At the request of one of my subscribers, and to follow up on last week’s post about sourdough bread, today I will share some more information about fermentation and fermented foods. Such things as cheese, kimchi, sourdough, wine, and many other foods and beverages are the products of fermentation.
Source: http://www.foodpreserving.org/2016/05/the-fermentation-process.html
Now what exactly is fermentation? It describes the process by which microorganisms like yeast and bacteria convert sugars into alcohol or acidic products; the products of fermentation depend on the specific species of the organism completing the process. Fermentation is actually constantly happening in the human body, too, both by bacteria in the body’s microbiome and by mammalian cells when they do not have sufficient oxygen to make ATP, their primary source of energy (1; for more information about the human microbiome, check out my post entitled Beneficial Bacteria: The Mighty Microbiome). In human cells without enough oxygen, a process called lactic acid fermentation is undergone (shown below), where cells will convert glucose into lactic acid, which is later broken down by the liver and kidneys (2). Thus, fermentation is an important part of humans’ everyday lives.
Now back to fermentation in food. What are some of the benefits of consuming fermented foods and drinks? Depending on the specific food and/or microorganism present in the product, fermented foods may exert a variety of biological effects, including regulation of the immune system and blood sugar, as well as gastrointestinal function and gut motility. These effects vary from person to person and food to food, but there is solid evidence suggesting that many of the microorganisms found in such products can have positive effects on human health (3).
Works Cited
Science with Mandy 
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