The Fuss About Fermented Foods - article

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The Fuss About Fermented Foods - article

Postby Sheppie on Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:42 am

I came across an interesting article, here is an abstract:

Do You Kombucha? The Fuss About Fermented Foods
by Sally Wadyka in Food News, Trends, October 27, 2014

There’s nothing new about fermenting food. In fact, it may be one of the oldest food preparation techniques around. Long before we were sipping pricy Kombuchas at the local café, our ancestors were using this process as a means of keeping their food from spoiling in age without refrigeration. “Fermentation was one of the earliest forms of food preservation,” says Kathie Swift, RDN, author of The Swift Diet (Hudson Street Press, 2014). “Traditional cultures were intentionally fermenting fruits, vegetables and grains well over 10,000 years ago, but they lost popularity when modern conveniences came into use.”

Lately, despite our ability to preserve and refrigerate food, fermentation is all the rage again. So what exactly are fermented foods (and beverages)? And why should we make a point of including them in our diets? We asked Swift — a huge fan of fermenting — for some answers.

Can you give a quick definition of fermented food?
It’s when the bacteria in the foods break down the sugars into acids, preserving the food and imparting a distinctively salty, tangy flavor.

What are some of the more common fermented foods (maybe ones we’re already eating and don’t know it)?
Sauerkraut — which is fermented cabbage — is probably the best-known and one of the most commonly eaten fermented foods in our culture. Others that are becoming increasingly popular and easy to find include yogurt, kefir, tempeh, miso, and kombucha.

Why are these foods so good for us?
There’s been a scientific revolution of sorts in the past few years as more and more research has been done on the so-called ‘microbiome’ of bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tracts. When these healthy bacteria are functioning normally and proliferating properly, our digestion flows smoothly. But when our gut bacteria gets out of whack — from taking antibiotics, eating poorly, or being under a lot of stress — it can result in inflammation, heartburn, intestinal issues, bloating and even weight gain. And that’s where fermented foods come in. They are packed with good bacteria called probiotics that communicate and interact with our own resident gut bacteria to boost them and help bolster our immune system.

Read more at: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats ... c=linkback
http://www.scienceclarified.com/Ex-Ga/Fermentation.html
http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/09 ... ation-boom
Sheppie
 
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