Standing at my kitchen counter, I can hear the effervescent popping and pinging of air bubbles in my water kefir. In this one single jar, lives a community of microbacteria that I have nurtured for about three years. It was gifted to me by a doctor friend – I was her “first successful transplant”; her other kefir grain gifts didn’t survive.
By religiously feeding the right food to the grains and creating an environment for it to thrive, I now make one bottle of water kefir every week. Next to the kefir jar, are other jars of kombucha, kraut and kimchi. These “four Ks” appear to supercharge gut bacteria, boosting physical and mental health.
Professor Tim Spector, one of the most fervent champions of the microbiome diet, advises we eat at least 30 different types of plants each week and consume fermented foods instead of ultra-processed foods, which have a detrimental effect on our gut.
According to a Stanford University study, a fermented-food diet increases immunity and overall health, helping with weight maintenance as well as decreasing the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Often dubbed the body’s “second brain”, bad gut health has also been linked to depression and low mood.
The “gut-pound” has brought a payday to some. Supermarket shelves now heave under the weight of cans of kombucha, kefir and gut shots. Drinking a £2.50 gut shot daily would mean parting with nearly £1,000 a year and that’s before factoring in the £10 jar of kimchi, the £5 tub of miso and the £3 bottle of kombucha. But the good news is that it’s easy to live a fermenting lifestyle without breaking the bank. It also doesn’t have to be complicated.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin August 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin August 05, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Uefa's voyage of discovery is a mystery tour for fans
It isn’t so much how the new-look Champions League is going to work as will it work at all, writes Miguel Delaney
No same-sex couples leaves routines looking flat-footed
This year’s Strictly’ cast is without any same-sex pairings. Ellie Muir mourns the loss of them and explains why they’ve made for some of the best choreography in recent history
'Everything I ever worked on is coming together now'
Conceptual artist, painter, mentor to the YBAs, overnight success at 55. On the eve of a Royal Academy retrospective show, Mark Hudson interviews Michael Craig-Martin
BACK TO SCHOOL
This season sees designers leaning into the old trades of tailoring and ladies’ occasion wear, as previously outdated modes of dress are revamped. The kids are suiting and scrubbing up, writes Joseph Bobowicz from backstage
Seductress of the century
Femme fatale Pamela Harriman was able to change the course of history by captivating leading political figures from Churchill to Clinton using a legendary kingmaking’ technique to devastating effect, as explained by Sonia Purnell
World news in brief
Billionaire back on Earth after walking in space
Seven dead as 'catastrophic' Storm Boris floods Europe
Month’s worth of rain in 24 hours hits several countries
Here's how Harris wins the swing state of Pennsylvania
Scranton’s first female mayor has lessons for the presidential hopeful, ahead of her visit to the must-win state this week
Navalny ally calls on West to invest in Russia's next generation to beat Putin
‘The vast majority of anti-Putin, anti-war Russians are not changing their minds, Leonid Volkov tells Tom Watling
Home news in brief
Tributes paid to mother and children killed in triple murder