Take the help of fermented food to boost immunity if nothing else is working for you

Keeping a healthy gut is critical for the overall health of the body. Foods that aid digestion, and reduce inflammation will help you lead a healthier life. A diet rich in fermented foods is exactly what you need, as it will enhance the diversity of gut microbes and decrease molecular signs of inflammation.

What is fermentation?

Fermentation is an ancient technique of preserving food. It is the process of the chemical breakdown of a substance in an environment without oxygen. Organisms such as yeast, mold, or bacteria are required to play catalysts in the fermentation process that create easy to digest probiotics and simpler components of the food. Fermentation enriches the nutrients in certain foods and helps prevent them from spoiling and rot.

The fermentation process requires constant vigil and monitoring. It’s a slow chemical process and the starter culture requires a controlled environment to come to fruition. In case the right conditions are not available, pathogens and toxic microorganisms could grow in the fermented food.

Here’s how fermented food helps reduce inflammation

Foods rich in probiotics help replenish gut bacteria, usually damaged by stress, use of antibiotics, and a diet heavy on processed foods, causing inflammation. Inflammation makes the body swollen, and itchy.

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Stanford University School of Medicine conducted a clinical trial with 36 healthy adults, who were put on a 10-week diet. The diet comprises fermented or high-fibre foods and showed an impact on the gut microbiome and the immune system. “It provides one of the first examples of how a simple change in diet can reproducibly remodel the microbiota across a cohort of healthy adults,” said Justin Sonnenburg, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford.

A diet rich in fermented foods will help decrease the levels of inflammatory proteins. As per the results of the trial, one of the proteins include ‘interleukin 6’, is linked to ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and chronic stress. Such a diet can boost the immune system, and decrease inflammation in the body, helping combat chronic inflammatory diseases. Fermented foods can also help with weight management, reduce the risk of diabetes, and improve cardiovascular health.

Foods such as yoghurt, paneer, and dhokla can increase the overall microbial diversity in your gut and aid digestion as well. These foods will balance the number of bacteria in your intestines, and improve your immune system. Inflammation is also reduced on the consumption of such foods as they improve the health of the intestinal tract. The increased nutrient bioavailability and diminished lactose intolerance symptoms improve overall health.

So, ladies, try including fermented foods in your diet to reduce inflammation and reap the health benefits!