Good bacteria can improve intestinal health, and fermented foods are one of the sources of good bacteria. However, modern-day fermented foods manufactured under accelerated chemical processes without proper fermentation can be problematic. The line between genuine fermentation and mold is wafer-thin. So how can we be sure we’re eating safely fermented foods? Professor Wang Shao-hong, a microbiology expert, provides tips on how to eat fermented foods.
Nutritional Value of Fermented Foods
Mr. Wang explained that fermentation is a process in which microorganisms decompose food from large into smaller molecules, changing the properties of substances. The agents that perform such transformations are called enzymes. Bread, steamed buns, soy sauce, yogurt, natto, miso, and stinky tofu are common fermented foods.Fermented foods have the following three main benefits:
- Easier to absorb smaller molecules: Once protein or starch is broken down into smaller molecules, it becomes easier to absorb.
- Postbiotics increase immunity: The metabolites produced by lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria during fermentation are called postbiotics. Postbiotics can be used to improve body immunity and health.
- Easier to digest: There are always certain substances the body cannot absorb directly. Those substances are metabolized through fermentation, allowing the body to absorb them. Things like oleuropein from olives or stachyose and soybean raffinose are such substances. They require many microorganisms to break them down, resulting in flatulence. Fermentation lessens the chances of this.
