Your gut health ties into your total well-being, so it is important to ensure that you are keeping an eye on it. There are certain types of foods that are better for digestion than others and one of these is referred to as fermented foods. Having the facts about this type of food makes it easier for you to decide if this option is ideal for your diet.
Between the right diet and getting further information about healthier digestion, such as from an E-book on gut health, you could be well on your way to enhanced well-being.
What Are Fermented Foods?
A food is classified as fermented when it undergoes the process of lactofermentation. Understanding this process is important because it gives you insight into why fermented foods are a good idea. A comprehensive E-book on gut health, as well as talking to your healthcare provider, can help you to get the information that you need.
To put it simply, once a food goes through the process, the natural bacteria that are present feed on the starch and the sugar that is contained in the food. This results in the creation of lactic acid. The food is them preserved and a number of beneficial enzymes, Omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and various strains of probiotics are created.
When natural fermentation occurs, hit might help to make the food easier to digest. It also has the potential to preserve the nutrients. This, along with the probiotics that are created during the process, could help to explain why fermented foods are beneficial for improving your digestion.
Fermented foods are not new and you have surely eaten some from time to time, such as the sauerkraut that the corner hot dog cart vendor uses. Yogurt is another common example of a fermented food. Due to new technologies used in the food industry, you do not see these foods in the diet as often, however. Because of this, you have to make an effort to incorporate them.
The Probiotics Created
When you engage in food fermentation, there are several probiotics that can be produced during the process. One of these is referred to as Lactobacillus acidophilus. This is a good type of bacteria that may be beneficial for several bodily functions, including digestion. There are several strains and they all work in different ways. You will have to determine the benefits that you hope to get and find a strain that can offer them.
Specific to your digestive health, this probiotic is often beneficial when taken along with antibiotics. It might help to alleviate the bloating, diarrhea and cramping that a bad bacteria can cause. It also has the potential to reduce the risk of experiencing diarrhea or C. difficile related to antibiotic use in hospitalized people.
Consequences of Insufficient Probiotics
When you do not have enough probiotics in your gut, it is possible for the bad bacteria to take over and cause an array of digestive issues, such as diarrhea, bloating and gas. Looking specifically at diarrhea, it is sometimes recommended to take probiotics with antibiotics to prevent it. This is because it can help to reduce the risk of an imbalanced gut biome causing the diarrhea to begin with.
Methods such as eating a serving of yogurt or kefir each day while on antibiotics has been shown to be beneficial for many people. To naturally restore the balance of the good and bad bacteria, you want to look for the fermented foods that contain probiotics.
A number of factors can cause the ratio of good to bad bacteria to occur, such as antibiotics, being sick or eating a poor diet. In addition to taking probiotics, it is also important to correct the underlying cause. For example, if you eat a relatively poor diet, you want to start making changes so that you can prevent a recurrence of bacteria imbalance in the future.
Breaking Down Phytic Acid
When you eat, you want to be able to absorb as many nutrients from the food as you can. However, some foods contain natural compounds that can make it harder for your body to absorb the nutrients. One example of this is referred to as phytic acid. It is present in several foods such as seeds and legumes.
When you eat these foods, you want to be able to take advantage of the nutrients, such as zinc and iron. However, the phytic acid could inhibit this. Fermentation can break this type of acid down, making it easier for you to get the important nutrients that you require.
Ensure better Food Absorption
When the biome in your gut is in balance and your good bacteria is able to keep the bad under control, your digestive system is naturally healthier. You will have the digestive enzymes that you need to ensure that your body is properly absorbing nutrients. When you combine this with a diet of real food, it has the potential to help enhance your overall well-being. You will also get more out of the foods that you eat.
Fermenting Your Foods at Home
This is actually something that you can learn how to do and it is not terribly difficult. It can also make your fresh vegetables last longer, reducing the risk of them rotting and having to be tossed since fermentation also helps to preserve them.
Make sure that you use good ingredients for your fermentation. When you are working on this process, think of it as making a recipe. Remember that a sour flavor is produced from fermentation, but overall, you can control how sour it becomes.
With this information, you now know the basics concerning your gut health and how fermented foods might be beneficial. It is important that you always are mindful of your digestion. If you are not properly digesting foods and absorbing nutrients, this can cause a wealth of health issues.
Because of this, never ignore an abnormal digestive system should one occur. Have it evaluated and determine if dietary changes, such as adding more fermented foods, could be beneficial.
