The proportion of fermented foods in the human diet can vary widely by age, culture, and other factors. However, some research suggests that no matter what an individual’s background is, they could benefit from consuming certain fermented foods as a preventative measure to some chronic diseases. Which organisms or metabolites can you think of that might be beneficial for human health?
One such fermented food is yogurt [1], which has already been directly classified as advantageous to human nutrition by health agencies in multiple countries such as Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain [2,3]. These guidelines describe immunomodulatory effects in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), allergies, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as a general improvement in the overall health of the human gut [2]. What other products can you think of that may contain viable probiotics that could provide a protective effect against similar non-communicable human diseases?
While these food products are far from being able to cure such diseases in humans, microorganisms found in these foods can still elicit positive health benefits, as it has been shown that some organisms can migrate from the food to the gastrointestinal tract [4]. These microorganisms that reside in fermented foods produce metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are beneficial in some diseases [5]. For example, colonic butyrate has been found to induce proliferation of anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells, which are important in the alleviation of symptoms in IBD [6,7,8].
Comments
Reading about the studies on the advantages of yogurt consumption in Europe was interesting. Some organisms that would be beneficial for everyone to help prevent chronic diseases are Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, and Bifidobacterium, all of which are mentioned in the study to lower blood pressure and act as antioxidants. Some other less popular fermented foods that provide similar protective effects are kefir, kimchi, and miso. I think that incorporating more of these fermented foods into our diet could help lower the percentage of chronic diseases by lowering blood pressure, having anti-inflammatory effects, or enhancing nutrient absorption. It’s also exciting to see that SCFAs could work managing conditions like IBD, exploring SCFAs in more fermented foods could be the next step for more areas of disease prevention.
It is extremely interesting how fermented foods have so many health benefits! The human diet varies across regions, and many include diets consisting only of plant based foods. Many fermented plant based foods introduce many microbial strains, however, these foods also include many prebiotics into the gut that work in tandem with the probiotics from the foods. There is also a direct correlation between gut health and mental health, which is a very interesting section of research that I hope continues!
There are many microorganisms that have probiotic benefits such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium commonly found in dairy products alongside Propionibacterium which common in many cheeses. There are many fermented food products that could have an effect on non-communicable diseases such as kimchi, natto, kombucha, fermented breads, and tempeh. These foods contribute to a healthy gut microbiome and have the potential to lessen symptoms of many chronic illnesses.
I always think it is interesting to learn about the health benefits of fermented foods! Fermented foods are a product that the general public has access to, so people can make changes to their diet to improve health. It seems like yogurt is one of the first widely recognized superfoods, you mentioned that yogurt has shown benefit in individuals with bowel issues, and we learned in class that the consumption of yogurt is good for individuals with diabetes. In general, fermented dairy products are more digestible than nonfermented products due to the enzymes the LAB produce that can metabolize lactose.
Outside of dairy products, fermentation enhances the nutritional value of vegetables in our diet, much like how microbes digest lactose and provide enzymes that break down dairy. Fermenting vegetables allows the carbohydrates to be “predigested” and broken down into more digestible molecules.
Most fermented foods have higher nutritional value than their raw counterparts or at least make vitamins and minerals available to the body, supporting the immune system and other body functions. Additionally, many fermented foods contain antioxidants, which are known to reduce the harmful effects of ROS on the body.