Fermentation can make foods more digestible, nutritious and tasty…
According to Sandor Katz, fermentation can make food...
More digestible: It can break down lactose and gluten to make them easier to digest, make minerals more bioavailable);
More nutritious: It can increase B vitamin content and produce new metabolites and anti-carcinogenic compounds);
More stable: Sauerkraut has a longer shelf-life than fresh red cabbage).
More tasty: From kombucha and soy sauce to pickled cabbage, fermentation creates strong flavors;
More safe: Fermentation can preserve foods and break down some toxic compounds such as cyanide compounds, oxalic acid, phytic acid, and even residues of organophosphate chemicals used as pesticides and herbicides.
Said Katz (pictured above): “As a result of the war on bacteria, we have learned to fear bacteria and be suspicious of the safety of fermented foods. In fact, fermentation is a proven strategy for food safety. In the realm of fermented vegetables, there have been no documented cases of food poisoning or illness resulting, according to the USDA.”
