Food & recipes

Go With Your Gut

Fermented foods that can help your digestion are hitting the supermarket shelves – but you can make them quite easily at home too…

Do you know your kombucha from your kimchi? What about your kefir from your sauerkraut? Packed with plenty of probiotics, fermented food is great for your gut. “We all house trillions of different bacteria and microbes in our bodies,” explains Natalie Lamb, nutritional therapist for Bio-Kult (bio-kult.com). “Bacteria play an essential role as our first line of defence against pathogens (diseasecausing organisms). They support efficient digestive function and bolster our immunity. But, a number of factors can compromise the effectiveness of the bacteria throughout the body.” With life’s everyday stresses, how can we ensure we maintain the natural balance of our resident gut microflora? “One potential solution is to consume foods containing live microorganisms, known as fermented foods,” says Natalie. If you’re not sure where to start, let our experts guide you…

What are fermented foods?

“Fermented foods have been eaten by people from different cultures all over the world for centuries,” says nutritional therapist Jeanette Hyde (thecollectivedairy.com). “Originally, fermenting was a method used to store produce such as pickles and dairy during the winter, before people had fridges. Over the last century, we have eaten less of these foods, as our fridges and additives have become more sophisticated.” However, research has revealed the powerful health benefits of fermentation. “Emerging science on gut bacteria is making fermented food popular again,” explains Jeanette. “We’re now learning how helpful the live bacteria that they contain are to our digestive systems and our overall health.”

Don’t want to make your own at home?

You can get the same benefits from shopbought products. “Fermented foods are fun and easy to make once you know how,” says Natalie Lamb. “However, many peoples’ busy lifestyles leave little time for fermentation, so they may prefer to buy ready-made items. Sauerkraut and kimchi labelled as ‘raw’ and kept in the fridge will most likely be live, whereas those kept on the shelf will most likely have been pasteurised to extend their shelf life, so will have lost some of their benefits, but not all.”

What are the benefits?

“These days, most of us know that if you want to be healthy, you need to look after your gut,” says River Cottage’s nutritionist, Naomi Devlin (rivercottage.net). But what exactly keeps your gut happy, and how do you fit that into a busy schedule? There are two simple words to remember when it comes to nourishing your gut: prebiotic and probiotic.

“Microbes like to munch on the soluble fibre that prebiotic foods provide, and feeding them keeps your gut microbiome balanced and healthy. You’ll find prebiotic fibre in lots of everyday foods, such as onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, cabbage, kale, broccoli, pulses, fruit, seeds and roots, including salsify, celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes.” However, as Naomi points out, if you don’t eat many of these foods at the moment, you should begin by slowly increasing the amount you consume to avoid any bloating.

“Fermented food might sound unfamiliar, but it’s probably already part of your diet in the form of yoghurt, cheese, tea, coffee, chocolate, or even olives,” adds Naomi. “The important thing to look for when you buy fermented food is that it has not been heat treated by pasteurisation or roasting, so that the microbes are still alive. Ferments like sauerkraut and kimchi combine prebiotic cabbage with the probiotic bacteria used in the fermentation, making them perfect gut tonics. They should be eaten little and often though, as they contain higher levels of salt than unfermented food. Fermenting transforms indigestible elements of food so that we can absorb nutrients better, as well as preserving nutrients and enzymes in food, much better than canning or drying does.” There are further health benefits to adding these foods to your diet as well. “Fermented vegetables are said to improve digestion if eaten with a meal, particularly meals high in animal protein,” says Natalie. “Vegetable fermentation is known to begin the breakdown of the vegetables, particularly fermentable carbohydrates, making them easier to tolerate for those with IBS.” And it’s not just food you should be looking out for: “There are also fermented drinks that are particularly good for repopulating the gut, such as milk and water kefir, kvass and kombucha – these should ideally be drunk on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, 15 minutes before eating,” suggests Naomi. Check out our guide to what you can make at home and what you can grab from the supermarket, to help you on your way to having a happy gut.

3 diy fermented foods

Sauerkraut

This is one of the most well-known traditional fermented foods, as well as being one of the easiest to make. “Simply pack some shredded cabbage with some salt into a sterile container, such as a mason jar,” says nutritional therapist Shona Wilkinson (shonawilkinson.com). “The cabbage releases a liquid which acts as its own brining solution. Leave it for a week or two and the cabbage will slowly ferment into sauerkraut.”

Kimchi

Although they’re both based on cabbage, the main differences between sauerkraut and kimchi is that the former relies on just two ingredients, whereas you can include ingredients such as ginger, chilli and other vegetables in kimchi. Simply massage salt into the cabbage and mix in your other spices and veg. Pack it all into a sterile mason jar until the brine rises up to cover the vegetables. Leave it at room temperature to ferment for up to five days.

Kefir

Think of kefir as drinkable, pourable yoghurt. It’s easy to make – all you need to do is add a teaspoon of kefir grains to a glass of milk and leave it out at room temperature for about 24 hours. Kefir grains are small cell structures that contain the bacteria and yeast that ferment the milk and are easy to find online (try happykombucha.co.uk). The best part is that you can strain out the grains and re-use them!