I just gave an online talk about fermentation and making sauerkraut.  In my presentation, I got to share how regular probiotic food consumption has a lot of benefits. Fermented Foods are an easy way to support your health and immunity.  When you eat things like sauerkraut, you help rebuild your biome and help its diversity stay robust.  Different organisms have specific actions in your gut and beyond.  The key is to eat or drink a small amount most days.

Fermented foods are full of bugs that are good for you.  To learn more and get a sauerkraut recipe click this link. Ayurveda teaches the rasa of fermented foods is sour, so you want to balance that with the other tastes throughout the day.  Probiotic organisms work in your gut to create the compounds your immune system needs to function.  I am on the lookout for more research that clarifies the role the biome plays in ojas (Ayurvedic Immunity)

My Need For Regular Probiotic Food Consumption Came Because Of Illness

Suppose you are on antibiotics for Lyme disease as I was for twenty-two months, to knock down the bad actor borrelia in all its forms in my body. In that case, you end up doing away with many of the probiotic organisms on your team.  I took probiotic pills all during antibiotic treatment, which helped. But I need to rebuild this population or deal with the consequences of a decimated gut biome.  For me, I had run away diarrhea that gave me hemorrhoids and lots of immune system dysfunction.  

After I finished antibiotic treatment, I took thousands of probiotic pills to manage my issues and rebuild my biome.  Initially, my holistic practitioner prescribed specific strains and organisms to help shut down the constant pooping and runaway inflammation.  I asked about ferments, but my doctor told me my gut wasn’t healthy enough to deal with the diversity.  As soon as I was strong enough, I switched to fermented foods.  Why? 

Ayurveda builds health first with food (ahara) and lifestyle (vihara) choices. Fermented foods deliver a community of organisms in a carrier that my body recognizes and knows how to digest.  In general, fermented foods have a much more diverse population of organisms than the average probiotic pill. An excellent probiotic may have 30 different microorganisms; sauerkraut and other fermented foods have hundreds. Fermented foods are cost effective in comparison to probiotic supplements.

Regular Probiotic Food Consumption

Regular consumption doesn’t mean a bowl of sauerkraut or kimchi or a whole bottle of kombucha once a month; you want a taste or two each day.  Right now, my favorite way is on a ½ a rice cake with lemon dill hummus and sauerkraut with some soup. Three delicious bites, and I know I have supported my health.

I do small-batch fermentation because I don’t want a large quantity in storage.  I ferment a couple of quarts 4 to 6 times a year for my husband and me. Small batch fermentation only takes a hour and fits into my regular kitchen sadhana. We take a small amount each day or as frequently as it works out. 

Eating prebiotic-rich foods that feed your biome helps too. Onions, sunchokes, leeks, garlic are prebiotic-rich foods.  These foods all contain insoluble fiber that gut bacteria love to chew. Check this link for more prebiotic-rich food ideas.

Key Benefits of Eating Fermented Foods

Ayurveda teaches that healthy digestion is the key to health.  Build a robust gut biome as part of eating and living.

The purpose of this article is to share and educate on  Ayurveda. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional medical care, treatment, or advice. All the material here is for information purposes only. Always share strategy and work with your health care team.