People around the world have been eating various naturally fermented foods for thousands of years. Fermenting most likely originated simply as a method of food preservation, but it didn’t take long for people to realize that eating fermented food also provides important health benefits. Whether it be kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, miso, or one of the many other fermented food products, increasing your intake of probiotic foods can benefit your health in all of these ways.
Improved Digestive Health
Your gut biome contains a huge variety of different bacteria, and your diet plays a huge role in helping to keep the right balance. Unfortunately, modern Western diets aren’t always ideal for maintaining this important balance due to the high amount of processed foods. When the balance is upset, it can lead to poor digestion and a wide range of gastrointestinal problems. Eating fermented foods high in probiotics introduces beneficial bacteria back into your system, which can improve your digestive health by ensuring you have the right balance. Fermented foods can even help to restore the balance after you’ve been on antibiotics or had diarrhea.
Increased Microbiota Diversity
To achieve the best results, it is always recommended that you eat a variety of different types of fermented foods instead of just sticking to one as this will increase your microbiota diversity. Unfortunately, it can be difficult in many parts of the country to find more than a few different fermented foods. The good news is that you’re not just limited to what you can find in your local store. With the resources like Fermentools System, you can use a mason jar to ferment virtually any type of food you wish from fruits and vegetables to grains and dairy products.
Defeated Harmful Bacteria
We come into contact with numerous harmful, pathogenic bacteria on a daily basis, and yet most of them luckily don’t make us sick. The reason for this is that the good bacteria in your intestines produce acidic byproducts that reduce the pH, and this makes it much more difficult for the harmful bacteria to survive. The beneficial bacteria also release antimicrobial agents that can kill most pathogens. By eating probiotic foods, you can increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your intestines to ensure they can do their job properly.
Better Overall Health
Having a diverse gut microbiota is essential for your overall health. Studies have shown that people with a less diverse microbiota are much more susceptible to some chronic diseases and conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, eczema, obesity, and certain types of cancer. Eating lots of fermented foods will increase the microbiota biodiversity and potentially help to prevent numerous health problems. The bacteria in your intestines also help to synthesize important vitamins, which can further boost your health.
Maintaining a healthy bacterial balance is one of the biggest keys to staying healthy and preventing many common health issues. Eating a diet that is high in probiotics is the easiest way to manage this delicate balance. For this reason, fermented foods are something everyone should consider introducing to their diet.