18 Oct 2024
From sourdough to kefir, kimchi to kombucha, fermented foods have become a staple of our daily diets, predominantly because of their health-boosting properties. But how do fermented foods benefit our health, how has this become a major food trend and how can food producers use the power of fermentation to offer healthy and flavorful products to their consumers? Read on to find out.
What is fermentation?
Fermentation is the process in which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert carbohydrates — like starch and sugar — into alcohol or acids, which act as natural preservatives.
The fermentation process can vary depending on the type of bacteria used and the environmental conditions in which the fermentation takes place. This means there are thousands of different types of fermented foods that can be made. Some of the most well-known include kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh, yogurt, and sourdough bread.
How did the fermented food trend come about?
Fermentation has been used as a technique for preserving food for thousands of years in cultures all over the globe. So why has it become the newest health trend?
It’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to understand the relationship between the fermentation process and our overall health. This, coupled with a surge in consumer demand for health-boosting foods during the pandemic, led to the rise in popularity of fermented foods.
Is it just a flash-in-the-pan health trend? Not likely. Statista has valued the global fermented food and beverage market at almost $575 billion (USD) and estimates that figure will rise to over $989 billion by 2032.
What are the health benefits of fermented food?
Various health benefits are associated with fermented food, from improved digestive health to a healthier immune system to mental health benefits.
Here’s a breakdown of the key health benefits associated with eating fermented foods.
Gut health and digestion
Fermented foods are often high in probiotics - live bacteria that are necessary to gut health. These are often referred to as ‘friendly bacteria’ and are known to support a healthy gut microbiome.
Studies have shown that eating fermented foods rich in probiotics increases microbiome diversity which is a key aspect in maintaining and promoting good gut health.
Recent studies have also shown that fermentation can aid the digestion of foods due to proteins being partially digested during the fermentation process itself.
Immune system
The gut plays a significant role in how well our immune system functions, with the gut containing 70% of the body’s immune cells.
By eating fermented foods that contain a rich diversity of gut-friendly microbes, we can improve the health of our microbiome, which in turn supports a more robust immune system.
Mental health benefits
The brain directly affects the stomach and intestines and vice versa. This is known as the gut-brain connection. As a result, studies indicate that improving our diet and lifestyle for better gut health can play a role in supporting mental health.
Some studies indicate that the bacteria in fermented foods can stimulate serotonin production, a brain chemical that boosts feelings of well-being. Consuming fermented foods can also help ease anxiety or depression and improve cognitive function.
Nutrient absorption
Fermentation can increase the bioavailability of certain nutrients - which means how much our bodies can absorb and benefit from the nutrients in a particular food.
Some fermented foods, like fermented vegetables, can even provide additional nutrients that are not typically present in plant foods, such as vitamin B12.
Harnessing the power of fermented food
When it comes to unleashing the power of fermentation in baked goods, sourdough bread is the obvious place to start.
Professor Marco Gobbetti found in his 2019 study that making sourdough bread using the long fermentation method is easier to digest than bread made with baker’s yeast alone. Sourdough fermentation is also, according to Gobbetti, a powerful process to unlock the health benefits of legumes, cereals, and milling by-products in the baking industry.
Other findings included that sourdough fermented bread has a lower GI index, meaning it releases energy more slowly as well as improved bioaccessibility of other nutrients. The study also found that people felt fuller for longer after eating sourdough bread.
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