Gut health and fermented foods -
A diet rich in fermented foods enhances the diversity of gut microbes and decreases molecular signs of inflammation, according to researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine. In a clinical trial, 36 healthy adults were randomly assigned to a week diet that included either fermented or high-fiber foods.
The two diets resulted in different effects on the gut microbiome and the immune system. Eating foods such as yogurt, kefir, fermented cottage cheese, kimchi and other fermented vegetables, vegetable brine drinks, and kombucha tea led to an increase in overall microbial diversity, with stronger effects from larger servings.
In addition, four types of immune cells showed less activation in the fermented-food group. The levels of 19 inflammatory proteins measured in blood samples also decreased.
One of these proteins, interleukin 6, has been linked to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and chronic stress. By contrast, none of these 19 inflammatory proteins decreased in participants assigned to a high-fiber diet rich in legumes, seeds, whole grains, nuts, vegetables and fruits.
On average, the diversity of their gut microbes also remained stable. The study published online July 12 in Cell.
Justin and Erica Sonnenburg and Christopher Gardner are co-senior authors. The lead authors are Hannah Wastyk , a PhD student in bioengineering, and former postdoctoral scholar Gabriela Fragiadakis, PhD, who is now an assistant professor of medicine at UC-San Francisco. A wide body of evidence has demonstrated that diet shapes the gut microbiome, which can affect the immune system and overall health.
According to Gardner, low microbiome diversity has been linked to obesity and diabetes. The researchers focused on fiber and fermented foods due to previous reports of their potential health benefits.
While high-fiber diets have been associated with lower rates of mortality, the consumption of fermented foods can help with weight maintenance and may decrease the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The researchers analyzed blood and stool samples collected during a three-week pre-trial period, the 10 weeks of the diet, and a four-week period after the diet when the participants ate as they chose.
The findings paint a nuanced picture of the influence of diet on gut microbes and immune status. On one hand, those who increased their consumption of fermented foods showed similar effects on their microbiome diversity and inflammatory markers, consistent with prior research showing that short-term changes in diet can rapidly alter the gut microbiome.
The results also showed that greater fiber intake led to more carbohydrates in stool samples, pointing to incomplete fiber degradation by gut microbes. These findings are consistent with other research suggesting that the microbiome of people living in the industrialized world is depleted of fiber-degrading microbes.
Our gut contains hundreds of different strains of bacterium, Avena explained. These factors span from maternal health prior to birth all the way to the current environment.
We know these bacteria help with digestion, absorption, and byproduct of nutrients that can directly affect our mental health. The brain and gut are connected by many pathways involving nerves and circulation, Dr.
William Li , medical doctor and New York Times bestselling author of Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer , explained. These signals can influence the gut bacterial ecosystem.
From a circulation standpoint, microbes in the gut can produce substances that enter the bloodstream and then circulate those substances directly into the brain.
Similarly, chemical signals produced by brain cells can enter the bloodstream from the brain and circulate to the gut, affecting the gut microbiome, Li added.
Fermented foods contain bioactives from the original food itself polyphenols , dietary fiber as examples , and healthy bacteria probiotics as well as the metabolites created by these bacteria post-biotics.
These components of fermented foods contribute to the activity of the gut microbiome of someone who consumes the food, either by feeding healthy gut bacteria — stimulating their action on the gut-brain axis — or by contributing to the gut bacteria or their products directly, Li explained. The review addresses many of the knowledge gaps and limitations of current research in the gut-brain connection.
The generalization of findings is also limited by how fermented foods differ across regions by how they are produced, and the environment in which they are stored and consumed. Despite these limitations, however, the review makes a compelling case based on scientific evidence that gut health influences brain health, which influences mood and behavior, Li added.
While the authors point out where the individual studies that they cite have poor methodology, such as inadequate controls, there is no formal scoring of research quality of individual papers. Najaf Amin and mental health advocate Rachel Kelly join Medical News Today in conversation about why and how diet might help fight symptoms of….
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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Could eating more fermented foods help improve mental health? By Kaitlin Vogel on February 2, — Fact checked by Hilary Guite, FFPH, MRCGP.
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Set the jar on the counter Gut health and fermented foods cover with a fermentation lid. Alternatively, use a standard lid and loosen it a bit more each day for the first few days, then loosen it incrementally every other day, to allow gases to escape.
Let pickle for three to five days, depending on the indoor temperature the vegetables will pickle faster in warmer climates. Check the taste at the end of the third day, using clean utensils.
Make sure the vegetables stay packed beneath the level of the liquid, adding salted water 2 teaspoons sea salt dissolved in 1 cup warm filtered water as needed. When the vegetables are pickled to your liking, seal the jar with a regular lid and refrigerate.
The vegetables will continue to slowly pickle in the refrigerator. They will keep for about one month. Taste for saltiness before serving and, if desired, rinse gently to remove excess salt. Adapted with permission from Always Delicious, by David S.
Ludwig, M. But one of the biggest benefits of fermented foods comes from probiotics. Recent research suggests that the type of gut bacteria in the bodies of Americans is changing. One possible reason is that the microbiomes in our bodies are not regularly replenished the way they were in past generations.
That's because of changes in the American diet — particularly the rise in processed foods — and because of better hygiene, which cuts down on the number of microbes people are exposed to naturally through dirt and other contaminants, according to Dr.
In addition, antibiotics are used widely and can kill off beneficial organisms along with the bad ones. Changes to the population of gut microbes may create an imbalance between beneficial and harmful gut bacteria, leading to health problems.
When the digestive tract has an unhealthy mix of organisms, it can actually lead to a weakening of the walls of the intestines, which start to leak their contents into the bloodstream — a condition referred to, not surprisingly, as leaky gut syndrome, according Dr.
Chronic exposure to these substances leaking out from the intestines has been linked to a host of health problems, ranging from asthma and eczema to schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, he says.
Fermented foods can bolster the gut microbiome, creating a healthier mix of microbes and strengthening the walls of the intestines to keep them from leaking.
If people eat probiotics like those found in fermented foods from early childhood, that can help train the immune system to tolerate — and cooperate with — a diverse, beneficial microbiome, says Dr.
After the first few months and years of life, a person's microbe population is relatively stable, but adults who eat fermented foods regularly can still reap benefits. Adding fermented foods to the diet is relatively easy, says Dr. You can find naturally fermented foods at natural-food stores and many supermarkets.
And fermentation is also easy and safe to do at home by following some simple instructions. But keep in mind that not all fermented foods are created equal.
For instance, although cheese is fermented, it's not known to bring the same health benefits as yogurt. The difference is live microbes, says Dr. Yogurt has them; cheese typically doesn't. Live cultures are found not only in yogurt and a yogurt-like drink called kefir, but also in Korean pickled vegetables called kimchisauerkraut, and some pickles.
The jars of pickles you can buy off the shelf at the supermarket are sometimes pickled using vinegar and not the natural fermentation process using live organisms, which means they don't contain probiotics.
To ensure the fermented foods you choose do contain probiotics, look for the words "naturally fermented" on the label, and when you open the jar look for telltale bubbles in the liquid, which signal that live organisms are inside the jar, says Dr.
Yogurt might be the easiest fermented food for Americans to add to their diets, because they're already familiar with it. In addition to eating raw and cooked vegetables, add pickled vegetables as a side with dinner or topping a salad. Or toss a little sauerkraut into a sandwich or wrap.
Another option is fermented soybeans, which are found in natto, tempeh, and miso. If you're really adventurous, you can also try fermented fish, which are commonly eaten in some Northern and Asian cultures, but may be something of an acquired taste, says Dr. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
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A time-tested preservation method While research into the health benefits of fermented foods is relatively new, the process of fermentation has long been used to help foods last longer and keep them from spoiling. A fermented food recipe to make at home Fermenting foods at home is relatively easy and safe.
Spicy Pickled Vegetables Escabeche These spicy pickles are reminiscent of the Mediterranean and Latin American culinary technique known as escabeche. Traditionally, the larger vegetables would be lightly cooked before pickling, but we prefer to use a quick fermentation method and leave the vegetables a bit crisp instead 2 cups filtered water 1 to 1¼ tablespoons sea salt 1 jalapeño or a few small hot chilies, or to taste, sliced 1 large carrot, cut into ¼-inch rounds or diagonal slices 1 to 2 cups chopped cauliflower or small cauliflower florets 3 small stalks celery use only small inner stalks from the heartcut into 1-inch sticks 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 cabbage leaf Warm the water no need to boil.
A changing microbiome But one of the biggest benefits of fermented foods comes from probiotics. Growing a healthy microbiome If people eat probiotics like those found in fermented foods from early childhood, that can help train the immune system to tolerate — and cooperate with — a diverse, beneficial microbiome, says Dr.
: Gut health and fermented foods| Fermented foods for better gut health | Kimchi 3. Some ingredients are fermented but do not contain any active bacteria. Tonolo, F. Free Healthbeat Signup Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox! Close Thanks for visiting. Toxicon , 1—7 |
| What are fermented foods? | Food Sci Nutr. Trends Food Sci. Natto Bacillus ferrmented a large amount of water-soluble vitamin K menaquinone Derrien, M. in Lactic Acid Bacteria eds Vinderola, G. Functional Foods in Health and Disease. |
| The Dos and Don’ts of Fermented Foods | Let Ginger for menstrual cramps for three to five days, depending on the fermfnted temperature the vegetables will pickle Gut health and fermented foods in warmer climates. These foods fermehted it easier for the Gut health and fermented foods to allow nutrients to be absorbed during digestion and can build immune deficiencies. Thrombolytic effect of nattokinase on a chemically induced thrombosis model in rat. Free amino acids and bioactive peptides profile of Pastırma during its processing. Degradation of cyanogenic glycosides by Lactobacillus plantarum strains from spontaneous cassava fermentation and other microorganisms. Jang, M. |
| Fermented foods can add depth to your diet - Harvard Health | Measure content performance. Nutrients 8 , 78 Choi, Y. By Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD. In Traditional Chinese Medicine , fermented foods are included in the diet to help prevent deficiencies, support the gut and vital organs , and improve detoxification. Neuroactive compounds in foods: occurrence, mechanism and potential health effects. |
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