Study Finds Filling The Diet With Fermented Foods May Reduce Inflammation

Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir can help reduce inflammation in the body by increasing the diversity of gut bacteria, according to a new study from the Stanford School of Medicine. The same goes for fermented drinks and liquid products like kombucha tea and fermented vegetable brine drinks, according to the researchers, who compared the effects of a diet high in fermented foods with a diet high in fiber. .

Fermented foods and drinks were very common before the development of refrigeration. Dairy products, for example, were first fermented into drinks like kefir and foods like yogurt before being consumed, with unfermented dairy products only gaining popularity when refrigeration became widely available. A recent study has linked this change in the way dairy products are consumed with a negative impact on human health.

However, the issue of fermented foods and diverse and beneficial gut bacteria goes beyond dairy products. A healthy gut microbiome has been linked to everything from reduced inflammation to protective effects on mental health, reduced chances of developing certain autoimmune diseases, and increased protection against factors such as hypertension. .

Given the increasingly obvious role that gut bacteria play in human health, it’s no surprise that many people are looking for ways to reliably and effectively improve their own gut microbiome. Probiotic supplements are a popular option, but they have often been criticized as being of little use, in part because of the need to store them properly in the refrigerator at all times.

According to the researchers behind this new study, it turns out that consuming fermented foods and drinks is all it takes to significantly improve the diversity of your gut bacteria, with more consumption leading to changes. more notable.

The research involved 36 adult participants who were described as healthy. These participants were instructed to spend 10 weeks on a diet high in fiber or high in fermented foods. The fermented food group benefited the most in terms of the diversity of gut bacteria, according to the study, which also found that blood markers of inflammation also decreased in these participants.

Participants who consumed a high-fiber diet did not experience the same decrease in markers of inflammation, the study notes, despite researchers anticipating that the increase in fiber would have a greater impact on gut bacteria. . It seems that for those who want to increase the diversity of their gut bacteria and potentially improve their health, it is ideal to focus on fermented foods, not a short-term high fiber intake.