Here at Living Goodness, informed food choices for a healthier life are at the core of what we do, which is why we love working with science students who can shed more light on the benefits of fermented food. Lilian, here has found evidence that fermented foods have a lot of benefits to bone health - something we hadn’t touched on before. Read her findings below:
Bone health maintenance is paramount due to the fact that bone tissue is constantly being absorbed and replaced [1]. Metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, rickets, osteomalacia are characterised with various abnormalities and deformities of the bone. Bone diseases increase the risk for bone fractures due to the characteristic low bone mass. These diseases can be managed and improved by sufficient intake and absorption of important nutrients from healthy foods. The proverbial phrase ‘you are what you eat’ is particularly appropriate because what we consume accurately reflects the composition and function of the gut microbes we harbour.
Benefits
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi are probiotics which are alive with good bacteria such as lactobacillus. The lacto-fermentation process is known to produce lactic acid from fermentation with the lactobacillus genus.
Bone health nutrients
Sauerkraut and kimchi contain beneficial nutrients for the bone such as dietary fibre, vitamin K2, vitamin B, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. These vitamins and minerals are essential for building bone mineral density.
Increased nutrient availability and absorption
These lacto-fermented foods increase nutrient availability i.e. nutrients are more readily absorbed in the fermented vegetables than the unfermented ones [2].
Reduced systemic inflammation
Fermentation tend to lower the number of inflammatory molecules circulating in the blood and increase antioxidant activities.
Improved immune function
Probiotics have been shown to be beneficial for boosting the immune system and have been proven to contain antiviral [3] and antiallergenic effects [4]. These fermented foods also improve the protective lining of the gut. The dietary fibres are turned into short-chain fats such as butyrate, acetate and propionate. These fats help strengthen the gut wall and stimulate the immune system by preventing pathogenic substances from entering the body.
Probiotic treatment has been shown to improve bone formation, increase bone mass thereby preventing bone loss in mice [5] and in human clinical trials [6, 7]. Therefore, based on these positive beneficial effects of probiotics at the gut level; it enables the creation of healthier bones.
If bone health is something you are concerned with for yourself or your loved ones, reaching out to your doctor is always recommended, but adding some tasty kraut or kimchi to your meals might just be the delicious answer you’re looking for.
Written by Lilian Ilesanmi-Oyelere
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References
1. Kenkre, J. and J. Bassett, The bone remodelling cycle. Annals of clinical biochemistry, 2018. 55(3): p. 308-327.
2. Şanlier, N., B.B. Gökcen, and A.C. Sezgin, Health benefits of fermented foods. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2019. 59(3): p. 506-527.
3. Botić, T., et al., A novel eukaryotic cell culture model to study antiviral activity of potential probiotic bacteria. International journal of food microbiology, 2007. 115(2): p. 227-234.
4. Salminen, S. and E. Isolauri. Identification of probiotics and prebiotics with antiallergenic properties. in NESTLE NUTRITION WORKSHOP SERIES. 2004. Karger.
5. Ohlsson, C., et al., Probiotics protect mice from ovariectomy-induced cortical bone loss. PLoS One, 2014. 9(3): p. e92368.
6. Lei, M., L. Hua, and D. Wang, The effect of probiotic treatment on elderly patients with distal radius fracture: a prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial. Beneficial Microbes, 2016. 7(5): p. 631-637.
7. Lei, M., et al., The effect of probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota on knee osteoarthritis: a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Beneficial Microbes, 2017. 8(5): p. 697-703.