Fermentation, Probiotics, Prebiotics

Fermentation, it's been known to humans since early civilization how to harvest the benefits from our microbial friends. Sourdough bread, Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Beer, Yogurt, Chocolate, Kombucha are some examples.

Why is fermentation so good for us?

Each one of us is born with a unique set to bacterial culture as unique as our fingerprint. There are in fact more bacteria in us than our own cells. These bacteria live in harmony to produce B vitamins, protect the lining of our intestines, defending us against allergens and foreign invaders.


When we eat fermented foods, we are feeding our gut with good bacteria and allowing them to flourish. These foods are also known as probiotic foods. Pre-biotics are foods that feed on the probiotics. These include Jerusalem artichoke, Dandelion greens, raw garlic, leeks, onions, asparagus, banana.

Probiotics and pre-biotics are great foods and especially beneficial for people with IBD. Those with colitis have an inflamed intestine and need the good bacteria to repopulate in order to prevent further damage to the lining of our intestines. Some benefits of fermentation to digestion are:

• Increase bioavailability of nutrients
• Increase probiotic culture to produce lactic acid which lowers the pH making it hard for bad bacteria to thrive.
• Predigest foods and lesson the work for stomach and enzymes
• Decrease the anti-nutrients in foods ex. Phytates in legumes.

For someone who lacks the "good" bacterias in their intestines, a probiotic supplement is often recommended. There are many probiotics supplements out there. Some are refrigerated, others are not. Some are from human strains, others are not. With so many to choose from it can be confusing. What is recommended is to take a probiotic ideally with as many strains as possible that is refrigerated. You should rotate your probiotic supplements to get a variety. Since there are more bacteria in us than our own cells, it is very difficult to pinpoint which strains of micro bacteria is not in balance. Our micro-biomes are as unique as our finger print and there is no single source of probiotics that is going to treat the dysbiosis of the gut. There are many interesting research out there studying the human micro-biome and perhaps one day it can be seen as the future of medicine where we are prescribed certain strains of bacteria to treat differing conditions.