Lacto-fermentation – natural fermentation!
Lacto-fermentation is the natural process that produces traditional fermented foods such as dill pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut. The “lacto” portion of the term refers to the bacteria Lactobacillus. Lacto-fermentation requires no additives because the lactobacillus bacteria is naturally present on the surface of all plants. It’s also present in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans, which is part of the reason why naturally fermented foods are so healthy!
The benefits of fermented foods
- Improves digestion – Fermentation breaks down nutrients into more easily digestible forms.
- Higher nutrient content – When the lactobacilli in fermented foods proliferate the vitamin levels and digestibility of that food is enhanced.
- Improved gut health – fermented foods are a natural source of pre-biotics
- Improved immune function – An estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut. This makes a healthy gut a major factor in maintaining optimal health and a healthy immune system.
- Reduced inflammation – Fermented foods reduce the expression of inflammatory proteins in the body that lead to chronic inflammation and inflammatory disorders like inflammatory bowel disease.
- Detoxification – Fermented foods are some of the best chelators and detoxifiers available.