Have you ever wondered how our ancestors kept their food from spoiling? After all, not so long ago there was no refrigeration. There was no pasteurization. But there was fermentation.
Most traditional cultures used fermentation. It’s how they preserved food and made it safe for eating.
Grape juice was fermented into wine more than 8,000 years ago. It was safer to drink than water. Milk was fermented into yogurt. Cabbage was fermented in Asia to make Kimchi. Soy was fermented into miso paste and natto.
It wasn’t until around 1900 that we discovered these foods were actually more healthful. That’s when Nobel Prize-winning scientist Elie Metchnikoff revealed that fermented milk products were the secret to the long, healthy lives of Bulgarian peasants. He believed yogurt contained unseen organisms that protected people against harmful bacteria. He was right.
Metchnikoff had discovered probiotics.
Modern science is just catching up with what the ancients knew for thousands of years. Probiotics and fermented foods are safer and healthier.
Fermentation Transforms Ordinary Foods Into Superfoods
Fermented foods go through a process called lactofermentation. Natural microorganisms like bacteria, yeasts and mold feed on the sugar, proteins and starch in the food. That creates lactic acid and preserves the food.
It creates beneficial enzymes, B vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids. It also creates various strains of probiotics or beneficial bacteria.
As fermentation breaks down the food it makes it more digestible. In effect, fermentation partially digests food for you so your body doesn’t have to do so much work.
But the probiotics in fermented foods do much more.
Studies show they help prevent diarrhea, relieve lactose intolerance, and support liver and immune function. They relieve inflammation, arthritis, allergies, and eczema. They help control hypertension and cholesterol. Probiotics also help relieve stomach ulcers, urinary tract infections and inflammatory bowel disease. They even reduce certain risks of cancer.1
Eat More Bugs! How To Add Fermented Superfoods To Your Diet
You can get probiotics from a supplement. But I advise my patients here at the Wellness Center to get these amazing organisms by eating fermented foods. It’s easy and delicious.
Just add one quarter to one half cup of fermented veggies to one meal per day. Work up to three meals a day. You’ll find it can very quickly have a dramatic impact on your health.
Look for naturally fermented vegetables like pickled cucumbers, beets, radish roots, onions, sauerkraut, salsa and kimchi. You’ll find them in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
You might also like to try kombucha, a fermented drink now popping up in many grocery stores. And add miso to soups, stews and marinades.
Fermentation is a miracle process. Research in this field is exploding. I predict in the next few years we’ll see probiotics and the fermentation process used in a vast variety of industries.
I’m already using it in my Pure Radiance beauty products. Here’s why.
You’ve heard me talk about the dangers of parabens in your personal care products. They’re added as preservatives to kill harmful bacteria. But parabens mimic estrogen. They can increase breast cancer risk. A 2003 UK study detected parabens in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tumors.2
That’s why none of my products contain parabens. In my new Renew SCII, I went back to the wisdom of the ancients when I needed a preservative to keep this formula fresh and safe. I went back to fermentation.
In my Renew SCII formula I added fermented radish root. It contains the same friendly bacteria (Leuconostoc) traditionally used to make kimchi.
I don’t want you to put harsh synthetic chemical preservatives on your skin. That’s why I added this naturally fermented ingredient. You’ll see it on the label as “Leuconostoc/ Radish Root Ferment Filtrate.” And now you know why it’s there.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1. S. Parvez et al, Probiotics and their fermented food products are beneficial for health. Journal of Applied Microbiology, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02963.x
2. Darbre, P.D. and Harvey, P.W., Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks, J. Appl. Toxicol. July 2008;28(5):561-78