in good health. “It’s important to cultivate good bacteria to crowd out and overpower the toxic ones. That’s what cultured foods do,” says Schwenk.

Are fermented foods a new thing?

Sure, we’ve long enjoyed cultured food like yoghurt and cheese. But recently that love has gone to a whole new level with Forbes magazine listing the Korean dish, kimchi, as one of the top 10 food trends of 2013. Think also foods like kefir, sauerkraut and sprouted bread. So, why are they so healthy? Fermented vegetables (such as kimchi) undergo a process of lacto-fermentation where the natural starches and sugars are converted into lactic acid, explains Schwenk. Lactic acid prevents the growth of harmful bacteria, boosting your body’s immune system. Plus, the fermenting process makes it easier to digest and unlocks a huge amount of extra nutrients, such as vitamin C. Just what you need in your cold- and flu- fighting kit.

So, why not just take a probiotic supplement?

While taking a pill might seem simpler than fermenting your own cabbage, probiotic foods are the better choice thanks to their construction, says Schwenk. “Probiotic pills are often trapped in the acids of the stomach, and the probiotics are killed before the body ever gets a chance to use them. So consuming probiotic foods is more effective, as the food itself provides protection for the good bacteria as it travels through your system,” she adds. Make your own cultured vegies easily by placing them in a container and submerging them in water. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt for each cup of vegies. Or for the less adventurous, buy ready-made fermented foods from your supermarket. Just what the nutrition doctor ordered!

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