Conditions That Could Be Aided By Probiotic Consumption
|
|
When we first considered producing fermented vegetables, we researched their health benefits. We had known fermented veggies are revered by the holistic health community, yet we were still amazed to discover the extent of these benefits. Our review of the scientific literature convinced us that sauerkraut is a true SUPERFOOD! The health benefits are so compelling we knew we needed to play a part in the fermented foods revival. For your sake, take a few minutes to educate yourself and join the revival with us.
Vitamin C and Vitamin K
Fermented foods are loaded with these two vitamins. While their importance this may not be news to many, understanding how these vitamins impact your health is essential in order to truly recognize how important they are. Vitamin C is one of the most important elements of our immune system, stimulating the production of white blood cells and increasing cellular regeneration. It is also a constituent for collagen creation. Collagen is a fundamental component for tissue repair and is found throughout the body in organs, blood vessels, skin, hair, muscles, and bones.
Vitamin K has been recently linked with a huge boost in human longevity. A 2014 study on vitamin K affirms this. In a gathering of more than 7,000 individuals who were high risk for cardiovascular sickness, individuals with the highest levels of vitamin K ingestion were 36% less likely to die for any reason. This remains true even for those who began to increase their Vitamin K intake throughout the study, meaning it is never too late to start. This seemingly miracle Vitamin is equipped to aid in combating atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, diabetes, as well as cancer since it has been found to activate proteins involved with these conditions.
Other Health Benefits
Energy Production: The large amounts of iron found in cabbage (the key component in sauerkraut) can be extremely useful for the body in an assortment of ways. First, iron adds to vitality creation, assisting the body’s digestion system while supporting circulation. This builds oxygenation of organs and cells, an aftereffect of more red blood cells, of which iron is a crucial segment. High iron levels averts anemia (iron deficiency) and the reactions connected with that condition (migraines, weakness, psychological debilitation).
Digestive Health: Cabbage is celebrated around the world for its high fiber content, which is accepted as one of the pinnacles in any eating regimen for the advantage of digestive health. Digestive fibers help move sustenance cleanly through the colon, disposing of clogging, bloating, cramping, and over the top gas along the way. By directing your digestive and excretory framework, you can likewise forestall more genuine conditions, as gastric ulcers and even colon disease.
Heart Health: While fiber may be incredibly beneficial for digestive health, it is also vital for the soundness of your heart. Fiber can rub off unsafe cholesterol from the walls of arteries and veins by tying with the fats and cholesterol and expelling them from the body. In this way, less cholesterol enters the circulation system and your general cholesterol level is reduce. This can decrease the risk of atherosclerosis, heart assaults, strokes, and an assortment of other cardiovascular issues.
Eye and Skin Health: Sauerkraut additionally contains a significant number of carotenes and a lot of Vitamin A. Both combat cancer by taking out free radicals from the body’s frameworks, which are the hazardous repercussions of your cellular digestion system that can make otherwise sound cells transform. Sauerkraut has been connected to enhanced eye health, as vitamin A lessens the possibilities of oracular degeneration . Additionally Vitamin A keeps up the integrity of your skin, reduces wrinkles, erases flaws, and for the most part keeping your skin looking youthful and solid, all because of the free-radical killing forces of sauerkraut!
Probiotics
Probiotics have become recently recognized for their significant benefits to human health. Prior to the advent of refrigeration, a significant percentage of fruits, vegetables and grains naturally fermented both before and after preparation. therefore fermented foods have been part of the human diet for millennia. Scientific focus and public understanding of the benefits only date back to the mid-nineties. It is possible that many modern diseases and major health issues stem from the near complete absence of fermented foods in today’s western diet. “If consumers choose probiotics in foods, they may see a reduction in being sick with GI or upper respiratory illnesses,”1 says Sharon Palmer ,RD, a contributing editor at Today’s Dietitian.
Scientific literature clearly supports the use of probiotics in treating many diseases, including those of the gut and bowel such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crone’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. A 2005 article in Current Science Magazine summarizes, ” Probiotics are gaining importance because of the innumerable benefits, e.g. treating lactose intolerance, hypercholesterol problem, cardiac diseases and managing cardiac problems like atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. With the current focus on disease prevention and the quest for optimal health at all ages, the probiotics market potential is enormous.”6 The literature also indicates an ability to boost the human immune system aiding the body’s battle against cancer, herpes, and other infectious diseases. Russian trained microbiologist Dr. Liubov Shynkarenko recently performed a study where, “mice injected with herpes simplex type 1 virus and staphylococcus aureus had an improved survival rate after receiving the probiotic.”5 Less well established, though hypothesized, is the connection between the known aid in digestion and its ability to prevent or treat diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. If this is indeed the case, the potential health benefits for fermented foods is astronomical.
Most scientific research done in the last twenty years with fermented foods have been done using dairy based products such as yogurt and kefir. There has been very little scientific research on the health benefits of fermented vegetables. “It’s important to remember that probiotic benefits are strain specific, dose specific, and maybe even matrix specific. For example, probiotics in capsules may have different effects than probiotics in yogurt,”3 informs Sharon Sanders, Ph.D, an internationally recognized consultant in the area of probiotic microbiology. The health values of fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut, have been understood and promoted by the holistic health community since the 1980’s, and amongst cultures containing traditional ethnic foods for generationsThe holistic health and raw food diet communities have popularized a home-made fermented wheat berry drink named Rejuvelac and more recently Kombucha, a fermented tea. Kombucha is now even widely available at health food outlets, such as Whole Foods.
Probiotic supplements have become increasingly popular as well, with many people noticing the health benefits of their use. A good amount of scientific literature supports the use of probiotic supplements for specific diseases. For example, “certain members of spp. decrease the levels of carcinogenetic enzymes produced by colonic flora “4 reports ISAPP, and international research group devoted to the study of Probiotics. Even harmaceutical grade probiotic supplements are now available through prescription only. Note; other probiotic supplements are not regulated by the FDA, as they are generally considered safe under any dosage. A review of the literatures reveals that the health benefits of these supplements can be strain specific to certain diseases. And potency, as measured in numbers of live bacteria, is CRUCIAL to effectiveness.
Science is just beginning to understand the importance of the human microbiome (your intestinal flora) to good health. While the holistic health community and raw foods community have long tauted the benefits of fermented vegetables.