Fermenting Foods- is Organic really necessary?
By Zeina Maktabi. 1/26/2020
Before we answer that question, let’s take a step back and talk about fermentation. Why has this age-old storage technique suddenly been on the rise and is all the health hype? Answer: GUT Health.
Historically, the fermentation technique was used as a way of preserving foods long before refrigeration existed. During the process of fermentation, microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi convert the sugars and starch in foods into acids. For example, starches and sugars in vegetables and fruits are converted to lactic acid and this lactic acid acts as a natural preservative.
It is this process exactly that is beneficial to the gut. Our gut carries trillions of bacteria and other living organisms – usually referred to as the microbiome- and they basically affect everything from our digestion & absorption of nutrients, immunity, inflammation & even our mood! The more we grow & support this microbiome; the healthier our gut becomes & the healthier we are!
Fermentation helps to grow more of these beneficial “good” bacteria in foods – what we callprobiotics and these, in turn, help to grow more of them in our gut.
Yes, if you are thinking, fermented food is alive- you are absolutely right! It is a source of all these beneficial living bacteria that go straight to our gut and thrive there.
So back to our original question. Do the vegetables need to be organic? The simple answer is Yes!
Organic veggies have been grown with no pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. They are not waxed or bleached or any other process one can do to veggies. That means they come with all the bacteria & microorganisms naturally found in the soil. This will make the fermentation process even better because there is more bacteria working and multiplying.
To reap all the benefits of fermentation, choose organic!
Join my Farm to Jar Workshop coming up on the 1st of Feb at the Emirates BioFarm where we will be talking more about Gut health. We’ll also be doing some fermenting of our own- we’ll do Kimchi & Sauerkraut using the delicious organic cabbage straight from the farm!
Stay happy healthy,
Zeina from @upcloseandhealthy