Optimize Your Gut Health With These 5 Fermented Foods

Kefir is fermented milk, usually having a tart taste to it. Drinking a glass of kefir daily can give you the necessary nutrients you may otherwise lack. In addition to having lots of vitamin B12, calcium and B2, kefir is an even more effective probiotic than yogurt. 

This Korean dish consists of fermented cabbage and sometimes other fermented veggies like radishes. Similar to all other foods on this list, kimchi is rich in probiotics that work to prevent further health issues. Additionally, kimchi actively reduces both insulin resistance and inflammation. Talk about a superfood!

A common misconception about sauerkraut is that it originates from Germany. While Germans love a nice bratwurst with sauerkraut, the fermented cabbage dish originates from China. Sauerkraut may help to improve digestion, reduce inflammation and aid in weight loss (if that is a personal goal). The dish also provides a large percentage of your daily nutrient needs for vitamins C and K1. 

Traditionally found in Japanese and Chinese diets, this fermented soybean paste has been linked to (on top of providing digestive benefits) lowering the risk of breast cancer. This fermented superfood also improves the gut microbiota, leading to better digestion and function of the digestive tract. While more studies need to be done to assess its relationship to improving the immune system, evidence suggests it has antibiotic properties. Time to switch out the sick-day chicken noodle soup for miso soup!

Last but certainly not least is the popular drink: kombucha. The point has been made that all of these fermented foods come equipped with lots of probiotics; kombucha likewise has the same. On top of this, though, kombucha possesses many antioxidants and can kill harmful bacteria in the gut as it contains acetic acid, like vinegar. Unlike other fermented beverages, there is no guilt in indulging in kombucha!