Contents:
- Medical Video: Fermented Foods: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
- Understand the fermentation process
- Benefits of fermented products
- 1. Prevent heart and blood vessel problems
- 2. Increases endurance
- 3. Dispose of toxins in the body
- 4. Stimulates the growth of good bacteria
- Lack of fermented products for health
- 1. There are nutrients that are lost
- 2. Increases the risk of cancer
- 3. Excess lactic acid
Medical Video: Fermented Foods: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Without your realizing it, the various food and beverage products that you consume daily have gone through the fermentation process. Just say tempeh, bread, tape, cucumber pickles, pickles, oncom, vinegar, soy sauce, shrimp paste, cheese, yogurt, and beer. Fermented products have their own benefits and benefits which make them relatively superior. However, like other foods that have gone through certain processing stages, fermented foods and drinks are not entirely free of certain health risks. If you consume too many fermented products, there are dangers that might lurk. Find out what are the risks behind the many benefits of various fermented foods and drinks below.
Understand the fermentation process
Because of the many fermented food products that you meet everyday, it's good to understand what the fermentation process is for various types of food and beverages. Fermentation itself was first developed to preserve food and drinks long before the invention of a refrigerator. Food and drink will be preserved by changing the structure of food ingredients through yeast, bacteria, or fungi. This process is carried out in very minimal conditions or even without air (anaerobic).
Benefits of fermented products
It turns out that the process of preserving these foods provides certain benefits for health. Here are some of the benefits offered by fermented products if consumed in proportion.
1. Prevent heart and blood vessel problems
The fermentation process produces important nutrients such as vitamin K2 which functions to prevent heart disease and plaque buildup in the arteries. A study published in the journal Current Opinion on Lipidology in 2006 also revealed that milk that has gone through the fermentation stage can reduce high blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
2. Increases endurance
About 80% of your immune system is in the intestine. Various fermented food ingredients can be easily digested by the body so that you can prevent various digestive problems. The intestine will also get nutrients and microorganisms needed to build a strong immune system.
3. Dispose of toxins in the body
Fermented foods and drinks are good sources of natural detoxification or disposal of toxins and harmful substances. The acidic and bacterial contents in fermented food are powerful for melting various types of poisons and heavy metals in the body such as mercury and aluminum.
4. Stimulates the growth of good bacteria
You can get enough probiotic intake from various fermented products. Probiotics function to stimulate the growth of various good bacteria in the body. With good bacteria, the body will be more effective in absorbing nutrients and avoiding various digestive problems.
Lack of fermented products for health
All the benefits of fermented food and beverages mentioned above should not be a reason for consuming fermented products in excess. Here are some things you need to consider before eating too much or drinking fermented products.
1. There are nutrients that are lost
You can get the maximum nutrition and efficacy if the food and drink are consumed fresh. Meanwhile, fermented food and beverages are stored for a long time and have gone through various processes that risk reducing the original nutrients of these foods. For example in yogurt, milk will be heated first to kill various bacteria. This process causes the loss of various important substances. In fermented preserved vegetables such as pickles and pickles, the vegetables will be cut into pieces or chopped first and then soaked in a salt or vinegar solution. This processing technique allows oxidation so that nutrients and essential substances in these vegetables are no longer optimal.
2. Increases the risk of cancer
Various studies remind people not to consume fermented soy products such as soy sauce and tempe excessively. The risk that might be caused is colonization and infection of the Heliobacter pylori bacteria. This condition can trigger stomach cancer. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) also classifies pickles as cancer-causing substances (carcinogens). Most eat pickles and pickled vegetables can have an impact on the growth of cancer cells in the esophagus.
3. Excess lactic acid
The fermentation process produces various types of acids in food and beverages. One of them is lactic acid. If there is too much lactic acid in your body, symptoms that may be experienced include shortness of breath or a muscle that feels painful or stiff. This is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood and muscles.
READ ALSO:
- Dismantling the Myth Behind the Dangers of Santan
- Is Egg Yolk Dangerous for the Heart?
- 11 Best Sources of Protein from Vegetable Foods
