What if an ancient food, readily available today, was so powerful it positively impacted every system in the body?
Would you want to try it?
You can. It’s fermented foods.
It’s been consumed for its health benefits for thousands of years.
In fact, the benefits of fermented foods start with one of the most important systems, the digestive system.
The digestive tract is the gateway of health to the body. It enables the delivery of nutrients to every other part. When it falters, every system feels it. When it’s strong, the whole body reaps benefits.
Here is the amazing impact of fermented foods, and how they support digestion and health.
What are Fermented Foods?
Fermented Foods have been exposed to yeast or bacteria, or fermenters. These fermenters eat natural sugars and starches in the food, thereby changing it.
What changes take place? Fermented foods contain:
- Decreased Sugar. Fermentation vastly decreases sugar since it has been used as food for the fermenters. The remaining sugars become more easily digestible.
- More Nutrients. As bacteria ferments the foods, it breaks down tough fibers and makes nutrient available to humans for absorption. This means many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients become easier to digest and absorb.
- Healthy Bacteria. As the fermenters proliferate, healthy bacteria multiply.
- Natural Food Preservation. Byproducts of fermentation, like alcohol and lactic acid, naturally preserve food.
- Better Proteins. As fermenters eat, they often alter proteins such as gluten, making them more digestible.
It’s these qualities that make fermented foods amazing for health. Here’s how.
Fermented Foods Improve Digestive Health
Fermented foods improve the health of the digestive tract and reduce complications when it’s weakened or injured.
In healthy individuals, fermented foods fortify the digestive tract with more healthy bacteria. This can crowd-out and starve unhealthy bacteria and yeasts (1).
What’s more, by protecting gut health, they can even reduce toxicity and build-up of heavy metals in the body (4).
And there’s more.
The Benefits of Fermented Foods for Immune Function
Amazingly, a bacteria that lives in the digestive tract actually reduces infections outside it.
In fact, studies show improved immunity and benefits of fermented foods including:
- Reduced Throat Infections, Colds, and Respiratory Infections
- Periodontitis Improvements
- Reduced Prostatitis
- Fewer Vaginal Infections
- Decreased Post-operative Infections
How?
In some cases, the healthy bacteria interacts directly with the infection. In others, it’s indirect.
Since it supports the digestive tract, it improves immunity. The gut is the largest organ of the immune system (10).
In one recent study, patients undergoing colorectal surgery were given either a placebo or 4-strains of healthy bacteria. Researchers stopped the study prematurely because the results were so profound post-operatively. The treated participants had significantly decreased the risk of postoperative complications, mechanical ventilation, infections and degradation of the intestinal wall. Researchers believe bacteria increased expression of an immune-function gene (5).
Fermented Foods and Weight Loss
While no food is a magic bullet for weight loss, many can help. Fermented foods and healthy bacteria may improve:
- Weight loss
- Insulin sensitivity
- Fasting glucose
- Inflammation
These factors are big advantages in the fight again obesity (6).
Benefits of Fermented Foods to Healthy Skin
Skin ailments are becoming increasingly common. Could fortifying the gut provide skin-inflammation relief?
Studies show potential for treating atopic dermatitis with oral and topical healthy bacteria (7). In fact, for infants with a family history of eczema, healthy bacteria intake should be increased during the first year of life (8).
Fermented Foods Deliver More Nutrition
When a vegetable is fermented, something like magic happens.
The bacteria break down fibers and cell walls that human digestive tracts can’t otherwise break down for themselves. This unlocks vital nutrients and allows humans to gain access to all the nutrition in a vegetable.
When analyzed, researchers find that fermented foods both contain more nutrients, and these nutrients are mo easy digested and absorbed.
What’s more, compounds like phytic acid that impair mineral absorption are decreased.
Unlike most pills, fermented foods contain multiple bacteria strains plus the prebiotic fiber they eat (9).
Our Digestive Tracts Under Attack
Truly, now is a great time to fortify the digestive tract.
Modern processed foods, medicines like antibiotics and pain medications, diets lacking raw and fermented foods, and environmental toxins like pesticides have waged war on your gut.
Likewise, the incidence of food intolerances and digestive issues is increasing.
Fight back with fermented foods.
The Best Fermented Foods for the Keto Zone Diet
When it comes to low-carb fermented foods, the best options are fermented vegetables. In fact, experts believe once fermented, green vegetables like cabbage have increased anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidative properties (11).
All the benefits without insulin-spiking carbohydrates.
What’s more, in lab studies fermented onions provide brain-protecting effects toxins (12).
And, does it really get healthier than wheatgrass, with all its demonstrated benefits in cancer prevention, treatment, reduced risk, immune function, reduced inflammation and more (13)?
It does. Fermented wheatgrass.
Humans have a tough time digesting a grass this strong, but fermentation breaks it down and allows us to absorb more nutrition.
Take Home Message
The benefits of fermented foods are far-reaching. They can positively impact your digestive tract, immune system, waistline, skin, and whole body with healthy bacteria and highly bioavailable nutrients. It’s easy to add fermented foods within Keto Zone eating, especially with fermented vegetables!
