What's So Good About Fermented Foods?

What’s So Good About Fermented Foods?

with Sally Fallon Morell

From kimchi to kraut, kombucha to pickles—go to a farmers market just about anywhere and you will find ferments. Fermented foods are trending, thankfully! People are realizing the benefits they offer and have offered around the globe for hundreds and thousands of years! Ferments boost the immune system, protect against disease, and aid digestion.

Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, today goes over principle #5 of the Wise Traditions diet: how all traditional diets are high in enzymes and beneficial bacteria. She explains what fermented foods are, how they are prepared, and how we can incorporate them into our diet today. Among a number of topics, she discusses how to introduce them to our children, is there such a thing as too many ferments in the diet, how to choose the best kombucha, and which fermented foods are enjoyed in various regions of the world.

Notes:

Highlights from the conversation include:

how lacto-fermented foods are nearly universal in traditional diets
the two types of fermentation
how sauerkraut is made
the role of salt in the fermentation process
how fermentation may have come about
the wisdom of traditional cultures and the scientific reasons behind fermentation
what specific fermented foods are enjoyed in various parts of the world
why Sally considers ferments “super” raw foods
how 70% of our body’s energy is spent on digestion (and how fermented food pre-digests our food, in a sense)
the story of one woman with IBS and how fermented food helped her
how to tell the difference between fermented foods and those prepared in vinegar
how fermentation can boost levels of vitamin C, minerals, B vitamins
how some anti-nutrients are partially neutralized by the fermentation process
how lacto-fermented drinks are also a good source of enzymes and bacteria (and serves as an alternative to soft drinks and alcoholic beverages)
how these foods inoculate the gut, in essence, with good bacteria needed to resist disease
how fermented foods are protective against cancer
how ferments shore up the “biofilm” that lines the intestinal tract
how to eat the right balance of fermented food
how fermented foods replace enzymes lost while cooking & help with the digestion of fat
whether you should eat more fermented foods or simply take probiotic pills