Purely Nourished

Fer­men­ta­tion is the uti­liza­tion of nat­u­rally occur­ring micro­scopic bac­te­ria and fungi in foods to trans­form pro­teins and starches into acetic and lac­tic acid as well as alco­hol. This process is nec­es­sary for numer­ous ben­e­fits including:

• Improved nutri­tional con­tent of the food
• Improved digestibil­ity of foods
• Removal of tox­ins and anti-nutrients
• preser­va­tion and cre­ation of impor­tant enzymes

Com­mon fer­mented food:

1. kim­chi
2. sauer­kraut
3. yogurt
4. kefir
5. kom­bucha
6. wine
7. sour­dough bread
8. cheese

The improved digestibil­ity of foods caused by fer­men­ta­tion allows for proper nutri­ent absorp­tion. For exam­ple, the process trans­forms the sugar in dairy into lac­tic acid, a more tol­er­a­ble form of lac­tose, allow­ing per­sons with an intol­er­ance to stand fer­mented forms of dairy.

Fer­men­ta­tion Removes tox­ins and harm­ful bac­te­ria found in many foods to resist poten­tial infec­tion and illness.

The most widely rec­og­nized ben­e­fits of fer­men­ta­tion are in the preser­va­tion and cre­ation of enzymes,  impor­tant for all chem­i­cal reac­tions in the body, and the preser­va­tion and pro­lif­er­a­tion of Pro­bi­otic organ­isms, known to pro­tect the body against intesti­nal infec­tion and diges­tive disorders.

• Diges­tive dis­or­ders can be the cause for poor nutri­ent absorp­tion inevitably lead­ing to issues in other areas of the body such as rashes, brain fog, and chronic fatigue. These prob­lems are the bod­ies way of telling the brain that some­thing is not work­ing correctly.
• Ben­e­fi­cial Pro­bi­otics crowd out harm­ful bac­te­ria pro­tect­ing the intesti­nal lin­ing from infec­tion and inflammation

Incor­po­rat­ing fer­mented foods into your diet is a great way to keep your diges­tive tract and immune sys­tem in tip top shape. Start slowly and notice the role that each fer­mented food plays in your body. You may feel the ben­e­fits of some and not of oth­ers. To learn more about fer­men­ta­tion and its ben­e­fits, check out the Jour­nal of Ben­e­fi­cial Microbes or one of the many cook­books (Wild Fer­men­ta­tion by San­dor Katz) that also teach you how to home-ferment. Happy Fermenting!