Get Cultured And Healthy
At first glance, foods like kinchi and kombucha seem a little off, but they're the foods that can make you feel the most on. Largely due to their probiotic content, these foods have incredible health benefits you wouldn't believe, from enhancing your gut health to your skin and even possibly keeping you safe from cancer. Despite being around for millennia, these funky delights have become increasingly popular in recent years, not just for their amazing qualities, but for their unique tangy flavor. Who knew there would be a pickly trend on TikTok? Here are 20 surprising health benefits of eating fermented foods.
1. Improved Gut Health
Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, which are microorganisms that restore balance in your gut microbiome. They increase the amount of good bacteria and reduce the bad.
2. Strengthened Immune System
The immune system and gut are intrinsically linked. By eating probiotic-containing fermented foods, you're not only supporting your gut, but your immune system too.
3. Lowered Blood Pressure
The probiotics in fermented foods help create a healthy gut microbiome, which has been associated with lowering blood pressure. Fermentation also creates bioactive peptides, which help relax blood vessels.
4. Increased Energy
Fermented foods have an indirect effect on your energy levels by improving gut health. Enhanced digestion helps your body absorb and use nutrients more effectively. Many of them are also rich in B vitamins, which play a crucial role in energy production.
5. Helps Digestion
Not only do fermented foods enhance your gut health, but they also make foods easier to digest. This is because the fermentation process pre-digests some components of food, reducing the work your body has to do.
6. May Reduce Anxiety & Depression
Because the gut and brain are linked, fermented foods' positive impact on gut health might also enhance your mood. Research suggests that consuming fermented foods may reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
7. Aids Weight Loss
Fermented foods may promote the release of hormones that signal satiety. What's more, a balanced gut microbiome can reduce unhealthy cravings. They also contain compounds that can improve metabolism.
8. Lowered Cholesterol
Fermented foods help lower cholesterol thanks to their rich probiotic content. Probiotics inhibit the absorption of cholesterol and promote cholesterol excretion.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels
9. Increased Nutrient Bioavailability
Fermented foods make nutrients more accessible to the body. They do this by breaking down antinutrients, which make minerals harder for your body to absorb.
10. Reduced Inflammation
Fermented foods lead to a healthier and more balanced gut microbiome, which reduces inflammation. They reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and help create more anti-inflammatory compounds.
11. Improved Skin Health
Improved gut health and reduced inflammation aren't just good for your inner organs, but your outer ones too. Consuming fermented foods can lead to clearer and more radiant skin.
12. Reduces Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
Many people with lactose intolerance can still consume fermented dairy like kefir and yogurt because it includes digestion-enhancing bacteria, and the fermentation process reduces the amount of lactose. Some types of probiotics you get from fermented foods produce lactase, which is the enzyme most people with lactose intolerance are missing.
13. Reduces Symptoms of IBS
By introducing beneficial bacteria, fermented foods can reduce symptoms of IBS, including abdominal pain, bloating, and gas. The probiotics in fermented foods inhibit the production of harmful bacteria that contribute to IBS.
14. May Stave Off Cancer
Yet another benefit of a healthy gut microbiome is that it may keep cancer, America's second most common cause of death, at bay. Probiotics in fermented foods enhance the immune system, and bioactive peptides produced during fermentation inhibit cancer cell growth.
15. Regulates Blood Sugar
Fermented foods help break down carbohydrates, which slows the release of sugars into the bloodstream. This prevents spikes in blood sugar levels and increases your insulin sensitivity.
16. Antioxidant Properties
Fermentation increases the amount of antioxidants in foods. Antioxidants fight free radicals, helping your body fight off disease and protecting your cells from damage.
SuckerPunch Gourmet on Unsplash
17. Antimicrobial Properties
Fermentation has long been used to preserve food thanks to the antimicrobial properties that are formed during the fermentation process. This protects your body from harmful bacteria and infections.
18. Enhanced Bone Health
Fermented foods improve bone health because of their calcium, phosphorus, vitamin K2, and B vitamin content. Probiotics in fermented foods have also been shown to enhance calcium absorption.
19. Reduced Food Allergies
Fermented foods may help reduce food allergies by modifying the immune system. Studies have suggested that some fermented foods encourage the production of certain proteins that play a role in immune response.
20. Enhanced Cognition
Because of the strong link between the brain and the gut, when you consume foods that enhance the gut microbiome, it also has a positive effect on the brain. They can enhance the production of neurotransmitters, which improve cognition.
