Eating Alive

Benefits of Fermenting

Preservation:

• The organisms that grow during fermentation produce alcohol, lactic acid and acetic acid. 
• These bio-preservatives have the effects of preventing spoilage while they retain the food’s nutrients.

Digestibility:

• Fermentation actually breaks nutrients down into easily digestible forms. When we consume the fermented foods the active cultures within them help break down other food we’ve eaten as well.
• Less energy is spent on digestion and we get more out of our food.
• People who are lactose intolerant can often (but not always) digest fermented milk products such as kefir and yogurt.
• Starch digestibility of grains increases drastically with fermentation.

Probiotics:

• Consuming fermented foods helps replenish and restore active bacterial cultures in our intestines.
• Fermented foods are useful mostly for supporting these cultures as they provide nourishment for these probiotic cultures.

Vitamins:

• The microbial cultures that grow during fermentation create folic acid and B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, thiamin and biotin.
• Fermentation also indirectly creates more vitamin K for us. 
• Our probiotic bacterial cultures in our large intestine produce the majority of our vitamin K and they are fed and replenished as we consume fermented foods.

Antioxidants:

• Some ferments have been known to yield a high amount of antioxidant compounds to combat free radicals.
• Consuming fermented foods on a regular basis helps lower the risk of developing cancer with these protective properties.

All content contained herein is intended for general information purposes and is not to be considered professional medical advice. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical attention.