Sauerkraut Lactic Acid Fermentation
“Sauerkraut is a wonderful healing remedy for the digestive tract, full of digestive enzymes, probiotic bacteria,
vitamins and minerals”. (Dr Natasha Campbell – Mc Bride)
Natural Lactic Acid Fermentation is one of the oldest and healthiest means of food preservation however the benefits of fermented vegetables and fruits go beyond the advantage of preservation.
Sauerkraut is notorious for its numerous health benefits and has been highly regarded for it’s reputation as a Supper Food.
Loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and beneficial bacteria that strengthen digestive power, sauerkraut is both a nourishing food and a potent nutritional medicine. Naturally produced by lactic acid fermentation, sauerkraut has a long tradition of use in cultures around the world.
Sauerkraut is a staple food in the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride and is highly promoted by Sally Fallon, author of a Nourishing Traditions.
Sauerkraut is made through a lactic-acid fermentation process. Lactic – acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Sugars and starch carbohydrates in vegetables and fruits are consumed and converted into lactic acid by a variety of lactic acid species. Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the natural occurring lactic acid producing bacteria that have been used for centuries as a preservative. It produces high acidity in all vegetable fermentations and plays a major role in the healing of the digestive tract.
The living beneficial bacteria in sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables and fruit, enhance digestibility and increase vitamin content. They furnish the body with many beneficial enzymes, probiotics and anti-carcinogens. Consuming live fermented foods on a regular basis helps to balance the inner terrain of the intesti al tract to allow for the repopulation of good gut flora which contain far more beneficial bacteria thatn supplements can alone.
Benefits of Sauerkraut and Fermented Vegetables
Sauerkraut illuminates disease causing bacteria and reintroduces friendly bacteria to the digestive system.
Lactic acid fermenting foods contain potent digestive enzymes that boost metabolism and assist in restoring natural digestion.
Lactic acid fermented recipes are excellent for those with lactose intolerance and weakened digestive systems.
Lactic acid fermented foods are a holistic part of cancer therapy due to its many antioxidant compounds.
Results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry conclude that sauerkraut is a cancer growth inhibitor. Especially for lung, colon, liver and breast cancer.
Lactic acid fermented vegetables assist in restoring normal stomach acidity which then triggers the pancreas to produce its own enzymes to digest food.
Raw sauerkraut juice has been used as a remedy for worms. The helpful bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum is a dominant strain of bacteria that is known to actively keep pathogens in check.
Nursing mothers of colicky babies have gotten relief from many sleepless nights from consuming fermented vegetables. Colicky bottle fed babies can be fed tiny (progressive) spoonfuls of sauerkraut juice. This introduces some friendly bacteria for bottle fed babies who are not receiving beneficial bacteria from their mothers breast milk.
Pytochemicals are created during the fermentation process witch assist in boosting the immune system.
Sauerkraut and its juices are a traditional folk remedy for treating constipation and have a soothing affect on the nervous system.
Yeast overgrowth such as candida albicans propagating in the digestive tract are precluded by the acidic environment due to lactic acid fermentation in foods like sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is rich in vital nutrients and minerals such as calcium and potassium, as well as magnesium and an abundance of vitamin C & K.
As a nutritious food choice, the sauerkraut and other lactic acid fermented vegetables are a perfect candidate for all round nutrition.
Protects against environmental toxins like heavy metals, pollution and pesticides.