Studies Show That Fermented Foods Build Healthy Gut Microbiome

Research is proving what many cultures have known for centuries about improving health with certain additions to the diet. Recent studies have shown that adding fermented foods to the diet has a number of health benefits, including improving gut bacteria and reducing inflammation.

Science tells us that the body’s immune system is closely tied to its healthy gut microbiome. When there is a lack of healthy gut bacteria, the immune system is damaged. That’s why we hear so much about taking pro- and pre-biotics. However, recently scientists are discovering that the best way to improve the gut microbiome is by adding some fermented foods to our diet.

Fermented foods are often plant-based foods such as:

• Kimchi – a traditionally Korean fermented vegetable dish
• Sauerkraut – a traditional German dish made from fermented cabbage
• Kombucha – a tangy, bubbly drink made from fermenting green tea or black tea
• Tempeh – a fermented soy product that’s a popular vegetarian meat replacement

(Non-plant-based options are things like yoghurt and kefir.)

The more I learned about these fermented foods, the more excited I got. So I created this full page with information about them, including recipes for you to use to make them at home.

Resource Links

Futurity: Fermented Food Diet Boosts Microbiome and Cuts Inflammation

Stanford University: A fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity and lowers inflammation, Stanford study finds

Cell.com: Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status