Make a ferment for health
Fermented products such as. Vegetables, fruits, grains or some cured meats help absorb B vitamins, many minerals and some amino acids, they also boost immunity. However, it is worth remembering that they lose significant amounts of vitamin C during fermentation and that they contain a lot of salt.
In someór fermented foods are very popular in some parts of the world, rósultry and valued for its good effects on the body. In others – considered harmful, unpalatable and unfit for consumption.
In Asia, brine-fermented products are very popular (e.g. kimchi) and fruit and vegetable pickles (e.g. wasabi). Fruit juices and dried vegetables are also subjected to this process. The situation is similar in Africa, where, in addition to vegetable and fruit pickles, rótions, vinegars and chili sauces, fermented grains are a very popular dish. In South America, pickled fruits and vegetables, fermented grains, as well as wines and other alcoholic beverages, such as. agave syrup.
– Although such a wayób food preservation is cheap and effective, allowing the consumption of such plants and their parts, whichóre in another form not necessarily suitable for eating, richer societies have significantly reduced consumption of the productóIn fermented in favor of frozen, productóin pasteurized or freeze-dried foods, reports the School of Headównn Agricultural University (SGGW).
The range of fermented foods has shrunk considerably, e.g. in America PóNORTH. Americans have begun to pay a great deal of attention to producing microbiologically clean foods. Currently, only a few households prepare fermented foods, and their taste does not suit the majority of the population. RóIn Europe, too, fermented foods are no longer so popular. The most common products are pickled vegetables and fruits, mainlyównie cabbage and olives. Europeans also consume large quantities of beveragesóin fermented (wine, beer, bread acid).
As noted by Dr. hab. Margaret Drydowan of the School of G³óof the countryside, moving away from product-basedóin fermented is not a step in the right direction, because the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process have a very good effect on our health.
Research results show that the fermentation process breaks down anti-nutrients in food. This allows our bodies to better absorb the minerals contained in the product. Fermentation also increases the absorption of B vitamins and someórych amino acidów. Iron, zinc and calcium administered with fermented products are up to 80 percent. more available to our body.
Microorganisms involved in the fermentation process also contribute to reducing the amount of toxic substances in the product. For example – produced by fungi – aflatoxins are up to 70 percent of the. less. These chemical compounds are resistant to all other methods of inactivating the. In addition, in lacto-fermented products – e.g. sauerkraut – there is less nitrateóin than in their fresh counterparts.
– Research shows that the bacteriocins in fermented foods reduce the development ofój harmful microorganismsów, and also have a beneficial effect on our body’s immunity. Fermented foods are therefore not only safe for our health, but can also be a source ofóa source of natural antibioticsóin – reports SGGW.
Experiments conducted on mice with implanted liver cancer showed that the tumor shrank after 30 days of fermented fruit and vegetable juice. On the other hand, men who regularly consume kimchi have been spotted m.in. A favorable change in the rate ofóin blood lipids – The amount of „bad” cholesterol (LDL) decreased, while „good” (HDL) – increased.
However, it is worth remembering,” mentions Dr. Drywiew, “that although fermented foods are rich in someóre nutrients, it loses e.g. significant amounts of vitamin C in relation to the fresh product. It also contains significant amounts of salt, making it not a very good food for osób with kidney disease or high blood pressure. In addition, the fermentation process takes time, whichóry does not necessarily benefit the product. – If the food is subjected to processingóbce incompatible with the culinary arts, there is a risk that compounds and pathogenic organisms will form in itórice, such as. mold,” warn SGGW specialists.
Fermentation was one of the issues addressed during the conference in the series Facts and Fictions in Human Nutrition organized by the Polish Society of Nutritional Sciences – Board of Heads ofóThe Department of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW), for example. Dr. hab. Małgorzata Drywień gave a presentation entitled “The.: „Plant-based fermented products – benefits and risks”.
