What are the best fermented foods to improve gut health?
It’s January so now is the time to start making some changes… I am not going to lie, there was a little bit of “letting go” this Christmas in the Jones household and I’m now suffering the consequences in the form of mild panic. I see “the wagon”, and I need to get back on it!
In particular I wanted to talk about what are the best fermented foods to improve gut health... and why it’s worth finding some brain space for the subject.
As we said in our recent blog “Slaw - what are the benefits” we are optimists at Jones, and look forward to emerging blinking into the light after the crisis has passed, but in the meantime, we need to do everything we can to look after ourselves both physically and mentally.
But before I get started on fermented food and gut health… when it comes to setting out a healthy lifestyle, the obvious start point is that “nature has the answers”. That means that there are huge benefits to removing heavily processed meats, refined sugars and foods grown with agro-chemicals. The WHO classifies processed meat as carcinogenic, refined sugar is so addictive and unhealthy that it comes with its own tax, and agro-chemical residuals on food are, frankly, in the dock. Put simply, it is alway worth reminding ourselves of the principle of “junk in, junk out”.
After the last few weeks, I’m painfully aware that it is difficult to be good all the time, but do try to drink more water, eat whole foods (brown rice, pasta, and bread) and yes, ditch the booze. There is a lot of funny ‘lockdown’ chat about how the good intentions for a dry January has gone by the wayside, but do try to keep drinking to sensible limits. Yawn. Sorry, but your gut will thank you.
Gut health is a great prism through which to see personal health and well-being. Focussing on gut health typically will support other health aims. A gut-health friendly lifestyle has much in common with a “heart health” lifestyle, a “reduced cancer risk” lifestyle or a “resilient mental health” lifestyle. There is little in conflict. There are many aspects to good gut health, in areas such as diet, booze, sleep, controlling stress, exercise, selfcare, keeping up your spirits (even if it does involve social media …..pets photobombing, forgetting to mute whilst appropriately admonishing the children, losing connectivity a critical moments) that are ‘good for you’ in lots of ways.
The gut is both incredible and mysterious, somehow being responsible for getting us in full working order and feeling good. So whilst I am not a doctor, I do know how much better I feel mentally and physically since I started to build a more gut-friendly lifestyle. For me, that started with a love of fermented foods many years ago. For that reason I wanted to broaden out the discussion from our recent article on “Slaw - what are the benefits”, to fermented food generally.
So is fermentation a natural process? Yes indeed. Humans and microbes have evolved together for thousands of years. The microbes in our gut help us to help break down our food (meaning nutrients can be absorbed more easily) as well as creating vital nutrients such as vitamin B12. Fermentation of food is just a case of bringing those processes forward a bit! Fermentation also helped our ancestors survive long winters by preserving foods such as cheese.
Now, thinking about what are the best fermented foods for gut health, let’s get back to basics. For all you FFVs (fermented food virgins) out there let’s understand the basics of why adding fermented food to your diet is a great way to help you reach your January targets.
Fermented foods are powerhouses for beneficial probiotics and gut bacteria. Probiotics have a variety of health benefits. They improve digestion, support immunity and as those gut bacteria are all happily beavering away digesting your food can help also with weight loss.
The immune system is on everyone’s minds right now. It’s helpful to know that 70% of the immune system lives in the gut, and the microbiome (the massive colony of microbes in the gut) appears to play a role in that. So, what better time to start thinking about the foods we are consuming and how they sustain or damage those friendly little fellas down in the gut.
The best fermented foods to improve your gut health number 1: Variety!
There are a huge number of bacteria varieties in a healthy gut, each of them with differing preferences for food. A range of healthy fruit, vegetables and whole foods will contain the range of nutrients that you need. I am guilty of being faddy. If I find a breakfast/lunch/dinner I like I repeat…. repeat ….repeat until I am totally exhausted from it. I suspect we all do this and it’s no good!
It's better to work in a handful of nuts, seeds, pulses, herbs, spices, the rainbow of fruit and vegetables, as well as the all important fermented food.
The best fermented foods to improve your gut health number 2: Live fermented kraut, slaw and kimchi
All are typically based around cabbage fermented by lactic acid bacteria, meaning the whole shooting match ends up being probiotic (i.e. full of friendly bacteria). Also packing fibre (a gut friendly prebiotic) and useful nutrients like vitamin C.
Sauerkraut and slaw make the perfect condiment, or healthy more-ish snack. Kimchi is the delicious Korean staple; made with cabbage, chilli, garlic and ginger, making it diverse and fiery. It may help lower cholesterol and reduce insulin resistance
Just be careful to make sure you are always buying fresh, raw, live and unpasteurised for all the benefits.
The best fermented foods to improve your gut health number 3: Kefir and fermented yoghurt
Another fantastic, fermented food to improve gut health, kefir is a fermented dairy product. It creates a really delicious, thick and sour drink similar to yoghurt. It comes with legendary properties. Not only is it probiotic, helping your gut get into tip top condition to support your immune system, but can help reduce lactose intolerance, reduce inflammation and help with osteoporosis.
The best fermented foods to improve your gut health number 4: Kombucha
Kombucha is made from fermenting tea, and is a great drink to improve gut health. It originated from China more than 2000 years ago, being famed for its healing properties. It contains lactic acid bacteria similar to ones found in a healthy gut.
It is fizzy and sour and a great replacement for your evening wine /beer. It gives you a tiny hit and satisfies your cravings whilst supporting your gut and immune system.
The best fermented foods to improve your gut health number 5: Miso, Tempeh and Natto
Fermented soybeans form a really important part of the diets in countries like Japan and Indonesia. They come with many health benefits although are typically cooked before being eaten so can’t be considered probiotic at the point of being eaten. They are considered healthy fermented foods nonetheless, bringing a range of benefits including the reduction of blood pressure, improvement to heart health, reduced risk of cancer and osteoporosis.
Miso – I am totally hooked on this stuff…. it's so versatile. It is a seasoning made from fermenting soybeans with salt and koji (a fungus). Stir into a broth, marinade your meat, use in a salad dressing. Try it with Jones - Trust Your Gut Tonic and Wainwrights honey; so good.
Natto - like Miso, is from Japan. It has a strong flavour and a slippery texture. Its fibre is great for gut health. Mix with rice for a traditional Japanese breakfast.
Tempeh - is a firm but chewy Indonesian meat substitute. Baked or steamed it is put in everything from sandwiches to stir fries.
Many of us have overindulged and, unapologetically, I say that now is the time to take some small adjustments to our diet to restore our gut health. Incorporate fermented food into our diet to increase our gut diversit… Its a no brainer. Those tiny microbes in your gut will thank you in more ways than one.
Photo by Jakub Kapusnak on Unsplash