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Throughout history we have tried to control our environment. We have built houses to protect us from the elements, built roads to help us travel, plowed the ground to plant specific seeds, and in the recent past added toxic chemicals to control the insects, yield and type of plant which grow.
We have also tried to make our lives more convenient. Instead of eating lots of vegetables we take greens pills or powders. To get our vitamins we take supplements.
Well it may be convent but this lifestyle is not healthy in the long run. It is destroying your environment, killing species of all forms vital to the long term health of our planet as well as negatively affecting your health.
Unnatural methods always seem to have consequences none of us want to pay.
Where then do you get the vitamins and minerals which your body needs in today’s world of toxic chemicals and forced growing practices?
Fermentation can provide you with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals which are hard to get from the nutrient-lite factory farmed food you have available at the grocery store.
Want to be healthy and not destroy to planet? Here is a list of fermented foods which are not only good for you, but also can be produced without environmental damage
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut made the traditional way is full of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which has beneficial effects on digestion. Lactic acid has preservative properties which helps to maintain the vitamins in the cabbage as it ferments into sauerkraut. This will provide you with vitamin C a powerful immune booster and B12, an essential vitamin which is necessary for maintaining your DNA.
Sauerkraut also contains probiotics which are good for your digestion, vitamin K2 which helps build strong bones and fiber which helps maintain regularity.
It can also be made with a minimum of environmental impact if you make it yourself. Purchase whole cabbage heads from the grocer in the fall when the local crop is harvested or grow them yourself in a small garden plot. This ensures a minimum of packaging and transport. Use a glass jar or some other reusable container (not plastic) to further reduce your environmental footprint.
Ferment it in low temperatures as this will reduce the amount of salt needed and also keep your sauerkraut crunchy and healthy.
Yogurt
Yogurt has been touted as a healthy food for a long time. It is well known as a health guru’s signature food but the yogurt which you can get at the store is not really yogurt. Actually it is a derivative of yogurt containing few of the original bacterial cultures of real yogurt. It also contains ingredients like milk powder and thickeners.
If you want real yogurt you will have to make it yourself from a heritage starter culture which you can get online or a few health food stores.
There are several types of yogurt starters, some of which need a warm place to ferment and some which can ferment at room temperature.
Like all fermented milk products it has less lactose then milk does. This is because the culture used to make it consumes the lactose for energy, making it more easily digested for those who are lactose intolerant. You can control the amount of lactose remaining in the yogurt when you make your own by varying the fermentation time. The longer it ferments the less lactose remains.
Kefir
Another fermented milk product which is high in vitamins and minerals. Kefir, if it is made from kefir grains, is packed with a wide range of probiotics. There are from 30-50 different species of probiotic bacteria that have been identified in a single batch of kefir.
This gives your digestion a boost by introducing it to several strains of probiotics, will help to maintain a healthy balance of gut flora, provide a variety of vitamins which we cannot produce ourselves and reduce the population of pathogenic bacteria in our systems.
Unlike yogurt, kefir has probiotic strains which can remain in your digestive tract long term. They displace pathogenic bacteria and yeasts by altering the environment of your gut.
Kefir contains vitamin K2, D, B12, and minerals calcium and magnesium making it great for bone building, cognitive and cardiovascular health.
Kombucha
Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea drink made from a variety of teas, from standard black tea to herbal teas like peppermint and hibiscus.
If it is consumed in moderation can help support digestion, provide a varying source of probiotics and a source of tannins which are known to help reduce the incidence of cancer. The amount of tannins are dependent on the type of tea which is used and how long the tea leaves remain in the ferment.
Due to the yeast activity it contains B1, B6 and B12. It also contains vitamin C.
If you purchase kombucha at the store make sure it is refrigerated and contains live culture in it. Kombucha has become so popular lately that large food companies have started producing their own version of the drink which is often nothing like the original.
Better yet make your own. It is easy, cost effective and allows you to make it just as you like it.
Sourdough
One of the best benefits of sourdough is that it is digestible and does not put pressure on the digestive system like normal bread. This is due to the action of the bacterial action of the sourdough starter which breaks down the difficult to digest anti-nutrients in the grains.
Anti-nutrients are the chemicals the grain uses to protect itself from damage during periods of dormancy. They prevent the grain from molding and insects from eating it. They break down under proper conditions to allow the grain to sprout and grow.
Regular store bought bread is made in the fastest way possible. It has additives in it which help the bread maintain its appearance, prolong its shelf life and require less energy to make. All of which makes a bread which looks good but is hard to digest and has little food value.
Sourdough on the other hand takes a long time to make. The sourdough culture breaks down hard to digest elements in the flour. This makes it easier to digest while making the nutrients in the bread more accessible to you.
Sourdough bread also has a longer shelf life due to the acidifying action of the sourdough starter making it less hospitable to pathogenic organisms like mold.
Miso
The first in the list of fermented soya bean products.
Like most soya bean ferments it is fermented using a specific type of mold which produces valuable nutrients from the indigestible soya beans.
This is the same mold which is used to make soya sauce and sake.
Animal studies have shown miso is able to deter cancerous tumors from growing, improve cognition and improve cardiovascular health.
It contains vitamin K a wide variety of B vitamins including B12, folate and riboflavin. Its mineral content has calcium, iron, potassium and manganese.
With the added benefit of having umami a flavor not usually present in western cuisine. Which provides a pleasant addition to your diet. Try it in miso soup, mix it into a dressing for an Asian salad or a dipping sauce for vegetables.
Pickles
Pickles made by lacto fermentation are a great source of probiotics and vitamins B1, B2, B3 as well as folic acid.
As another source of probiotics they are linked to lower cancer risk, Parkinson’s disease and improved cognitive function. Probiotics in the gut crowd out the pathogenic organisms, help to destroy toxic chemicals in our systems and reduces the load on our immune system. This results in more energy, better skin and a more positive outlook on life.
Eating regular store bought pickles has a different effect on your digestion then eating naturally fermented pickles. This is because regular store bought pickles are not fermented but rather preserved in white vinegar and spices. There is no fermentation involved and therefore produces a product which although tastes good does not have any probiotics in it.
To get the benefits of the probiotics either get the refrigerated brined pickles from the grocery store or make your own.
Natto
Natto is a fermented soya bean product which produces a strong flavored stringy textured product which is highly nutritious. Besides the usual fermented food benefits of probiotics and being high in vitamins like K2 and B12 it has a compound in it called Nattokinase which has benefits all of its own.
Nattokinase helps break down blood clots, remove arterial plaques and may have positive effects on removing the amyloid plaque present in Alzheimer’s patients.
Nattokinase has been isolated from natto and sold as a supplement in health food stores in a concentrated form. It is touted to help cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, reducing plaque and associated health problems.
The benefit of natto does not stop at nattokinase. Natto also contains bone building vitamins and minerals, helps support your digestion and makes a quick and easy breakfast.
Beet Kvass
Kvass is a fermented drink which has been made with a wide variety of bases. The original was made with stale sourdough bread which is soaked in water and salt for a short time (24-48 hours) producing a slightly fizzy probiotic drink.
Beet kvass is essentially to same thing using beets instead of sourdough and fermented for a longer period of time (usually about a week).
Beet kvass is good for the liver, heart and helps cognitive function as well. The vitamins and minerals found in beets include vitamin C, some B vitamins, iron, calcium and magnesium. It is a great tonic to help your liver detoxify your blood and improves bile flow which improves gallbladder function.
You could also try making carrot kvass, lettuce kvass or any other vegetable kvass using the same method as beet kvass. Each type provides a unique source of probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
Red Wine
Red wine has several beneficial characteristics which make it a valued healthy fermentation. The benefits seem to be due to the presents of resveratrol. Resveratrol is found in the skins of red grapes. It is the natural protection of the grape against bacterial invasions, sun damage and fungus.
It has been noted that communities which regularly consume wine in moderation are less likely to suffer from strokes, dementia and depression.
Women who drink red wine have fewer cases of breast cancer. Prostate cancer in men is also reduced by a moderate amount of red wine.
It seems that a little wine helps to reduce the estrogen levels in women and boost the testosterone.
It is wise to limit your alcohol intake as alcohol has been strongly linked to several types of cancers and it should not be consumed by those who have liver disease as it is the liver which deals with the toxins in our systems (alcohol being one of them).
Caution!
If you are new to eating live fermented foods start slowly. They can have powerful and sometimes uncomfortable effects on the digestive system. Especially if you have not had a lot of them before. The probiotics in fermented food actively break down food residues, displace pathogenic bacteria and reduce their food source. This can cause gas and cramping as your system eliminates these toxic compounds.
Variety is also important in supporting your digestive system. Each of the above fermentations have a specific collection of probiotics and vitamins and minerals. You cannot get all you need form just one type of food. This includes fermentations.
Try to add a new fermentation to your diet regularly. Trying one new fermented food a week you would have tried 52 different types of fermentation in a year. Not all of them will become part of your regular diet but some of them will add new flavors and valuable vitamins and minerals.