Got Tummy Problems? Eat These Fermented Foods For A Healthier Gut

While you may already be familiar with foods like kimchi and yoghurt, there’s a new addition to the fermented foods family that’s slowly gaining popularity here. Kombucha, which is a type of fermented tea, has been touted as the new “Immortal Health Elixir”, and raved by celebrities from Kourtney Kardashian to Lady Gaga.

But it’s not just another fad: Fermented foods have actually been eaten for thousands of years.

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Fermentation occurs when bacteria break down sugar, converting it to acid, gas or alcohol. This enriches dairy, soy and vegetable products with a tangy flavour and beneficial bacteria called probiotics.

Eating fermented foods helps to populate your gut with probiotics, and this can increase the availability of nutrients in your body, reduce food allergy symptoms, enhance your immune system and protect against disease.

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Here are five good reasons to add fermented foods to your diet:

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/kombucha-why-fermented-foods-good/

Got Tummy Problems? Eat These Fermented Foods For A Healthier Gut

1. Maintain gut health

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Your gut contains more than 100 trillion bacteria but you need a healthy balance of good and bad. “Too much ‘bad’ bacteria can damage your health,” explains dietitian Robbie Clark. Probiotics from fermented foods can help to improve digestion, prevent diarrhoea and protect against harmful bacteria such as E. coli.

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2. Support mental health

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Your mental processes are influenced by your gut bacteria, says Dr Eva Selhub, author of Your Health Destiny. For example, most of the serotonin you produce – which promotes better mood and sleep – comes from your gut, she explains. As a result, probiotics in fermented foods are linked with improved symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.

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3. Reduce type 2 diabetes risk

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Not only are probiotics thought to help lower your diabetes risk, they may also improve the total cholesterol and antioxidant levels of people with diabetes. To reap the benefits, increase your intake of fermented dairy foods.

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4. Improve blood pressure

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Eating probiotic-rich yoghurt and fermented milk products like sour cream could help lower your risk of developing high blood pressure. Try eating these foods as part of a healthy diet in place of snack foods.

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5. Help manage weight

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Maintaining a healthy gut could help regulate your weight and body fat and reduce your risk of obesity, advises Clark. “Gut bacteria affect the way we store fat, our blood glucose levels and metabolism, and how we respond to hunger hormones,” he explains.

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Text: Lindyl Crabb, NowToLove

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Got Tummy Problems? Eat These Fermented Foods For A Healthier Gut

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