2 reasons why your body loves those wild, crunchy, fermented foods

Probiotic foods are delicious, and add a pleasingly sour kick to any food.  But why are they so good for you?

We know we can take probiotic pills, which help build the immune system and aid uncomfortable digestive systems.  They are especially good after finishing antibiotics to rebuild the natural ecosystem.  Wouldn’t you rather eat sauerkraut on sourdough rather than take a pill?  Your body prefers that too.  The bacteria is less like to pass right through you if it comes in a food form.  It is lactobacillus gathered naturally by cabbage, from the air on an organic farm in Colorado.  That is a little more natural than cultures grown in a lab to go into a supplement.

Probiotic bacteria does some of the digestion work for you.  It’s tough for our bodies to break down the thick plant cell walls to get to the vitamins in plants.  Bacteria in our gut usually does that work, breaking down the plants to make nutrients available.  With fermentation, we can get the bacteria from the farm to do the same work.  Take sauerkraut, for example.  Cabbage already is a decent source of vitamin C, about 30 mg for a cup of cabbage.  Ferment that cabbage to kraut, and the vitamin C content jumps to 700 mg in a cup!  The good bacteria makes that vitamin C, and other antioxidants much more bioavailable, or easy for your body to use.

A person can find ways support their immune system in a lot of different ways right now.  You can buy supplements, and there are a multitude of food products sold as medicine, like cereals with added vitamins.  However, researching what has worked for thousands of years keeps turning up nutritional gold.  Plants, with good bacteria, nourish us.  Take a look at your local grocery store with new eyes.  Many have added a fermented section in the last few years!  Find our products near the yogurt!