A recent trend among consumers, scientists and nutritionists is an increasing interest on the potential probiotic gut health benefits of fermented foods. This includes fermented foods being surveyed as the top “super food” on multiple published lists for consecutive years. Some scientists/researchers have set out to investigate these claims by developing a study that focused on individuals who consumed significant amounts of fermented foods as part of their daily intake (consuming fermented foods five times a week for two years) versus those who did not. You can read a summary of this study via a link to the website. The study had two primary findings. The first finding was that potentially probiotic bacteria/fungi likely derived from the lacto-fermented vegetables found in the feces of those who consumed high lacto-fermentative diets. The second finding was that regular consumption of the lacto-fermented vegetables may stimulate butyrate producing bacteria- a gut compound that is widely known for its positive health benefits. The full study can be reviewed via the scientific journal publication. Additionally, other publications studied the various other potential health benefits of fermented foods, including the possible anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic activity of fermented foods. This scientific journal entry can be found here. Finally, it is widely known that gut health is tied to gut microbiome diversity- and consuming some types of fermented foods can add to gut microbiome diversity favorably. What are your thoughts on how fermented foods can positively impact gut health?
Photo Credit: Talia Milavetz, Twin-cities.umn.edu