Eating high-quality fermented foods can provide extraordinary health benefits ranging from heart health to cancer protection, immunity and even anti-aging?

People have been consuming fermented foods for hundreds of years.  In the West, the most commonly known fermented foods include yogurt, sauerkraut, pickles and sourdough bread, and some of the lesser-known ones are tempeh and the fermented beverage kombucha tea.  Around the world, the list is much longer, including items such as balao-balao, magou, lutefisk, nham, kefir, natto, and kimchi, among many others.

Fermented foods contain the beneficial flora Lactobacillus acidophilus—or “good bacteria.”  These bacteria produce several byproducts, including lactic acid.  Lactic acid actually preserves food and boosts health by inhibiting other “bad” bacteria. Continue reading →