It feels like every week there’s a new superfood that is supposed to save our lives, making us happier, healthier, and live longer too.
Everything from blueberries to asparagus, dark chocolate to red wine has, at some point, been in the spotlight.
And one frequent star occupying the health-conscious limelight is fermented foods. Whether that’s kombucha, sauerkraut, or even everyone’s Covid-era favorite, sourdough, every one of these foods has at some point been ‘the answer’ to human health and happiness.
But does that rumor really hold any weight scientifically? Or is it all a myth designed to sell more of these products?
Does the fermentation process really add some magic ingredient that will save our lives?
Spoiler alert: the science says no, probably not.
The fermentation process in food and drinks, is a controlled process in which bacteria is allowed to grow in them over time. The presence of this safe bacteria gives them a flavor that some people love, while others really don’t. It also, some people suggests, benefits you when, upon its consumption, this bacteria is introduced to your body.
But according to a study published in the medical journal Gastroenterology and Hepatology, there is no real obvious benefit to eating fermented foods. The rumor engine suggests that this stuff is really good for your gut, helping digestion and restoring its natural balances to help everything from your mental health to your immune system. How? Well the mythology tells us that it sorts out your natural bacteria and, more than anything, helps you poop.
Is that at least true? Well this study suggests otherwise.
Rather, the researchers found no obvious correlation between the consumption of fermented products and a healthier gut. They studied just over 200 participants to see whether the consumption of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis HN019, which is a species of bacteria and a key ingredient in fermented dairy products, helped their gut mobility.
In their research, the scientists used a placebo group alongside the test group to see whether those given the bacterial supplement had a greater improvement in their bowel movements and, therefore, their overall gut health. In the paper, the researchers made clear that no such evidence was found:
“Although probiotics have been reported to improve bowel function, this large, well-conducted randomized clinical trial did not confirm such results. Daily consumption of Bifidobacterium animalis lactis HN019 at the tested dose did not outperform placebo to increase bowel movements.”
So why do we fall for this time and time again? And, moreover, why do we keep eating these products?
Well mainly because they taste good. We’ve fallen in love with the taste of these fermented foods, and most of our guts can tolerate the additional bacteria present in our foods from the fermentation process.
And maybe, just maybe, we’re hoping that some of our favorite foods do hold the miracle for our health and happiness.
So even though the study suggests that your daily dose of kombucha isn’t actually doing much for your gut, if it makes you happy don’t stop. Everything in moderation.
One of the key things to our overall health is our happiness.
So don’t throw away your sourdough starter over this.
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