What are lacto-fermented foods? In this post learn what they are, how to make them, and why they are essential for improving gut health on the GAPS diet.
What is lacto-fermentation?
Lacto-fermentation is a traditional way of preserving foods. You may be familiar sauerkraut and pickles; these are two types of lacto-fermented food and they are with packed full of the “good guys” aka beneficial bacteria. The beneficial bacteria are called lactobacilli and produce lactic acid thus giving lacto-ferments their name.
The fermentation process uses an anaerobic environment to encourage the already present lactobacilli to grow. As they grow, they give off lactic acid that preserves the food.
According to this PubMed article: beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods provide many health benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-atherosclerotic activity (source).
Different civilizations and cultures worldwide have practiced lacto-fermentation for millennia. If you are interested in the history and details of the many different strains of bacteria that may be found in your lacto-fermented vegetables check out this study.
Why Eat Lacto-Fermented Foods?
Lacto-ferment foods are essential for rebuilding and maintaining gut flora. They help us add more of the good bacteria to our gut to balance out the bad bacteria and reduce gut dysbiosis over time.
Dr Natasha Cambell-McBride creator of the GAPS Diet describes gut flora as the housekeeper of the digestive system. If your housekeeper isn’t good, then the state of the house (the body) becomes disordered and the house is unable to effectively fulfill its purpose (Gut and Psychology Syndrome, p18).
During the GAPS Diet probiotic foods such as lacto-ferments are introduced to help normalize gut flora by repopulating with beneficial bacteria, stimulating stomach acid production, and providing digestive enzymes, vitamins, and minerals to the body (Gut and Psychology Syndrome, p196).
What are the benefits of lacto-fermented foods?
The main benefit is the continual introduction of beneficial bacteria into the digestive system but there are so many more:
- Introduction of beneficial bacteria into the digestive system to balance any overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria.
- Easy to digest. The beneficial bacteria break down (and therefore pre-digest) the sugar, starches, and fiber in the vegetables making them easier to digest than raw vegetables.
- Aids in digestion. Fermented vegetables promote the production of the right digestive enzymes to break down foods into building blocks for the body.
- Increases Bioavailability of Nutrients. Fermented vegetables are a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K2. According to Dr Natasha, a helping of sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage will give you 20 times more bioavailable vitamin C than the same helping of fresh cabbage, because in fresh cabbage, vitamin C is locked in a cellular structure of the cabbage and the human digestive system cannot extractive (source).
- Assists with fat digestion. Breaking down fat in the liver helps prevent liver congestion. Dr Natasha recommends consuming beet kvass and vegetable medley regularly for optimal function (Gut and Physiology Syndrome, p82).
- Improved immunity
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces natural sugars in foods. The fermentation process quite literally eats the sugars alive as the bacteria use it as a source of energy.
If you’re following the GAPS diet, fermented foods like sauerkraut are essential. They are one of the key things I used to improve gut dysbiosis.
Homemade vs store-bought lacto-ferments
Stay away from store-bought ferments wherever possible as they are often pasteurized to give them longer shelf life. The pasteurization process will destroy most of the good bacteria and you simply just can’t tell how much is left. So why spend you hard earned dollars on a maybe when you can make it yourself home for much less and control the fermenting environment?
Reasons to make lacto-ferments at home
- They are so inexpensive and simple to make.
- You can choose the quality of produce, organic vs conventional produce. Conventional produce is more often than not sprayed with pesticides
- You can control how long you want the fermentation process to be. The longer the fermentation time the lower the histamines.
- You can choose your starter to inoculate your ferment.
Types of lacto-ferments
You can ferment almost any fruit or vegetable, here are some examples:
- Beverages – vegetable or fruit kvass
- Tonics – beet kvass, cabbage tonic
- Vegetables – sauerkraut, onions, pickles, carrots
- Fruits – berries, chutneys, fruit sauces, or butters
9 ways to make lacto-ferments
Nine different methods of lacto-fermenting are included on the GAPS Diet. It’s important to rotate methods to achieve a broader range of beneficial bacteria species to help the gut flourish.
- Salt only
- Salt water brine
- Brine and whey
- Brine and yogurt/ kefir starter culture
- Vegetable starter culture
- Whey only
- Whey and water
- Brine from the previous batch of ferments
- Brine and probiotic capsule
Equipment you’ll need
- Chopping board and knife or mandoline
- Large bowl
- Measuring spoons
- Wide-mouth glass jar or fermentation crock
- Fermentation airlock lids
- Fermentation weights (optional)
- Fermenting mallet (optional)
Tips for making lacto-ferments at home
- Choose a high-quality mineral salt such as Himalayan pink salt or Celtic Sea salt to maximize trace minerals in your ferment.
- Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the ingredients.
- Leave enough space between the shoulder of the jar and the top as the ingredients will expand as the lactic acid is released and this gap will help prevent leaks. You should not have to open the jar to burp it. If you have to do this it means that you filled the jar too high.
- Don’t open the jar, fermentation is an anaerobic process and too much oxygen will ruin the ferment.
- Ferment at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight. The cooler the room, the longer it takes. The warmer the room the faster it is.
- Time depends on individual preferences and requirements. A ferment can done in as little as 5-7 days, or you may choose to ferment for weeks or even months. The longer you ferment, the more broken down the fiber is, the easier it is to digest, and the lower the histamines are.
How to introduce fermented foods
Fermented foods can have a powerful effect on the body. If you haven’t eaten home-fermented foods such as Sauerkraut, Cabbage Tonic, and Red Onions before you will need to introduce them slowly. Start with 1 teaspoon of the juice and work your way to eating the vegetable pieces up to a cup or more a day if that’s your jam. Make sure to listen to your body to see how you react during the introduction process.
During GAPS Introduction Diet Stages 1 and 2, the ferment juice and tonic are consumed and from Stage 3 onwards you can add the vegetable pieces.
Can probiotics make you feel worse before better?
Yes! Introducing fermented foods can make you feel worse if you introduce them too quickly for your body as a die-off reaction may occur. Any reaction is bio-individual but could look like bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, flu-like symptoms, poor concentration, foggy mind, headaches, migraines or any of your current symptoms getting worse.
The die-off reaction may last for a period of time as the gut flora starts to rebalance with the introduction of beneficial bacteria and the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria starts to die releasing toxins into your bloodstream for the body then to detox.
To help manage die-off reactions, consider supporting the body’s natural detoxification pathways with a detox activity such as juicing, enemas, dry brushing, detox baths with Epsom salts or bicarb, castor oil pack. The type of activity to choose will depend on the specific reaction you are experiencing and what you feel comfortable doing.
Depending on your reaction symptoms you may also want to reduce the amount of the ferment you are consuming, and if only consuming the ferment juice dilute in water.
How to Store
When your fermentation time is complete; remove the fermenting lid, replace it with a regular lid, and store it in the fridge, or in a cool dark room.
Try one of these lacto-fermented recipes!
Sauerkraut with Dill and Red Onion
What’s your favorite lacto-ferment recipe?
Resources
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride
- Gut and Psychology Syndrome (Yellow Book)
- Gut and Physiology Syndrome (Blue Book)
GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; and does not consider your individual situation. If you have medical questions, please consult with a qualified medical practitioner.
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