Traditionally, many other cultures use the fermentation procedure to preserve food.
In India, lassi is a common pre-dinner drink, Asian cultures enjoy pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, and eggplant, kefir originated in the mountains of the North Caucasus, and sauerkraut is strongly associated with Germany. Other fermented foods come with yogurt, cheeses, and sourdough. bread and chutneys.
However, in addition to lasting longer, fermented foods occasionally involve a variety of “good” bacteria that, if they make their way into our gut, can bring benefits to our health.
In our large probiotic study, the organization drinking a fermented milk-based beverage called kefir observed significant changes in their gut bacteria, particularly a buildup in a circle of familiar bacteria called Lactobacillus, which are known for gut health.
We wanted to dig deeper into this question and find out what other fermented foods could be beneficial to our gut bacteria. So we gathered some of the most popular products and tested them.
We ate five foods: soft cheese, sauerkraut (candied white cabbage), kimchi (traditional Korean fermented vegetables), kefir, and kombucha (a fermented tea-based drink).
We collected homemade versions of those foods, prepared through volunteers at the Fermentarium, and we also purchased “ready-to-use” versions that could be easily obtained in supermarkets and stores. Once we win all of our samples, we send them to the lab for testing.
Martha Villegas-Montes and a team from the University of Roehampton analyzed our samples for express bacteria that we know are smart for our gut. Dr Paul Cotter from the Teagasc Food Research Centre in Cork presented the findings.
When we looked around the store where we were buying sauerkraut, kimchi, and soft cheese, we couldn’t locate any of the bacteria we were looking for. This is likely due to the fact that those foods will have been pasteurized to prepare them. Safety and shelf life are vital points in food production. The downside, however, is that those processes also kill any “good” bacteria that may be present.
Two of our store-bought foods, kefir and kombucha, contained degrees of bacteria. This suggests that any of those foods were made using classical processes and were not pasteurized, meaning that the smart bacteria survived.
In our home-cooked meals, all made using classical methods, we discover strains of bacteria and higher levels, especially of a type called Lactobacillus.
There are many other species and strains of Lactobacillus: some have health-promoting properties that we know and some do not. But when eating a fermented food with many other types, such as our homemade versions, chances are some of the types we offer are for you.
There are still many studies to be done on all the bacteria in our gut, but so far, studies recommend that for the overall health of the smart gut, it is best to have a diversity of bacteria. So, it seems that historically fermented foods, whether they’re homemade versions or unpasteurized advertising types, are a clever way to go.
But there are a few vital things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about making your own homemade fermented foods. Just as homemade versions may involve a greater number and variety of favorable bacteria, they may also involve destructive bacteria, that is, if they are not produced or stored. Correct. So, if you want to make your own, you need to follow a recipe, use the right equipment, and keep the food at the right temperature.