Fermented

Fermentation – conversion of organic substances

Originally, fermentation was used to describe fermentation in the absence of air (Louis Pasteur: fermentation, c’est la vie sans l’air). Today, fermentation refers to any microbial or enzymatic conversion of organic substances, i.e. also to that under oxygen supply. We are often unaware of how many foods are the product of fermentation (tea, coffee, cheese, etc.). During fermentation, bacteria, yeasts or moulds transform the original raw material into a completely different product. Fermented products are particularly rich in nutrients and many foods only become edible and digestible through fermentation

Not only preservation

In grandmother’s time, vegetables such as white cabbage (sauerkraut) were fermented to preserve them for a long time. Even in times without refrigerators, freezers and vegetable imports, it was possible to cover vitamin requirements. Lactic acid bacteria played an important role in the transformation process. Today, fermentation, which makes use of lactic acid fermentation, is making a comeback, but the point is not so much that fermented foods have a longer shelf life, but that they are also extremely healthy

Positive influence on the microbiome

Foods fermented with microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeasts, are said to have a favourable influence on the intestine, or microbiome (intestinal flora), and even prevent intestinal diseases or influence them positively. They are also said to be used after treatments with antibiotics. There are millions of “good” microorganisms in the intestine, without which we could not survive at all, as they form our immune system, among other things. With fermented foods, we can help. In addition, the lactic acid formed during the fermentation process increases the absorption of various minerals, e.g. calcium, iron or phosphorus in the intestine and also stimulates gastric juice production and gastrointestinal peristalsis. So why not try fermentatively processed products?