If you’re health-conscious, you may already know about the benefits of consuming raw foods and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle. One type of food, however, which is overlooked in dietary consumption is fermented foods.
Fermented foods are powerful detoxifiers and if you make a point of eating organic fermented vegetables, they can contain close to 10 trillion beneficial bacteria, which is higher than most, if not all, probiotics supplements being sold.
Some of the other benefits of fermented food include:
- Lowered risk of viral infections, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, colonic cancer, arthritis, and gastro-intestinal disorders
- Improved digestion
- A stronger immune system
- Assistance with the restoration of natural enzymes in the body
- Improved mood, mental health, and emotional balance
Fermented foods are actually so powerful that eating too much of them can create a healing crisis. What ends up happening is that the probiotics will eliminate a large number of pathogens in the gut, triggering the release of powerful toxins. It’s recommended that you start with one teaspoon of fermented food, such as organic sauerkraut, and then gradually work your way up from there. After approximately 3-5 days, increase the amount of fermented foods you take in to two teaspoons. Then, after approximately five days, it will usually be safe to move up to three teaspoons. You’ll need to constantly listen to your body for feedback.
It’s also recommended that you eat a wide range of fermented foods to get a variety of gut bacteria into your system. They can come in solid and liquid form. These include fermented vegetables, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha.
If in doubt, it’s best to go with organic fermented foods, when possible, as conventional and/or processed fermented foods may contain unhealthy ingredients and even a lack or complete absence of probiotic bacteria.
Sources
http://www.culturedvegetables.net/GARDEN-BLEND-Case-of-6-039.htm?categoryId=3
http://www.gapsdiet.com/INTRODUCTION_DIET.html
http://www.gapsdiet.com/uploads/Probiotics.pdf
http://www.naturalnews.com/037365_fermented_foods_probiotics_health.html
