The History & Health Benefits of Fermented Foods

We've probably all heard of the great health benefits of "superfoods," but did you know that the simplest, most basic, and inexpensive foods can become super foods through a very simple process that you can easily do yourself, at home?

What is this magical process?

It's called fermentation.

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Fermented foods have a rich history of tradition, and methods of fermentation have been passed down through generations. It’s safe to say that fermentation may have saved the human race during times of drastic climatic changes such as droughts and floods.

Every culture has its own history of fermentation and within these various cultures, traditional tastes and methods began to emerge, so we have the Greeks who perfected the fermentation of yogurt and different breads made with cultures such as sourdough.

We know that Egyptians produced sourdough cultures for making bread as early as 4000 B.C.E. and also fermented wine and cheeses. It may have been completely by accident that some fermentation methods were discovered, but these methods have certainly made an impact on the history of food preservation.

As early as 2,000 years ago, the Chinese were building the Great Wall of China and began to ferment cabbage as a way to feed the workers. During an invasion of Genghis Khan in Eastern Europe, he introduced the cabbage and it became a staple among peasants and sailors who took huge kegs on long voyages for its abundance of Vitamin C. Eventually, the fermented cabbage came to the Americas, where it was known as ‘sauerkraut’ from the German words, sauer (sour) and kraut (vegetable). Although sauerkraut wasn’t originated by the Germans, it is now considered a German dish.

Yogurt and cheese are examples of a successful attempt to preserve milk. In the early days, wandering nomads carried milk in special animal stomach canteens. Since animal stomachs have the enzyme, rennin, which coagulates (curdles) milk, the nomad would have curdled milk or cheese to eat.

History tells us that Sumarians and Egyptians had cheese as early as 4,000 B.C. and the Bible mentions that David, future king of Israel, ate cheese and presented it as a gift to the army of Israel.

Salt began to be used for preserving meats in the form of sausages and later, microorganisms helped to ferment meat and preserve them for later use. Fermenting meats was very important before freezing and refrigeration brought a way to keep meats without the fermenting process.

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And of course, beverages such as wine and beer have been made and consumed by humans for thousands of years - often as an alternative to tainted water that was unsafe to drink.

The history of fermentation the world over is an interesting journey. Every culture has its own fabulous recipes and methods for creating amazing dishes. Not only are these fermented foods an ancient method of preservation that stands the test of time, they are also have lots of health benefits for humans. For one thing, they contain enzymes that help digest your food, and prevent a number of digestive issues.

Fermentation also makes the foods themselves easier to digest, which puts less stress on the body, and may help prevent the development of allergies and other food sensitivities. For example, many people are lactose-intolerant, but may consume fermented forms of dairy such as yogurt or kefir. Some research has shown that regular consumption of fermented foods may actually decrease the incidence of lactose intolerance.

In the modern world, the decline of consumption of fermented foods is sometimes thought to be the cause of the increase in many modern digestive ailments and diseases. Humans have been consuming fermented foods for thousands of years - long before the advent of modern processing methods, which in some cases may make foods more difficult to digest, and less nutritious - the opposite of what fermentation does to food.

Adding fermented foods back to your diet is an easy way to gain the health benefits of super foods, without spending an arm and a leg on exotic fruit extracts and other such substances.