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- Evidence suggests that fermented foods like kimchi can boost gut health.
- A diverse microbiome is linked to overall good health.
- Gut-health researcher Emily Leeming uses tricks like adding kefir to salad dressing.
Fermented foods like kimchi and pickles are great for supporting the gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes that help shape our health.
Made when live bacteria or yeast are added to ingredients like tea, milk, or vegetables, fermented foods contain probiotics, the “good” bacteria in our guts. The microbiome contains “good” and “bad” bacteria. Eating a diverse range of fiber-packed plant foods feeds the good ones, while ferments are thought to introduce new “good” elements to the microbiome.
Emily Leeming, a microbiome researcher at King’s College London, dietitian, and former private chef, told Business Insider that she tries to eat fermented foods every day.
Emerging research suggests that fermented foods increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, a key marker of a healthy gut, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a 2022 review in the journal Nutrients.
“We are really understanding more and more that this collection of a hundred trillion microorganisms are influencing every aspect of our health,” said Leeming, the author of “Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for your Second Brain.” And what we eat has a major influence.
Leeming shared four ways she adds fermented foods to her daily diet.
Using kefir instead of yogurt
Kefir is a fermented milk drink similar to yogurt, butthinner in consistency and with more live microbes.
For this reason, Leeming tends to opt for kefir anytime a recipe calls for yogurt. She might put it in a smoothie or in overnight oats, for example.
“Kefir, I find really easy to incorporate in different things,” she said.
Keeping fermented veggies in the fridge
Leeming keeps fermented veggies such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and jars of fermented beetroot and carrots, in her fridge and adds them to a dish whenever she thinks it’ll enhance the flavor.
“I like to have a mix of different ones in the fridge as they last a long time and it means there’s more flavourful variety rather than eating the same ones all the time,” she said.
She likes to mix kimchi into rice-based dishes, for example, or sprinkle some fermented veggies on top of avocado toast or eggs.
“Nobody wants to eat kimchi on its own. You want to think how it fits into your dish,” she said.
David Zilber, the former director of fermentation at the celebrated restaurant Noma, previously told BI that he always keeps pickled jalapeños, sauerkraut, and kimchi in his fridge.
Changing up salad dressings
As a chef, Leeming considers the taste of a meal is equally as important as its nutritional value. One of her hacks for making any vegetable delicious is making a flavorful salad dressing.
For this, she always has a good quality extra virgin olive oil in her store cupboard. EVOO is high in polyphenols, a compound responsible for the pigment in lots of plants that research suggests gut microbes break down into beneficial molecules, she said.
And to make it even more gut-friendly, she often adds kefir.
Using miso as a soup base
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans. Leeming suggested using it as a base for soups for “that umami, fermented kick.”
Dietitian Marika Mancino previously told BI that miso is also a great lower-sodium swap for stock.
