Fermented Foods for Gut Health

My love of fermented foods for gut health has been inspired by my children. My son, Owen (now 3 years old) has severe food allergies and mild asthma (you can read an older blog post about him here). And then there’s my daughter, June (5 months old) who has cystic fibrosis, a chronic genetic disease (I posted about her more recently here). I’m not sure how it happened that I ended up with two beautiful, courageous children with two different (somewhat severe) medical needs, but as a concerned mother who just so happens to be a health coach, I simply have to try to do something about it. Which brings me to fermented foods for gut health…

A strong gut is the basis for combatting most any disease. You simply must be able to properly digest your foods in order to provide your body with the necessary nutrition to not only function as nature intended, but to enhance immunity as well. There are a number of foods that we shouldn’t be eating if we want to improve our guts, but I think it’s more helpful to start with the things that we SHOULD be eating. And the more we add in the good foods, the less room there will be for the bad.

Why Eat Fermented Foods for Gut Health

The overall target for improved gut health is to shift your gut flora (i.e. bacteria, yeasts and other fungi) from toxic, gut-penetrating organisms, to beneficial bacteria that help to seal the gut (no one wants a leaky gut) and fully digest your food. There are millions of organisms living in your gut and there’s a full on war happening in there! That’s right, everyone – the good and the bad gut flora are just battling it out for prime real estate in your intestines. And who do we want to win? The good guys, of course!

Fermented foods for gut health successfully introduce healthy intestinal flora. This means you’re adding good guys, which will in turn, crowds out the bad guys. As I touched on above, the bad guys are not only failing to digest your food properly, but they’re also releasing toxins that are harmful to your body. And depending on the particular type of bad bacteria or fungi, there’s potential for the organism (or its byproducts) to leak through your gut into your bloodstream where it can cause a number of other problems completely unrelated to digestion. So, let’s add a few more good guys to the ranks by consuming RAW, fermented foods. Here are just a few to get you started:

Sauerkraut and Kimchi

Sauerkraut was the very first fermented food for gut health that I tried making at home. It’s simple as can be and only requires 2 ingredients – cabbage and salt (caraway seeds are options, although I highly recommend it). If you want to try it as well, check out this recipe from thekitchn.com. Not only do they have a great set of detailed instructions, but they’re also very detailed about what can possibly go wrong. And trust me, you’ll know when something has gone wrong – the smell is unappetizing to say the least.

If you’re not up for the challenge of homemade sauerkraut you can find it in most health food stores and likely even in some larger chain grocery stores, but make sure it’s NOT in a can; you’ll find the raw stuff refrigerated. If it’s in a can, this means it has been heated to high temperatures which kills all of those beneficial organisms that we’re after. Kimchi is also available for purchase in most health food stores. It’s simply sauerkraut on steroids – you add a few more flavorful ingredients for a spicy concoction. The Kitchn has a great recipe for kimchi too.

Kefir, Yogurt and Other Fermented Dairy

We all know what yogurt is, so I won’t bother explaining. Kefir is similar to yogurt, but different cultures are used in its making and the end consistency is much runnier than store bought yogurt. Both are easy to make, but you need a few gadgets to make it happen. For yogurt, I use a dehydrator that can hold a constant warming temperature to allow the fermentation to occur. I’ve also used the warming drawer on my oven which isn’t even close to being a consistent temperature, but it still worked. If you don’t have either of these gadgets, I have a friend who simply places her fermenting yogurt into a cooler with two large jars of contained boiled water. The cooler keeps the heat in and the yogurt is kept warm enough to properly ferment. So, it’s not complicated. I followed the methods of Sally Fallon in her book Nourishing Traditions.

Kefir doesn’t require a warming device, but instead requires a starter culture. The starter culture for kefir are tiny little balls of bacteria called kefir grains. Kefir is incredible easy to make as long as you remember to change out your milk every 24hrs. You can purchase kefir grains online like these. 

Fermented cheese is a little trickier and I haven’t actually tried making this myself. However, raw cheeses are available for purchase, but you likely won’t find these in a regular old grocery store, which carries pasteurized cheeses. Pasteurized cheeses have been heated to high temperatures and the beneficial bacteria is therefore dead.

Fermented Dairy Products for Diarrhea or Constipation

Fermented dairy falls into 2 categories: those high in fat and those high in protein. Whey (byproduct from straining fermented dairy), yogurt, kefir, and cheese are higher in protein and can be great foods for people suffering from diarrhea. The lactic acid in these foods can help sooth the gut, slow foods movement through the digestive system and help to firm a runny stool. However, these protein-rich products are NOT beneficial for those with constipation who need higher fat fermented dairy such as ghee, butter and sour cream. Lactic acid is an important component in most fermentation, so those suffering from constipation can more so benefit from high fat dairy, sauerkraut juice and juice from other fermented vegetables. If constipation is an issue, you should avoid the high protein dairy products.

Kombucha

Okay, I’m an addict. I am continually brewing my own kombucha thanks to a a generous stranger who delivered a SCOBY – the necessary starter for fermenting tea – to my house. Kombucha is one of the more interesting (to me, anyways) fermented foods because of the process by which it’s made. You recycle the starter, the SCOBY (see above photo), numerous times to continue making fresh fermented tea. If you’re not ready to try making your own, kombucha is readily available for purchase at health food stores and even in some larger grocery stores. However, check out www.kombuchakamp.com if you want to know more about the brewing process.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Miso and Soy Sauce

These don’t necessarily go together because of the fermentation process, but because I consider them to all be condiments (and I really can’t say anything about making these foods, because I’ve never actually tried). The key is to make sure the products are RAW! Most soy sauce is pasteurized, so you have to buy a specific brand like Raw Organic Nama Shoyu soy sauce. Soy intolerant? Raw coconut aminos are a good substitute. You’ll find miso in the refrigerated section of many health food stores and is often an ingredient in soups and sauces. I add mine at the end of the cooking process (same goes for raw apple cider vinegar and soy sauce) after the soup/sauce has stopped boiling in order to keep those healthy bacteria alive.