Are fermented foods good for your heart?

 

Fermented foods contain probiotics, which are helpful microorganisms that naturally present in the body and are thought to aid digestion. According to a review research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology last year, probiotics present in fermented foods may provide modest heart-related advantages. For thousands of years, people have employed fermentation to preserve food. Some of these items, such as yoghurt, , and crème fraîche, will be recognisable to you. Others, such as kimchi (Korean fermented veggies), kombucha (a tea-based beverage), miso (a Japanese seasoning produced from fermented soya beans), and kefir (a milk-based fermented beverage), are less well-known

Probiotics - living bacteria and yeasts that are known to provide health advantages – can be found in fermented foods. As a result, these items may be a beneficial addition to our diets.

They make a lot of health claims, from preventing cancer to lowering cholesterol and obesity, but most of them aren't backed up by research. There is some evidence that some probiotics can help with certain stomach issues. More research is needed to understand how the benefits of particular probiotics shown in clinical trials translate to ingesting them in foods — for example, how much would we need to consume to get any effect, or which foods are the best sources.

Fermented foods have a lot of health claims, but most of them aren't backed up by research. Although there is still much to learn about fermented foods, there is no danger in sampling them for the most part. Just keep in mind that any benefit is a 'add-on' to a healthy, balanced diet; it cannot compensate for the impacts of an unhealthy diet.

Check nutrition labels carefully, and keep in mind that fermented foods should be kept refrigerated because they are 'living'. If they're from the grocery shelf, be cautious because the heat treatment that may have been performed to preserve them kills probiotics.

Some of these foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso, are salty, so read the labels carefully and use reduced-salt versions if feasible. A food is classified as 'high' in salt if it contains more than 1.5 grammes (0.6 grammes sodium) per 100 grammes, and as 'low' if it includes 0.3 grammes (0.1 grammes sodium) or less per 100 grammes. If you're buying yoghurt, look for low-fat varieties that don't have added sugar.