21 Excellent Health Benefits of Fermented Foods (Top #1 Probiotics Source)

Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of Lacto-fermentation resulting in foods full of probiotics or good bacteria. The process involves the sugars and carbs to become bacteria-boosting agents and to create lactic acid. As a result, the process also creates beneficial enzymes like Omega-3 fatty acids and b-vitamins.

Moreover, the consumption of fermented foods has been known since centuries ago. During the Roman era, people consumed sauerkraut as one of the popular fermented foods while Bulgarians consume fermented milk and kefir. Also, in Ukraine, they consume raw yogurt and buttermilk while Asian people are consuming pickled fermentations of turnips, eggplant, cabbage, onions, squash, and carrots. Indeed, the high consumption of fermented foods is linked to the health benefits they have provided. Not only for that, fermentation process has another benefit for sure. For instance, the fermentation of vegetables can make them last for a longer period of time.

Then, there are many health benefits of fermented foods you need to know. Here they are.

1. Source of Probiotics

As a matter of fact, fermented foods contain a very rich source of probiotics. For this reason, probiotics are beneficial to maintain overall body health. One of the probiotics benefits is to promote the gut health as well as preventing the access of bacteria living in the body.

Related: Health Benefits of Probiotics

2. Helps Food Absorption

Due to the presence of excellent probiotics, fermented foods take part in promoting food absorption process in the body. As a result, the better absorption process, then the more amount of nutrients will be there in your body. Indeed, this benefit is very wonderful as you can promote the healthier body for sure.

3. Promotes Healthy Intestines

The presence of high probiotics in fermented foods makes they are beneficial to promote overall body health. One of the probiotics benefits is the way it creates a protective lining in the intestines and also protects against pathogenic factors including salmonella and E. coli. As a result, this benefit is valuable to promote healthy digestion system.

4. Builds Great Immune System

Fermented foods are known to be used as an immune system booster. The vital nutrients present in fermented foods will help to build the great antibodies which resulting in a great protection against certain diseases.

5. Prevents Microbial Infection

As have described, fermented foods contain a good source of probiotics. Also, fermented foods are good for building a protection against disease. Hence, these probiotics are also beneficial to prevent microbial infection. What a great benefit, isn’t it?

6. Improves Digestion System

As fermented foods promote healthy intestines, then it shows the positive result in improving the digestion system. Indeed, this benefit is associated with the presence of probiotics in fermented foods. As the consequence, if you want to maintain the healthy digestion system, then you can consume fermented foods regularly.

7. Promotes Healthy Bones

It is known that fermented foods are rich in calcium. For example, kefir as one of the popular fermented foods is providing the great health benefits of calcium. This fermented milk product contains the great source of calcium which can help to promote healthy bones. Consequently, calcium nutrients will work greatly o promote bone density and bone structure as well. Furthermore, the good taste of kefir will make you enjoy while drinking it. So, are you interested in trying kefir?

8. Helps Losing Weight

It has shown that fermented foods can help to suppress the appetite. With this benefit, you can maintain the good weight management. Also, you can add fermented foods as your favorite diet food menu. As the taste of fermented foods is undeniable wonderful, you will not regret to consume them. Not only for that, the excellent nutrients they have provided will promote your overall body health. For the tips, you can consume kefir as your diet food menu option.

9. Rich in Fiber

Back to history, in the Roman Era, people there have been used sauerkraut as the food consumption. Indeed, they eat this kind of fermented foods to get the best benefits from it. As the consequence, it is known that sauerkraut is rich in fiber which can promote the healthy digestion. Also, fiber can help to prevent constipation and bloating as well. Not only for fiber, but sauerkraut is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and B-Vitamins.

10. Improves Body Energy

Surprisingly, fermented foods can help to improve the body energy. For instance, if you consume kombucha as one of the great fermented foods which made from black tea and sugar, then it will help you to increase the energy. It is linked with the good nutrients contained in it. Also, this benefit is associated with the presence of B-vitamins in kombucha as well.

11. Fights Inflammation

Fermented foods are also known to be the source of anti-inflammatory properties. As the consequence, it will help you to fight body inflammation including asthma and arthritis. Then, it also helps you to protect against free radicals effect. Indeed, as fermented foods are great for many things, it is recommended to consume fermented foods for sure.

Related: Symptoms of Asthma

12. Acts as Antioxidant

As a matter of fact, fermented foods like pickles contain antioxidant nutrients. At this point, these antioxidant nutrients will help to prevent the presence of viruses and bacteria in the body. As a result, antioxidant will protect against certain health problems. For the tips, you can find pickles at a local market to find the best pickles in taste and benefits.

13. Promotes Detoxification

In fact, fermented foods take part in promoting the detoxification process in the body. At this point, the beneficial bacteria works greatly to be a detoxifier. As a result, with good detoxification process in the body, then your body will be free from the presence of toxins.

14. Lowers Cholesterol Level

Tempeh as one of the popular fermented foods in Indonesia can help you to fulfill the nutrients needed by the body. Consequently, this food us a soybean product which contains high levels of B-vitamins and protein as well. As a result, the great nutrients contained in it help to lower the cholesterol level. This also means that tempeh is responsible for promoting the heart health for sure.

15. Prevents Diabetes

Everyone seems afraid to get diabetes as it is one of chronic disease. People tend to control their sugar consumption in order to prevent diabetes. However, kimchi, as one of the fermented foods has a role in preventing this kind of diseases. Also, Kimchi, as a traditional fermented Korean dish which is made from vegetables is valuable to reduce the risks of certain health problems including to prevent obesity.

16. Prevents Cancer

As you have read above, fermented foods contain anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant nutrients at the same time. According to it, fermented foods shows the positive result in preventing cancer. Indeed, it is caused by the great work of anti-inflammatory properties to prevent the inflammation including cancer. Hence, you do not need any worry for having cancer since you have fermented foods to be consumed.

17. Promotes Cardiovascular Health

If you want to promote cardiovascular health, then have natto as the food you can consume daily. Natto is a popular dish in Japan made from fermented soybeans. This food is valuable to promote cardiovascular health due to the presence of powerful probiotic bacillus subtilis. Not only for that, it also contains nattokinase which is an anti-inflammatory enzyme which is great to prevent cancer.

18. Promotes Healthy Nervous System

One of great health benefits of fermented foods is to promote the healthy nervous system. At this point, the vital nutrients in fermented foods have the main role to maintain the work of the nervous system.

19. Promotes Mental Health

Surprisingly, fermented foods are beneficial to promote mental health as the good work of digestion system. In fact, the gut and the brain are linked through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. As a result, the gut is lined with neurons which can influence the emotions and the feelings. Also, the serotonin which is made in the gut contribute to control the mood. Even, the probiotics contained in fermented foods which help to provide healthy gut can also help to promote a healthy mind.

Now, you have known the health benefits of fermented foods. As the consequence, fermented foods provide the beauty benefits as well. If you want to know what are beauty treatments which fermented foods have provided, then check the following statements below.

Fermented Foods for Beauty Treatments

20. Prevents Earlier Aging

There is a good range of fermented foods you can choose to be consumed as your daily food. As a result, you will choose the tastiest and the healthiest one, right? Thus, if you are looking for a food which can help promoting the healthy and beauty skin, then we have one that should be taken into account. Miso, as one of the fermented foods which are made from soybean, brown rice with koji, a fungus has anti-aging properties. This benefit will help you to maintain healthy skin by reducing the wrinkles.

21. Promotes Beauty Skin

It is known that fermented foods are beneficial to promote the healthy and beauty skin. As a result, yogurt, as one of the fermented foods is valuable to promote beauty skin as well as providing good nutrients to the skin. For the tips, you can use yogurt to be applied as a face mask. Consequently, you can combine yogurt with oatmeal and olive oil for the great face mask, then use it twice a week for best benefits. Hence, with yogurt, you will have a bright and beauty skin for sure.

To conclude, fermented foods are the great option to be consumed as a daily food. Not only for the great taste, but fermented foods also provide vital nutrients such as B-vitamins and probiotics. Besides, you can have fermented foods with a little money so that you do not have to spend more money to buy a health supplement. Then, what are you waiting for? Let’s consume fermented foods to become a healthier person than ever!