Beyond Yogurt: Other Fermented Foods for Health & Delight

First, you have to get over the idea that “bacteria” is a dirty word. Yes, there are “bad” bacteria that can make you sick or kill you. Anthrax and bubonic plague come to mind. But there are also healthy, symbiotic bacteria that live naturally and helpfully in our guts, on our skin, in our mucous membranes (sinus, vaginal tract, etc.) And they play crucial roles in our health. Depending on the bacteria, they can: 

• maintain an active and balanced immune system 
• support detoxification in the liver 
• crowd out bad bacteria and yeasts 
• help us maintain a healthy weight & healthy mood 
• reduce risk of heart disease, dementia, and cancer 
• help us digest food more comfortably, and keep us regular 
• control body odor 
• reduce inflammation 

That’s a long list of benefits. I certainly wouldn’t expect all of them, from all fermented foods; certainly none of them overnight. But if you add traditionally fermented probiotic foods to your diet, you should expect to feel some benefits. 

Here are three superstar fermented foods, beyond yogurt. 

Kefir is often described as “drinkable yogurt.” But that name doesn’t do it justice. Yogurt is made from milk fermented with two or more strains of bacteria. Kefir is made from milk, fermented with a much more complex stew of bacteria and yeasts. The resulting product is more flavorful and biologically active than simple yogurt.   

Versus kefir, yogurt bacteria may have an edge around what we sometimes call “women’s health” (i.e. yeast infections and UTIs), and regularity. But Kefir can claim the anticancer and antiviral properties. I want to be clear, I’m not saying kefir is going to “kick COVID” or “cure cancer.” What I am saying is adding to the diet regularly will do some interesting things to increase our immunity and resistance. Plus, it’s basically drinkable yogurt.  

Sauerkraut and other Fermented Veggies. Pickling in vinegar is a modern, industrial process. The traditional method to preserve vegetables was to let them ferment, so that bacteria would in a sense “produce their own vinegar,” all the while adding live cultures and biologically active metabolites to the mix. Traditionally fermented veggies are a treat. All the flavor of a really good pickle or sauerkraut, plus all the benefits of a living food.   

Beyond sauerkraut, you can pickle almost anything from the garden. Favorites include: 

• Kimchee is basically a Korean-spiced sauerkraut. Available spicy or not-so-spicy; vegan or with fish sauce. 
• Curtido is a Salvadoran-flavored cabbage-and-carrot slaw. Great on taco night! I want to run a Curtido-based recipe in next month’s newsletter. 
• Cucumber Pickles can also be fermented.   
• Fermented Ginger Carrots are an old favorite of many of our customers. They’re especially nice with greens or grains, and a ginger-miso dressings. 
• Fermented Beets are vibrant, tart, and refreshing. They make a great dip with sour cream or cashew cheese. 
• Fermented hot sauces are a thing. Personally, I love the ones from Poor Devil Pepper Co.  

Finally, Natto is a unique Japanese fermented food created by incubating soybeans with the bacterium Bacillus natto. This bacterium isn’t normally considered probiotic, in the sense it doesn’t live in us. But during fermentation, it produces two compounds of profound value: the clot-busting enzyme nattokinase, and a form of vitamin K2 called menatetrenone (a.k.a. MK-4), which helps the bones incorporate calcium.  It’s not surprising that good epidemiologic data connects regular natto consumption with both lower rates of death from heart disease, and lower rates of fracture – associations not seen with other soy products.  Let’s talk about nattokinase and MK-4 for a moment.   

Nattokinase isn’t anti-clotting, in the sense it does not prevent clots from forming. What it does do is helps break down clots faster, and prevent them from snowballing to the point of danger.  So far, research indicates that nattokinase is quite safe, even in conjunction with blood thinners. And it’s consumed as a food regularly and without issue. But you should probably use caution around bleeding disorders.   

Menatetrenone is to my mind our most important vitamin for healthy bones. I’ve written about it in this newsletter so many times, I’m not going to write about it again. Let me just say: our most important nutrient for healthy bones. There. 

Traditionally, natto is served as a topping on rice or salads, or as a filling in sushis. It has a texture texture that is either delightfully smooth and unctuous, or unpleasantly slippery and slimy, depending on your take. I think a good rule is: if you don’t like the texture and mouth feel of okra, you won’t like the texture and mouth feel of natto.