Fremented Foods & Drink (Helps with Digestion Problems)

[Guest guest]

Could it be that by abandoning the ancient practice of lacto-

fermentation, and insisting on a diet in which everything has been

pasteurized, processed and denatured, we have compromised the health

of our intestinal flora and made ourselves vulnerable to legions of

pathogenic microorganisims and RSS? Our daughter's reflux

declined rapidly with consumption of lacto-fermented foods and a

high fat diet. Our doctor recommended that fermented foods and

drink be consumed just before and during meals.

Most of the fermented foods and drinks taste great and are

inexpensive. Once you get a system down a weeks supply can be

prepared rapidly on the weekends in a half hour. I found the

following article very informative.

Beth

LACTO-FERMENTED FOODS & DRINKS

FERMENTING is FUN

http://www.healingcrow.com/ferfun/ferfun.html

Fermenting your own foods can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious

hobby. We feel that anything you can make at home is much better

than commercialized foods. We have put together a summary of

fermented foods followed by a few recipes. Enjoy.

THE POWER of MICROBES:

We live in a world dominated by microbes. The Earth's

microorganisms are able to adapt to almost any environment and

thrive. Bacteria have been found in the icy regions of Antarctica,

near the surface of volcanic vents in the Atlantic, and even in our

digestive tracts. Our civilization is but a pale comparison to the

invisible world of microbes that surrounds us. It is likely that

these microbes will adapt and survive beyond human existence.

It is not surprising that microbes have become experts of

adaptation when you consider the evolutionary pressures of their

world. They are constantly disrupted by changes in environment,

competition from other species, attacks from specialized viruses

(i.e. bacteriophages), and a shifting food supply. Imagine trying to

survive in a world filled with rampant diseases, famines,

hurricanes, and floods, and you'll begin to appreciate the world

of the microbe.

Some microbes have colluded with the competition to form symbiotic

relationships. For example, the bacterial strains Streptococcus

thermophilus and Lactobacilllus bulgaricus, work together and

transform milk into tasty yogurt. The thirty or so strains of

bacteria and yeast found in Kefir, a traditional fermented drink of

the Caucasians, band together to form complex ecology capable of

digesting almost any food source and staving off harmful pathogens.

The microbes of Kefir even provide themselves with homes in the form

of Kefir grains that are composed of a polysaccharide matrix.

Our ancient ancestors did not live in a sterile environment. It is

likely that they ingested various microbes found naturally in their

foods. Some of these microbes were beneficial to their life while

others caused infections and disease. Somewhere along the way in

their struggle for survival, our ancestors allied themselves with

certain species of microbes. Our intestines have evolved into a

perfect microbial farm. We provide these microbes with furnished

home and plenty of food, in return, they produce beneficial

nutrients and help defend us from pathogens. About a thousand years

ago, our ancestors began to experimenting with fermenting their own

foods with beneficial strains to prevent spoilage, fight infections,

and increase absorption of nutrients. This action further allied our

bodies with the microbial world.

BENEFITS of FERMENTED FOODS:

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elie Metchnikoff was one of the first

scientists to recognize the benefits of eating fermented foods. His

research in the early 1900's focused on the Bulgarians. He

believed the daily ingestion of yogurt was a major contribution to

their superior health and longevity. Today, if you search the

Internet on probiotics, you will find an almost endless supply of

reasons why " good bacteria " are good for you. We hope to

convince you

that fermenting your own foods is cheaper, more fun, and better for

you than just popping a pill of freeze dried bacteria.

DETOXIFY and PRESERVE:

If there's anything that the microbial world does well, it is

detoxifying things. Today, Bacteriologists periodically visit old

military facilities in search of new strains of bacteria living off

of contaminants in the soil. If you put it in the ground and give

them enough time to mutate and evolve, these microbes will find a

way to break it down. This probably holds true for any organic

chemical. These earthly microbes purify the world.

Not only have we been able to use the detoxifying properties of

microbes to breakdown nasty substances, such as oil spills, military

dumps, and sewer plants, we also use them to detoxify our food and

water and increase shelf lives. For centuries, Europeans used wine

as a source of clean, durable water. Bulgarians perfected the art of

detoxifying and preserving milk (removing the lactose and

predigesting the proteins) and transforming it into yogurt and

cheese. The Caucasians used Kefir grains for the same purpose:

detoxify milk products to make Kefir. Vegetables were also

fermented to preserve them from spoilage. Most of the pickled

products found on our grocery shelves were at one time a fermented

product: pickles, saurkraut, and even catsup (a Chinese word for

pickled fish brine). However, since fermentation isn't always a

uniform process, manufacturers found another way to make these

products.

FIGHT OFF INFECTIONS:

Competition between microbes can be fierce. The good bacteria that

are normal inhabitants of our intestinal tracts will fight off many

foreign intruders. They can be seen as our first line of defense in

the war of infection. Scientists have documented many different

substances produced by lactobacilli (lactic acid bacteria) that have

been found to inhibit harmful microorganisms. For example,

lactobacillus acidophilus produces several substances while

fermenting milk, including acidolin, acidophillin, lactobacillan,

and lactocidin. These substances have been shown to inhibit

pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, while leaving other

lactobacilli and human cells unharmed These antibiotic agents are

found in fermented milk, but not always in a probiotic pill. A 2000

study led by Dr. Chitra N. Wendakoon of the University of Alberta,

Edmonton, found that fermented milk products, like yogurt, can kill

Helicobacter pylori (the ulcer causing bacteria) but that the

beneficial bacteria alone cannot. This means that probiotics in pill

form would have no effect on H. pylori but that homemade yogurt and

Kefir would.

NUTRITIOUS to BOOT:

Fermented products are a great source of amino acids, vitamins, and

minerals. The process of fermentation increases the amounts of some

vitamins. Fermented milk is a great source of energetic B vitamins

while fermented vegetables are a great source of Vitamin C.

Sauerkraut often served as military rations in ancient armies, most

notably the Mongolians, and was used to prevent scurvy. The process

of fermentation also increases the bioavailability of these foods.

PILLS VERSUS FOOD:

We have already mentioned earlier that dairy products fermented with

lactobacilli have been shown to kill pathogenic bacteria, such as H.

pylori, while the lactobacilli alone did not. This means that some

of the antibiotic properties of these good bacteria may be missing

in the probiotic pills you see on the shelves. Also, you have no way

of verifying the potency or vitality of these products. Bacteria are

living organisms and must be alive when you eat them in order to

reap their benefits. It does no good to ingest dead, good bacteria.

Furthermore, good quality probiotics are often very expensive. For

instance, a month's supply from a popular vendor may cost as much

as $80 to $100 per month. With a budget of $100 per month, you can

make all the sauerkraut, kefir, and yogurt you'll need. Not only

will

you be getting the benefits of these beneficial bacteria, you will

be making delicious and healthy meals as well. The only benefit

store probiotics offer is convenience. However, once you get

started, fermenting your own foods is very easy.

PLEASE USE CAUTION:

Before we get too far into fermenting your own foods, we want to

emphasize two caveats of fermentation. First, the process of

fermentation is only good for you if it occurs outside of your body.

What does this mean? It means that if you ingest foods that provide

an abundance of sugar and growth media for bacteria, they will

ferment those foods inside of you. An overgrowth of fermentative

bacteria in your body can cause all kinds of medical problems,

including Crohn's Disease, Ankylosing Spondylitis, candidiasis ,

and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. So the key is to pre-ferment your

foods, that is to say, ferment your milk before you eat it.

Secondly, please do not eat spoiled fermented foods. In some rare

instances, fermented foods can be overtaken by mold or become

spoiled. In these cases, throw out the result and start anew.

COMMERCIAL VERSUS HOMEMADE:

In our opinion homemade products are better all around. For one, you

do not have to trust a manufacturer with your health. You have total

control over what you are eating. You can purchase the best milk

and/or vegetables to use. Commercial products are usually geared

for taste and not health. In the case of yogurt, this means that

commercial yogurt usually has a high lactose content and is usually

loaded with sugar. Homemade yogurt can be made to eliminate

virtually all of the lactose and will be much fresher than anything

you can buy in a store. If the taste isn't to your liking, you

can

add in fresh fruit and/or honey to sweeten it up. Store bought Kefir

has the same problems, you have no control over the lactose content

in the end product. Another thing to consider is, real Kefir is

difficult to find in the store. Quite often a manufacturer will

label a product as Kefir when in fact it is not the real thing. In

order for Kefir to be real, it needs to made from Kefir grains and

not a powdered starter. As for fermented vegetables, such as

sauerkraut, most commercial products have been pasteurized and do

not contain live cultures. The pasteurization process not only

kills the beneficial bacteria, but may also destroy many of the

enzymes and nutrients. Commercial sauerkraut may also contain a

fair amount of unnatural preservatives. We know that you will find

fermenting your own foods at home more rewarding, healthier, cheaper

than probiotics, and more enjoying than anything you could purchase

in the store.

1. YOGURT:

Making yogurt is very easy, especially if you own a yogurt maker.

We recommend purchasing a Yogourmet Multi – they are cheap, easy

to

use, and can make 2 quarts per batch. You can get a yogurt maker

and yogurt starter from a trusted friend at Lucy's Kitchen Shop.

Once you have a starter and a yogurt maker, all you need is some

milk (we recommend using Half-n-Half) and some patience. The

directions that come with the maker provide a fermentation of 6

hours. However, we recommend you ferment your yogurt for 24 hours to

eliminate all lactose in the yogurt. Any residual lactose could be

used as food for bacteria already found in your GI-tract and result

in fermentation in your intestines. CAUTION: Those of you following

the SC Diet *or Candida Diet* MUST ferment your yogurt for 24 hours

in order to stay on the diet. Please refer to page 131 of

" Breaking

the Vicious Cycle " for more instructions on making SCD legal

yogurt.

2. KEFIR:

Kefir is a fermented milk product made from Kefir grains. Unlike

yogurt, Kefir is made from lactobacillus bacteria and several

different yeast organisms and is fermented at room temperature. The

most difficult step in making Kefir is getting someone to sell/give

you some Kefir grains. It would be impossible for us to give Kefir

any justice when there is a website out there that will describe

everything and anything you need to know about Kefir. The web site

is called Dom's Kefir In-site at:

http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/Makekefir.html Dom also sponsors

an egroups list you can join to find someone to share Kefir grains

with you and to answer any question you may have about Kefir. Here

some directions from the wise Dominic about eliminating the lactose

in the Kefir:

" I find a good way to eliminate lactose even further is to

ferment

the kefir per usual (24 hours), strain, then keep the strained kefir

in a bottle (at room temperature) for a further 2 -3 days before

consuming (ongoing fermentation). I don't keep my strained kefir in

the fridge any more, but keep it like this in a cupboard. The kefir

is still good even after 6-7 days. One must give the bottle which

the kefir is continuously fermenting in, a shake at least once

daily. This is so that the microbes (mainly the yeasts) are mixed in

well. Other wise one may find a film or colonies of yeast or the

acetic acid forming bacteria on top of the kefir. This is safe, but

some lactose digesting yeasts may be flourishing mainly in this top

layer, shaking will help to distribute them into the kefir, where

you want them to do their work (breaking down lactose). This

continuous fermentation can also be done in the fridge, but I find

that a more pleasant tasting kefir, with markedly reduced lactose is

achieved this way, (at room temp.). One can also keep fermenting the

kefir, like above, in an air tight bottle. After the second day or

so, an effervescent kefir will be produced. But i must point out

that the bottle must not be filled more that 3/4 full. Of course,

one could also ferment the original kefir for 48 hours, then follow

on with the suggestions above. This may further make sure that the

lactose content would be eliminated to a greater extent, and

possibly in a smaller amount of time. "

3. SAUERKRAUT:

Sauerkraut can be made in several different ways. The traditional

recipe involves shredding and pounding fresh cabbage, adding salt,

and submerging it under water for several days. The natural bacteria

in the cabbage, such as lactobacillus plantarum, will natural begin

to ferment the cabbage while the salt inhibits other microbes. You

can eliminate the use of salt altogether by innoculating the

shredded cabbage and water solution with yogurt starter or Kefir

grains. A superior recipe can be found on Aquaman's Website. A

traditional recipe follows:

Ingredients:

1 Fresh Medium Cabbage (red or green)

2 Tablespoons Pickling Salt (Please no iodine, it will kill the

bacteria)

Distilled Water (or filtered and non-chlorinated)

Shred the cabbage. In a large bowl, mix shredded cabbage and salt

together. Pound the cabbage mixture to expel the juices. Place

pounded cabbage and juices in a medium sized glass jar (1 Quart

Sized). Press down firmly on the cabbage. Add distilled water until

cabbage is fully submerged. Solution should be at least one inch

from the top of the jar. Cover the jar and let sit for 3 to 7 days

at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator. Alternatively, one

can use Kefir grains to ferment the cabbage, just eliminate the use

of salt.

4. PICKLED GINGER:

Ingredients:

4 lbs fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon pickling salt (no iodine)

½ package of yogurt starter

1 cup Distilled Water (or filtered and non-chlorinated)

Peel and cut ginger into very thin slices. Pound ginger slices to

expel juices.

Place juices and pounded ginger into a glass jar. Mix with salt and

water.

Add yogurt starter and seal. Let sit at room temperature for 3 to 5

days.

Store in the refrigerator.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Dom's Kefir In-site: How to Make Kefir (The best source for Kefir

anywhere).

Sauerkraut Fermentation - from the Bacteriology Dept of UW-Wisconsin

Weston A Price Org - Lacto-Fermentation Article

Lucy's Kitchen Shop: A trusted source for yogurt makers and

starters.