Stop Eating Fermented Food

Aren't Fermented Foods Healthy?

A common question I get is whether I recommend consuming fermented foods or not. This question is fueled by the incredibly positive press that fermented foods get in the health-food sphere as well as the rich and colorful folklore regarding foods such as apple cider vinegar. In short, I don't recommend fermented foods, but why not?

Fermentation Has Downsides

Salt

Most fermented foods are heavily salted. Salt is a biocide, it kills and inhibits life, and it is used to prevent native bacteria in a food from multiplying and causing it to rot. This results in a very salty food product.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a very popular additive (itself a fermented food) to fermented foods and this is a problem. Vinegar is very powerful and it can disrupt digestion, damage intestinal lining, and even kill healthy blood cells.

Pathogenic Bacteria

Fermented foods contain a lot of bacteria in them, and not all of them are good. Fermented foods are partially rotted and decomposed and the bacteria that come along to aid this decomposition process can not be fully vetted or guaranteed to be beneficial. If you are trying to re-balance your gut microbiome it doesn't make sense to roll the dice on fermented foods and allowing potentially pathogenic bacteria to come along for the ride.

Waste Byproducts

When foods ferment, or decompose, they produce a myriad of waste byproducts during the fermentation process. Among these is alcohol. While the alcohol content is usually small (unless we're talking about beer, wine, or liquor) even small amounts of alcohol can affect the cells in your body.

Some fermented food products will also produce high amounts of ammonia (especially soy sauce) which most people know we should steer clear of.

Finally, fermented food products tend to be very acidic and high in acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid. These are what give fermented foods their characteristic sharp, sour flavor. They are also waste byproducts your body spends energy on flushing out of your system.

Fermented Foods Are Unnecessary

Given everything I listed above, I see no reason to roll the dice with risky partially decomposed foods. We still have the privilege of having a wealth of genuinely fresh and healthy foods at our disposal, that there is virtually no need to risk your health with fermented foods. Stick with a whole-food plant-based diet and you'll never be needing any other substitutes.

God Bless,
Mercy Ballard