What is fermentation?

There are three types of fermentation; ethanol fermentation that results in alcoholic drinks like wine, and ciders; acetic acid fermentation that results in things like apple cider vinegar and kombucha and finally lactic acid fermentation that result in things like cheese, sauerkraut and water kefir. 

There are many wonderfully scientific definitions with detailed chemical breakdown of the fermentation process however very simply put, fermentation is the process where microorganisms like bacteria and yeast eat and breakdown carbs and sugars.  

A simple definition for such a magical process with a long list of benefits.

For hundreds of years almost every culture around the world has included fermented foods in their daily diet, however fermented foods and drinks are actually the most neglected dietary component in our modern world.  But things are changing or going back , depending how you look at it.  The scientific research is consistently showing the necessity of fermented food and drinks in a healthy balanced diet.  Every single system in our body relies on the body’s ability to food into fuel and one of the healthiest ways to do the is by eating fermented food. 

The list is long but some of the benefits of fermented food include :  making the foods easier to digest, the nutrients to be more readily available and easier to absorb,  to help regulate sugar carb cravings,  to create more variety of tastes and textures, to organically preserve foods nutrients and minerals and enzymes free of pathogens and of course, we love these living foods mostly for their probiotic and microorganism content  which have been clinically  proven to be good for gut health.   Another bonus is that the better bacteria (probiotics found in certain ferments can actually defend the gut from being colonized by the harmful (pathogenic) bacteria, that make you sick. ,  Eating fermented drinks and foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, Tempeh Jun, and water kefir should be incorporated into your diet every day before or as part of a meal. 

One thing you should be aware of is that not all fermented foods have the same strains or numbers of probiotics.  Not all ferments even have probiotics in them.  Some ferments have more nutrients like vitamin b and K. Some ferments have tons of liver detoxing enzymes, like kombucha.  So, knowing which ferment is what is important.  Another important deciding factor on your ferment choice is to know and trust the brewer. Many  ferments found in grocery stores have been pasteurized (killing all probiotics and nutrients) or recipes have been adjusted so the counts are so low they are no longer therapeutic.  This is due to the difficulty of shelf stability and shelf life of living ferments.  You want to make sure the magic and health benefits in your ferment you are drinking or eating has not been sacrificed.