The secret to better health might be bubbling away in your kitchen.
As research increasingly connects gut health to overall wellness, fermented foods are gaining popularity — and for good reason. These probiotic-rich foods are created when beneficial bacteria or yeast transform everyday ingredients, playing a vital role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
“We are really understanding more and more that this collection of a hundred trillion microorganisms are influencing every aspect of our health,” Dr. Emily Leeming, microbiome researcher at King’s College London and author of “Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for your Second Brain,” told Business Insider.
Recent studies suggest these foods do more than please the palate. A 2022 review in the journal Nutrients found regular consumption of fermented foods increases gut microbiome diversity and may reduce the risk of both cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
But incorporating fermented foods doesn’t mean resigning yourself to bland meals. Here are four creative approaches to make this healthy habit both enjoyable and sustainable, according to Leeming.
Swap your yogurt
Kefir, a fermented milk drink with a thinner consistency than yogurt, can serve as a creative substitute in smoothies and dishes. Both contain beneficial bacteria, but kefir uniquely combines bacteria (mainly Lactobacillus kefiri) and yeast, according to WebMD. Additionally, plain kefir typically has fewer calories and less sugar than yogurt.
Upgrade your dressings
You can enhance traditional salad dressings with gut-friendly fermented ingredients by combining extra-virgin olive oil (rich in beneficial polyphenols — plant compounds that gut microbes breakdown into beneficial molecules) with kefir for a probiotic boost. Leeming emphasizes this approach maintains flavor while maximizing nutritional benefits.
Stock your fridge
Keeping a selection of fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and pickled beets in your refrigerator makes it easy to add a probiotic boost to any meal. “I like to have a mix of different ones in the fridge as they last a long time and it means there’s more flavorful variety rather than eating the same ones all the time,” she said.
Master miso
Use this fermented soybean paste as a flavorful soup base for an umami kick. As dietitian Marika Mancino notes to Business Insider, it’s also an excellent lower-sodium alternative to traditional stock.
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