CULTURED FOODS ARE SUPER FOODS

 Naturally fermented foods loaded with friendly bacteria have been around since  the beginning of humankind. We include little to no fermented foods in our diets and are paying the price with poor digestive health. Yogurt has been around centuries to cure bowel troubles and diarrhea. Fermentation is a metabolic process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi convert carbohydrates into alcohol or acids.

BENEFITS OF FERMENTED VEGETABLES :

Preserve food : Fermentation has been in use in the days before refrigeration to preserve food and to increase the shelf-life of foods. Fermented foods keep for months due to Bio -preservatives that are  created through the fermentation process ( lactic acid, acetic acid and propionic acid)

Eliminates anti-nutrients :  Phytic acid in grains, legumes and seeds binds minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and reduces their absorption. Fermentation destroys phytic acid and other anti-nutrients in foods and helps in digestion. Miso and Tempeh are examples of fermented legumes.

Improves digestion: Fermentation pre-digests the food before we consume it and directly supply our digestive system with living bacteria. The Lactobacillus bacteria breaks down lactose into easily digested simple sugars glucose and galactose in yogurt and cheese and further into lactic acid. Lactic acid  helps improve the release of digestive juices and enzymes from the stomach, the pancreas and the gall bladder. In sourdough bread and wheat-based products fermentation degrades gluten making it less inflammatory.

Balances gut flora: Cultured foods are full of live good bacteria like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha tea and kefir. Constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, allergies, and ailments like asthma are linked to lack of good bacteria in the gut.

Increases nutrients content:  Levels of different vitamins and minerals is significantly increased in fermented foods especially vitamins B,( riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, folic acid) and C. Vitamin C in fresh cabbage is woven into the fibrous plant walls and fermentation break open the cell walls. It also increases the absorption of minerals especially copper, calcium, magnesium and iron.

Acidifies the Gut : Among these acidifiers are acetic, butyric and lactic acids that make the gastrointestinal tract less hospitable to pathogenic bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria thrive best at slightly alkaline pH of 7.2 to 7.3 while beneficial bacteria like PH of 6.7 to 6.9

Removes Constipation :  Lactic acid plays a key role in the production of neurotransmitter acetylcholine and it facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses that cause muscle contractions and by increasing the motility of the bowel , alleviate constipation problems.

Eliminates gas, bloating : Many gas producing bacteria are pathogenic and beneficial bacteria keep them under check by producing lactic acid and lowering pH where they can't survive.  Gas can be reabsorbed in the blood and travel to the lungs and cause chronic bad breath (halitosis)

Digest dairy products : We adults don't make lactase enzyme needed to breakdown lactose in milk. Lactobacillus bacteria produce lactase enzyme necessary to digest milk sugar and help people with lactose intolerance.

Improves taste : Fermentation improves the taste of different foods and makes them eatable and pleasantly sour. Even Vanilla and chocolate can be consumed after fermentation and removing the bitterness of tannins they contain.

Decreases cooking time : Tough and hard foods that are difficult to digest can be improved by fermentation reducing their need of cooking.

Loose extra weight : Most of the time extra fat on our body is stress and toxins and good bacteria improves digestion and assimilation and reduce toxin load.

Increases energy : Consuming live pre- digested foods adds zip to the body instead of depleting it.

Produces digestive enzymes : Bacteria are full of enzymes and as new microorganisms are created , new enzymes are also produced. Fermented vegetables have more enzymes than regular cabbage. So it is important to get fresh enzymes in the diet because our pancreas and other enzyme making organs need a chance to rest .

Boosts immunity : Beneficial bacteria heals leaky gut syndrome and decreases inflammation and helps in auto-immune diseases like arthritis and type 2 diabetes. When you reset your bacteria balance and immunity is enhanced automatically by producing cytokines. Proper immune response helps stop chronic inflammation, the root cause of arthritis and chronic heart disease in the tracks.

Improves psychic disorders :  Good bacteria helps in psychic disorders like depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, dyslexia ( Reading disorder) & schizophrenia by producing more serotonin and dopamine hormones.

Relieves headache :  Eating fermented foods on empty stomach relieves headaches.

Clears skin problems : Good bacteria reduces toxin load substantially and improves skin conditions like rashes, acne, eczema and psoriasis.

Detoxify : Beneficial bacteria removes toxins and heavy metals like mercury, aluminum, lead and arsenate from the body.

Sharpen thinking and memory : Our guts are our second brain and healthy bacteria heals the gut where more serotonin is produced than brain and say good bye to mental fog, depression and anxiety. Milk based kefir is loaded with tryptophan an amino acid affectionately known as " nature's prozac " soothes the nervous system.

                                      HEALTH BENEFITS

Contribution of live microorganisms supplements the microbiome in the gut and its benefits are plenty.

Beneficial microorganisms provides great support in improving health conditions like intestinal and bowel conditions such as ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel syndrome, immune disorders such as allergies, type 1 diabetes and metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes and obesity and mental health disorders.

While building  Great Wall Of China, Chinese ate lactic acid fermented vegetables. The Japanese  have routinely served a small serving of pickled vegetable with their meals. The Koreans developed Kimchi by acid fermenting cabbage and other vegetables. In fact, lactic acid fermented cabbage has been revered as one of the most important healing agent. Before Christ the Greeks  wrote about the health benefits of fermented cabbage. The Romans used sauerkraut to prevent and treat intestinal infections. Captain James Cook took 27 barrels of sauerkraut to prevent scurvy on his three year journey around the world.

 SYMPTOMS OF GUT FLORA IMBALANCE :

Hormonal problems, Premenstrual syndrome, menstrual complaints, prostate trouble, breast enlargement in men, chronic anemia, Chronic respiratory problems. Candidiasis, dairy allergy and intolerances, vitamin B deficiency, high cholesterol, neurological problems, severe bruising problems, chronic vaginal infections, chronic bladder infections, osteoporosis, sarcopenia ( loss of muscle mass), constipation, gas and bloating, skin rashes.

You should consider making a regular part of your diet to help boost the levels of beneficial bacteria in your bowels . Add traditional fermented foods  to your meals in small portions on a regular basis once or twice daily.

Yogurt :  Regular yogurt not the low fat contains the hormone like substance prostaglandin E2 which can prevent ulcers. Avoid yogurts containing sugars, fruits etc.  and check the label  and it says "Active Cultures" and not pasteurised. Even look for name of the most important bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidus etc,

Cottage cheese :  Traditional fermented food cottage cheese not the other versions is an excellent source of beneficial bacteria, calcium and proteins. Please be advised that any cheese made from A1 milk (Holstein Friesian cows) is not  good and healthy to consume.

Whey : It is the liquid portion remained after making cheese and removing cream from clabbered milk. You can use whey in soups and vegetables.

Kefir : Kefir grains are colonies of good bacteria and yeast and look like cooked rice. It contains more than 35 strains of beneficial bacteria along with good yeast. Store bought kefir contains 10 or so bacterial strains. So it is advised to make your own at home from the kefir grains with goat milk.

Butter milk : Butter milk is another favourite of Indians especially of Punjabi's Lassi , a choke full of probiotics, best drink at afternoon on an empty stomach.

NON- DAIRY FERMENTED FOODS :  Some persons can't handle soured milk products especially those who have gut imbalance. They can try fermented vegetables first before trying fermented milk products.

Sauerkraut : It is the most popular and nutritious cultured vegetable every one should have in their refrigerator. Sauerkraut or cabbage juice heals acid reflux due to its strong stimulation for your body to produce stomach acid. For your information it is the low stomach acid that reults in acid reflux due to weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter. A phytonutrient glucosinolate in sauerkraut significantly enhances your liver's detoxification ability and halves your risk of developing cancer.

Raw cultured vegetables and the beneficial bacteria they contain keep the pathogenic bacteria in check and helps peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, colic, constipation, stomach aches , digestive disorders and food allergies to heal.

One lady healed her heart palpitations, tachycardia, premature ventricular contraction, prolapsed mitral valve after consumption of sauerkraut for two weeks.

Pickled vegetables like cucumber, beets, turnip, carrots, Kimchee, Natto, Miso, Tempeh, soy sauce and Tofu are best for adding beneficial bacteria and improving nutrition.

Raw cultured vegetables are among the most nutritious foods today. If the balance of good bacteria is restored and it is emphasised time and again that you'll be better able to shed excess weight, improve skin and boost energy levels , infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome along with numerous ailments discussed earlier. There are some 100 trillion bacteria living in our gut and are 10 times of our own body cells. Without these enzymes and bacteria we are basically eating dead food. A healthy colon is vital for detoxifying the body and absorbing nutrients from your food.  It's our first line of defence. Probiotic rich foods also satisfy carbohydrate cravings.

Russian Scientist and Nobel Laureate Eli Metchnikoff hypothesized in 1908 that eating fermented milk products improved the health and lifespan of Bulgarian peasants and consuming fermented veggies can do the same.

In 400 B.C. Hippocrates the Father of Medicine famously said, " All disease begins in the gut ". His words are still true today than they were then. The enzymes in cultured vegetables also assist in digesting foods eaten along with them, particularly grains, legumes and meat.

Conclusion : I would encourage everyone to include fermented or cultured vegetables in every meal or have a few teaspoons of  fermented cabbage juice before eating. You'll experience wonders in improvement in digestion, energy levels, and elimination of diseases that you haven't imagined.

If I am asked to what single change or improvement I'll do to make my health better , of course I'll go for fermented  foods. Health is not the opposite of disease but a complete homeostasis ( Balance of all the important metabolic and other functions including nutrients ). This is not possible without addressing the bacterial imbalance. Microbes make inedible food edible and pre-digest your hard to digest food. All grains and pulses need sprouting or fermentation before they become easy for our digestive system to deal with. Best way to consume pulses and rice is by making dosa, idli or dhokla etc.(Fermentation). Wheat is a problematic and inflammatory food since its introduction in food due to gluten, phytic acid and other lectins (WGA). Through natural lacto- fermentation of wheat flour it was made possible to eat wheat bread called "sourdough". The way Punjabi's eat flat bread (Chapatis) is the worst option to eat wheat or wheat products .  Because fermentation with yeast degrades gluten and other antinutrients like phytic acid and makes the wheat less inflammatory or problematic.  

"Good Health "

Sukhwinder Brar

Jan 06, 2016