The process of fermenting foods can be traced back to 6000 B.C. In ancient times, fermentation was mainly used for food preservation. It also enhanced the taste of food. In some cases, it was used to eliminate poisonous toxins in food.
Recently, it was found that fermented foods have additional benefits. They are rich in probiotics that aid digestion and immunity. They also improve brain health.
But which foods are best for brain health? Read on to find out.
The Fermented Foods- Brain Health Connection
Fermented foods are rich in tryptophan and amino acid that produces serotonin, AKA, the feel-good hormone. Therefore, eating fermented foods can improve mood and reduce stress. They may also have other cognitive benefits such as reduced brain fog and clearer thinking.
Additionally, fermented foods boost the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut. These good bacteria counter bad bacteria improving digestion and immunity. They can also work to boost mood thanks to the strong gut-brain health connection.
The Study
Researchers at APC Microbiome, University College Cork, and Teagasc (Ireland’s Agriculture and Food Development Authority) in Moorepark Cork Ireland are conducting a big study to answer the question of which fermented foods are most beneficial to brain health. They are comparing over 200 foods from all over the world to determine which contains metabolites that aid cognitive function.
The study is still in its early ages, but Ramy Balasubramanian is already seeing impressive results. “I expected only a few fermented foods would show up, but out of 200 fermented foods, almost all of them showed the ability to exert some sort of potential to improve gut and brain health,” she said.
More research is needed to determine which fermented foods are most beneficial to cognitive function, but researchers are starting to see a winner.
“Fermented sugar-based products and fermented vegetable-based products are like winning the lottery when it comes to gut and brain health,” Ramya said.
“For all that we see on sugar-based products being demonized, fermented sugar takes the raw sugar substrate and converts it into a plethora of metabolites that have a beneficial effect on the host. So even though the name ‘sugar’ is in it, if you do a final metabolomic screen, the sugar gets used by the microbial community that’s present in the food, and they get converted into these beautiful metabolites that are ready to be cherry-picked by us for further studies,” she explains.
The Future
Ramya will be moving forward with future studies that put the top-ranking fermented foods through rigorous testing using an artificial colon and animal models to see how they affect the brain.
She is hoping the public will utilize the results to include more fermented foods in their diets as well to naturally improve mental health and well-being.
