Will fermented foods improve my gut health? | Sandor Katz and Professor Tim Spector

Fermentation is a hot craze in fancy restaurants around the world. And fermented foods, like kombucha and kimchi, are even sold in corner stores.

Listeners of this show will have heard that fermented foods might benefit our gut health. But these foods make us uneasy. The idea of letting food rot, then eating it goes against everything our parents taught us. So, is fermentation scary and dangerous?

This episode will show you why it's not only safe but beneficial to eat fermented foods, and that fermenting foods is something you can try at home.

Jonathan speaks to Tim Spector and Sandor Katz — whom the food magazine CHOW calls a provocateur, trendsetter, and rabble-rouser — to better understand the fabulous world of fermentation.

Sandor Katz is a food activist who is widely credited with reintroducing fermentation to the US and the UK, calling himself a fermentation revivalist.
Tim Spector is a co-founder at ZOE and one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the world.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to joinZOE.com/podcast and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

Timecodes:
00:00 - Intro
00:13 - Topic introduction
02:21 - Quickfire questions
04:10 - Isn’t fermentation niche?
05:05 - What is fermentation?
07:36 - Why did our ancestors ferment their food?
08:54 - How is fermentation preserving food?
12:45 - What are the impacts on our health of eating fermented foods?
16:27 - How to make kimchi
19:00 - What is kefir?
20:25 - Why are fermented foods good for our health
24:19 - Why don’t we have to worry about bacteria in fermented foods?
29:36 - What are the best fermented foods to get started with?
34:16 - Can you purchase fermented foods at stores?
39:26 - 5 tips for people interested in trying fermented foods
42:42 - Summary
44:17 - Listener’s question: What’s the most unusual food that you’ve fermented?
45:16 - Goodbyes
45:24 - Outro

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

[gutmicrobiomequeen]

There was a study out of Stanford this year showing that fermented food may increase gut microbiota diversity even more than prebiotics! (Microbiota diversity is the #1 marker for microbiota health and resistance to infection)

[barbaracvejik-reeve]

In the Balkans (all ex Yugoslavian countries, Greece, Albania) it's part of our everyday diet. We never lost that tradition. Autumn is normally the time when all fermented foods would be prepared and not just jars but whole barrels of fermented cabbage or a mix of vegetables. Then the season of cooking with these starts or we just add them to other dishes as salads. And yogurt has always been used as the go to 'medicine' for diarrhoea or any stomach problems.Kombucha has been kept and split and passed between friends and families for a long time too.I find it entertaining that the Western world is 'discovering' these just now while we 'the savages' in the Balkans have been doing it all along 😂

[natures_child]

I started to make my own kimchi after listening to other Zoe podcasts about the benefits of fermented foods. One thing that was not raised in this episode is that fermented foods are naturally high in histamine so if you suffer from histamine intolerance like myself, please make sure that you 'go low and slow' when eating kimchi or any other fermented foods. All perimenopausal women should also be warned that oestrogen and histamine feed off each other so you may find that you can only tolerate fermented foods at certain times of the month. I can tolerate a small amount of kimchi each day as well as homemade sourdough bread. I eat natural yoghurt a couple of times a week too. I can tell that my digestive system has improved as a result of adding these foods to my diet.

[Laccafh]

In southern part of India …. We ferment literally every grain with a type of lentil (urad) and make steam cakes with the batter. BEST DELICIOUS HEALTHIEST VEGAN and gluten free (most cases) breakfast in the world - IDLI

[Zoe.TheBody]

I think there are some health 'caveats' that should have been mentioned with regard to adding fermented foods. (1) If you already have a stomach bacterial, viral or parasitic issue - fermented foods could make your condition worse so identify and treat the underlying condition before trying to change the gut microbiome (2) Fermented foods raise histamine levels and potentially can contribute to Mast Cell Activation in some sensitive people: genetically there are people born without the ability to regulate histamine because of SNPS in the DAO enzyme.

[Loveiam-UR]

I have had the progeny of a kombucha mother I got more than 30 years ago. I make all my own wine from plants as varied as roses and hibiscus to elder berrys and elder flowers. If you love humus as I do blend in some kimchi or fermented pepper sauce. The results after a couple of weeks are wonderful. The main thing is fermentation is fun and I can't say enough about putting your own energy into the things you consume. It makes a difference.

[karolinaferenz]

I would never use word 'rotten', fermentation / picking is not rotting, noone encourage people to rotten their food 🤯 beside that, epic listening! Fantastic to see Sandor on Zoe!!!

[lizcole]

I have Sandor's book. I have been making my own yoghurt using his method for years. Tried milk Kefir, but ended up with more than I could drink each day. I'm inspired to try fermenting vegetables and use less salt.

[annettemorris]

I learned a lot from reading Sandor's book and have found eating a range of fermented foods improved IBS and made some foods like brassicas much more easily digestible. My family are now eating them too and all started with very small amounts and increased slowly to avoid the initial windy stage

[nikkijamesy]

Thnks for this pod. As I listen I'm finding some vege that's just sitting in the fridge.... Will put them to greater use as a saurakraut now. Listening and watching from the Caribbean Island of Trinidad &Tobago

[CP-ewuu]

I have been making kimchi for a couple of years now and I LOVELOVELOVE it. Have it for breakfast, as my late-riser husband can't stand the smell so I have mine before his nose is awake. I am - very slowly - getting him on board with saurkraut and hopefully eventually he'll come around to the kimchi too. But listening to this, it's quite clear there's much much more out there to try out, will have to experiment! Thanks Zoe, as always, amazingly informative podcast

[CynCopeland-TheAnswerIsMeat]

With so many vegetables being grown hydroponically, it'd be interesting to understand the impact on the lactic bacteria which comes from plants grown in soil.

[pirr]

Question - does farming without soil (modern solution based vertical farming for example) reduce the microorganisms presence in the food (e.g. for fermentation etc) as you say that they come from soil? Thanks for a good podcast! 29:37

[denisemay]

Do pesticides destroy the lactic acid bacteria in our soil? And should we be using organic vegetables for fermentation?

[sdjstme]

i started with Kefir & was amazed at what I discovered I could taste it alive in my gut & really enjoy my food

[graciesmom]

I've made sauerkraut from scratch at home myself. It taste really good. It takes a while to ferment but well worth it.

[tootstweet]

I can't get enough of fermented cauliflower! Crunchy and sooo delicious :)

[brunonichol]

One point about Koreans and Japanese. They have some of the highest rates of Stomach Cancer. This may not be related to the high consumption, but it could be due to the high salt intake.

[LadyOfRain]

When Tim says 'in health food stores' in terms of comparing the amnts of microbes you can get vs from fermented food, I believe he is talking about the supplements you find there. If you are in a Health Food Store you are also likely to find the fermented food options they are talking about as well. Finding live culture (not 'pickled' in vinegar or pasteurized) fermented foods in a cooler or fridge in a health food store is pretty common around where I live.

[yasmeenyasin]

Thank you so much for this amazing podcast ❤️