THE f WORD

The ancient practice of fermentation is one of the hottest trends in nutrition today. Here’s why.

- ABBEY SHARP, RD

FERMENTATION IS THE SCIENCE-DRIVEN PROcess involved in making everything from crunchy dill pickles to creamy yogurt to refreshing beer. An ancient practice that dates back to the 1800s with Louis Pasteur, fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeast and other micro-organisms.

The output isn’t just tasty snacks but also mighty good bacteria called probiotics. Well, sorta. The truth is, probiotics are actually present before fermentation exists since bacteria live naturally on dairy and the skins of fruits and vegetables. But the process and environment involved in pickling, preserving and other fermentation methods allow them to flourish and multiply. Between the acidic solution (think vinegar), an oxygen-free environment (the jar) and a cool but not too cool temperature (ideally, around 70°F/21°C), you’re setting yourself up for bacteria to thrive and multiply. And while that usually doesn’t sound healthy, science tells us otherwise.

Probiotics are often synonymous with improvements in gut health, with research suggesting that probiotic supplementation may help reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome. But that’s just scratching the surface: Fermenting food may also improve the bioavailability of some nutrients by improving antioxidant activity and reducing toxic antinutrients (like phytates).

Emerging research on rodents also suggests a link between the gut and the brain, with specific probiotic strains influencing brain activity in ways that may reduce anxiety, depression and even memory loss. In the world of chronic health conditions, research has linked eating fermented dairy with reducing the risk of stroke, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and even cancer.