The surprising ways that fermented and cultured foods support your health.
The surprising ways that fermented and cultured foods support your health.
Check out my special Spotify playlist of episodes dedicated to Gut Health here!
I try to eat some bugs almost every day. I'm not talking about insects--although, as I talked about in my 2022 episode on "micro-livestock," insects such as crickets and mealworms are gaining market share as a humane and environmentally-sustainable source of high quality protein. But today I'm talking about microscopic bugs—specifically, the beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in foods like yogurt or kefir.
Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast. I’m your host Monica Reinagel and today we’re taking a fresh look at probiotic foods. This was actually the subject of one of the very first episodes of the Nutrition Diva podcast, way back in 2008 (believe it or not). And it remains a topic that gets a lot of discussion. But, we’ve learned a lot more about diet and the microbiome since 2008 and I thought it would be good to update everyone’s talking points with the latest information.
Virtually every traditional cuisine features some sort of naturally fermented or cultured food. There's Japanese natto, Bulgarian yogurt, Polish sauerkraut, and Korean kim-chee. And each of these plays a central role in that culture's cuisine … and for good reason. Modern research reveals that these ancient foods have both short-term and long-term effects that can benefit overall health.
Firstly, probiotic foods contain beneficial microorganisms. Now, contrary to common beliefs, these bugs don’t necessarily set up permanent housekeeping in our guts. They are much more likely to be transient visitors. Even so, they do have a positive impact on the existing microbial ecosystem. During their temporary residence, the microbes from fermented foods produce bioactive peptides and metabolites that interact with our existing gut microbiota, potentially influencing their behavior and composition. Regular consumption of fermented foods appears to promote a more stable and diverse gut microbiome over time.
People who consistently consume probiotic foods may see improvements in digestive health, enhanced immune function, and reduced inflammation. Additionally, fermented foods have been linked to improvements in metabolic health markers like blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
However, it's important to note that the effects can vary between individuals. Factors like the rest of your diet, your pre-existing gut microbiome composition, medications you may be taking, other medical conditions, even the specific probiotic strains consumed can all influence outcomes. In other words, your mileage may vary.
Interestingly, when it comes to overall gut health, eating probiotic foods may even be more helpful than taking probiotic supplements. Fermented foods contain a wider variety of microbial strains and beneficial compounds compared to most supplements. Some studies even suggest that probiotic supplements may actually decrease gut microbial diversity in certain cases, while fermented foods tend to increase it.
Another advantage that probiotic foods have over supplements is the other nutrients that they provide. In addition to the beneficial bacteria, fermented dairy products also deliver protein and calcium. And fermented vegetables are…vegetables, with all the fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients they contain.
While we're on the topic of gut health, it's worth noting that if your goal is to build a healthier microbiome, eating more prebiotic foods may be even more important than consuming foods that contain beneficial bacteria. Prebiotics provide a food source for the bacteria in your gut and directly impact the health and composition of your gut microbiome. Prebiotic, of course, is just a fancy word for fiber. Not everyone can tolerate the same amounts and types of fiber. But, in general, eating more fiber and a greater variety of fiber containing foods is a great way to build a healthy gut microbiome.
Fortunately, there's no need to choose between probiotics and prebiotics. The best approach is to leverage both! By incorporating a variety of fermented foods and fiber-rich foods into your diet, you're providing a double boost to your gut health.
If yogurt is the only fermented food in your diet, it’s time to branch out! With the upsurge of interest in the microbiome and artisanal everything, there are more traditionally fermented foods in your standard grocery store than there used to be–everything from pickled veggies to fermented soy to 12 different kinds of fermented dairy products.
Here are some ideas to help you diversify your probiotic intake:
If you're a do-it-yourselfer and you want to learn to ferment your own sauerkraut or brew your own kombucha, I'll post a link for do-it-yourself fermenters with the transcript of this episode. (https://culturesforhealth.com)
Either way, however, aim to include at least one serving of fermented foods in your diet each day.
One final thought: I often get emails from listeners asking about whether cooking their miso or tempeh or sauerkraut will render it useless. It’s true that heat will deactivate (er, kill) the bacteria. But even cooked probiotic foods can deliver benefits, via some of the metabolites and peptides the bacteria create before being cooked. Still, to get the most benefit from the beneficial beasties, try to avoid extended heating or cooking times.
And, seeing as gut health and the microbiome are such a hot topic these days, we’ve created a special playlist to spotlight a handful of Nutrition Diva episodes on this topic. So, if you’d like to take a deep dive into this fascinating subject, you’ll find a link to that in the shownotes for today’s episode.
If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can email me at nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com You can also leave me a message at 443-961-6206
I’d also like to invite you to check out my other podcast. It’s called the Change Academy, where we explore the art and science of creating positive behavior change, both in our own lives, and in our workplaces and communities. You can find it on all the major podcast platforms. Just search for Change Academy.
Nutrition Diva is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Our team includes Brannan Goetschius, Nathan Semes, Davina Tomlin, Holly Hutchings, and Morgan Christianson.
That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.