The 5 best fermented gut foods to try now

Over the last decade we’ve become increasingly aware of how vital our gut health is to our health at large. The trillions of bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract influence myriad aspects of our wellbeing, from our immunity and cognition to our sleep, skin and risk factors for disease. But supporting a robust gut though our diets is relatively simple, with key strategies being to regularly consume a diverse range of plants, both insoluble and soluble fibre, and fermented foods.

What are fermented foods?

The latter are foods that have undergone fermentation, explains Rhian Stephenson, a renowned nutritional therapist, naturopath and founder of Artah – “a process in which components of the foods are broken down by microorganisms, which can leave the end product full of probiotics and bacterial metabolites that can nourish our own microbial population and confer other benefits”.

There are a variety of fermented foods that can have probiotic properties, such as kombucha, kefir, wild pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, some yoghurts and certain raw cheeses, “however not all fermented foods have probiotics,” she flags. “Pasteurising will remove beneficial bacteria from any food product, so it’s important to look for labelling that specifies live cultures. Some brands will add live strains back into yoghurt, kefir, and their non-dairy alternatives post-pasteurisation to make this label claim. In the case of vegetable ferments like sauerkraut, look for ones that are labelled as ‘live’ and stored in the chilled section of the grocery store.”

How many fermented foods should you consume?

The verdict is out on the exact number of ferments to include to benefit our health, Stephenson shares; “some studies say six servings per week and some say six servings per day, which can sound overwhelming – and may also overwhelm your digestive system”. A good place to start is to build your way up to eating a little on most days, she feels. “Though if you have a gut condition, like SIBO for example, it’s important to be mindful; when your microbiome is out of balance fermented foods can exacerbate bloating – so it’s important to ramp up your intake slowly.”

Which are the best fermented foods?

Below Stephenson shares her top five fermented foods to consume for greater gut health.

best fermented foods

1/ Sauerkraut

“Sauerkraut is my favourite. Translating to ‘sour cabbage’, it is produced when yeast comes into contact with the natural sugars in cabbage. Cabbage is already a powerhouse when it comes to phytonutrients, and its nutritional value is only enhanced when in its fermented form. Sauerkraut can provide a potent dose of live bacteria; it can also have upwards of 50 million CFU (Colony Forming Units) per tablespoon, but even if your sauerkraut isn’t ‘live’, it’s still been shown to improve IBS related symptoms when eaten regularly. Alongside its probiotic benefits, cabbage is rich in sulforaphane, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.”

2/ Kimchi

“Kimchi is Asian variety of sauerkraut, which typically features more diverse flavours, spices and vegetables, so you’ll have the benefits of sauerkraut with other polyphenols and phytonutrients like capsaicin. Like sauerkraut, kimchi is antimicrobial and can lower blood sugar levels, and both can easily be incorporated into your diet as a salad topper or side dish.”

3/ Miso

“Miso is a great ferment to add to soups, sauces, dressings and stir fries because of its rich and distinctive flavour. It’s made by fermenting soybeans, rice, barley, or a mixture of these with yeast and bacteria. It is rich is isoflavones and live bacteria, so can be supportive for hormone balance, gut health, and may have a protective effect against certain cancers.”

4/ Pickled vegetables

“Pickled vegetables are becoming more popular and are an easy way to increase your ferment intake. Cucumbers are the most common, but we’re also starting to see things like fermented carrots, cauliflower and beetroot becoming more mainstream. They’re fermented by lactic acid bacteria and end up as slightly tangy, salty pickles. It’s important to notice the different between natural lacto-fermented varieties of pickles and some of the more mainstream pickles, which are pasteurised, and often have added flavourings, colourings and sugar.”

5/ Kombucha

“Kombucha is a fermented tea that has a sweet, fizzy taste. It’s usually made with four base ingredients; tea, water, sugar and a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. While it does have sugar, the sugar acts as food for the SCOBY, so there is only about 20 per cent of the sugar left at the end of a 30-day fermentation period. Because it is quite sweet, it’s better to have this with meals as opposed to on an empty stomach. In fact, an Australian study revealed that that kombucha significantly reduced both postprandial glucose and insulin responses of subjects when given with a meal. Like sauerkraut, it’s important to look for live or raw kombucha, not ones that have been pasteurised.”

What is the role of supplements in gut health?

While not a replacement for food, Stephenson feels that supplements can be extremely supportive for gut health, especially as an adjunct to other lifestyle changes like good nutrition and stress reduction. “In an ideal world, we’d all be eating farm-fresh, home-cooked food, living without stress, and with adequate sleep every day, but this isn’t our reality,” she points out. “We’re exposed to chronic stress, lack of sleep, poor food quality, environmental toxins, and thousands of microbiome-disrupting preservatives and emulsifiers in our food supply. We drink alcohol, take gut-disrupting medications and more – so supplements can be incredibly helpful.”

She notes that inflammation in the gut, “which can be caused by dysbiosis, stress, food additives like emulsifiers, and of course illness, can disrupt gut barrier function, gut immunity, and impair motility”. Here supplements can be particularly helpful “to therapeutically restore the mucous membrane in the gut, and promote motility”. Her Artah supplement Biome Restore contains live bacterial strains clinically proven to reduce inflammation and improve symptoms associated with IBS, alongside targeted herbs for both gut health and the restoration of the ‘gut-brain axis’. “Our gut and brain are intimately connected, so when our microbiome is disrupted our mood and stress level won’t be far behind. Likewise, when we’re chronically stressed, we impair our gut function and reduce motility, which can lead to further imbalance in the gut. Rates of anxiety and depression in people with IBS are double that of rates in the general population, so adding in something to support the stress response as well as mood can be incredibly impactful.”

You can also look for supplements that can help alleviate dysbiosis, which is an imbalance in bacterial composition. “GI Cleanse, for example, has antimicrobial herbs that reduce pathogenic bacteria and encourage the growth beneficial bacteria. Studies have shown that herbal antimicrobials can be as effective as Rifraximin, an antibiotic used for IBS and SIBO, but without the negative side effects. It would be nearly impossible to get this benefit from adjusting your diet alone.”