Gut it out. Tangy fermented foods may not be your first choice for filling fare, but they are great for gut health since the fermentation process produces probiotics that aid in digestion. Now, gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz is dishing on his two picks for fermented food and one to avoid.
He told EatingWell this week, “There’s always a hierarchy in food; there’s the foods that I would put at the top and the ones that [I] would put at the bottom.” He explains why he prefers kimchi and sauerkraut and eschews kombucha . Best fermented food for gut health “When it comes to fermented food, I would put the fermented plants at the top; examples would be kimchi and sauerkraut ,” Bulsiewicz said.
Cabbage, the base for kimchi and sauerkraut, is packed with antioxidants and vitamin C and has justly been dubbed a “superfood.” The fermentation process that takes raw cabbage to kimchi or kraut creates probiotics that support the gut microbiome, which is key to the body’s immune response. And kimchi may have benefits beyond digestion.
A study published in January in BMJ Open found that the traditional Korean dish of fermented vegetables may help reduce fat in the stomach area — and potentially decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The fermented superfood is also known to cure a raging hangover . Kimchi is made by salting and fermenting vegetables, typically cabbage and radish, and adding seasonings such as garlic, onion and fish sauce.
Cabbage and radish are rich in .
