Baby, you’ve got guts. And the gut that processes the food you eat is one of the most important areas of your body for maintaining good health and feeling great. If you want to make your GI tract happy, feed it fermented food products. Your gut loves fermented foods the way a doggie loves a good belly rub.
What happens when your gut invites fermented foods to the party? It’s the start of a beautiful relationship. Here are six of the potential benefits of fermented food products to your health and wellbeing:
- Support heart health. Fermented foods are detoxifiers. Detoxifiers support the “good” bacteria in your gut. Good gut bacteria (also called “gut flora”) aid your body in producing key nutrients that help to integrate calcium into your bones and keep it out of your arteries.
- Infection-fighting power. A study recently spotlighted in Scientific American suggests that your stomach uses acid to kill disease-causing bacteria and viruses. Consuming fermented foods supports the healthy functioning of your stomach, allowing it to produce the acidity it needs to repel unwelcome invaders.
- A healthier aging brain. Multiple studies point to a relationship between seniors with disturbed gut flora and Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia. Exploring fermented food recipes is a painless, pleasant way to keep your aging brain healthy.
- Better weight control. If you have an uncontrollable appetite or feel like you’re clinging to excess body fat, fermented food products can help. If your gut doesn’t contain the right balance of beneficial flora, bacteria can produce endotoxins that find their way into your bloodstream and cause inflammation. Inflammation triggers changes in your metabolism that can make you feel ravenous and retain surplus supplies of body fat.
- Less tummy issues. Let’s face it: we all have occasional digestive issues, and nobody enjoys them. Gas, stomach pain, constipation or loose bowels – not only can they be uncomfortable, but they can get in the way of doing the things you love. By making fermented food products a regular part of your diet, you’ll be maintaining good gut health and preventing these common (but undesirable) ailments.
When it comes to your overall health, your gut is a bigger deal than you may have realized. When you combine the above benefits with the fact that 85% of your immune system is housed in your gut, you have every reason to take a closer look at fermented food products. By incorporating powdered fermented foods like greens and medicinal mushrooms into daily shakes, smoothies, even popsicles, you can maintain good gut health even with the busiest lifestyle.