I actually did not know that foods that have gone through fermentation are powerhouses of nutrients until my father shared a research done on locust beans (Irú) with me.
He said that locust beans were spread on some cancer tissues and the locust beans killed all the cancer cells.
Apart from killing cancer cells, locust beans also promotes good eyesight, aids digestion, the water and alcoholic extracts of fermented locust beans are used to reduce blood sugar. Locust bean does more but it’s so unfortunate that most of us hate this wonder food.
Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid.
This process preserves the food and creates beneficial enzymes, B-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.
Some foods are not safe for human consumption; it is only through fermentation that the plant toxins in them are removed and it is this process that brings out the best in such foods.
A good example of this is soya beans. It is less harmful when fermented. The Japanese eat Miso, Tempeh, Natto and Tofu which are all made by fermenting soya beans. Now, guess what? When it comes to living healthy and long lives, the Japanese are good in that department.
If you still take soya milk, I advise that you try to be fermenting it before drinking or, better still, use your soya beans to make soya locust beans.
Fermentation has also been shown to preserve nutrients in foods and break the food down to a more digestible form. This, along with the bevy of probiotics created during the fermentation process, could explain the link between consumption of fermented foods and improved digestion.
Apple cider vinegar is also another good example of fermented drink. It is made from fermented apple. It is loaded with a lot of health benefits.
Women who have met me for their menses to be induced naturally will testify to the fact that this wonder drink is part of the treatment.
Yogurt is another fermented food that benefits the body. It is made by adding bacterial cultures to milk, transforming the milk sugar, lactose, into lactic acid. This is why yogurt is better than milk.
As a matter of fact, it is healthier to take yogurt than milk because like I have discussed before, the cows that produce the milk we drink are given hormonal injections so that they can produce more milk and also become fleshy on time. While we take milk, we ingest all those hormones too but fermentation reduces all these.
However, not all brands of yogurt are healthy. Some have preservatives and that is why they have a long shelf life. This is why I advise people to make their yogurt at home.
I know a particular brand that has a shelf life of three weeks because it doesn’t have any preservatives. It is made here in Nigeria. I can be consulted to give the name.