Most of us will have heard of food fermentation but what is it and why is it so good for us? Like many ancient practices that are now in vogue – meditation and yoga, to name just two – fermentation has been around for thousands of years, used in food staples such as bread, yoghurt and also in alcoholic drinks like beer and wine. However, here we’re discussing purely the health benefits of fermentation on foods, not alcohol. This ancient way of preserving foods with a short shelf life and adding flavour was before the advent of refrigeration.

Essentially, fermentation is the process of using naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast, to convert carbohydrates to alcohol or organic acids.

What are the health benefits?

The bacteria that live in our gut are essential for healthy digestion, and fermented foods are brimming with beneficial bacteria that work to reinforce the good bacteria in our digestive systems. As some of the sugars and starches in food get broken down through the process, fermented foods are easier to digest. Fermentation can also increase the availability of vitamins and minerals for our bodies to absorb. Fermented foods contain both probiotics (aiding digestion) and prebiotics (supporting the growth of good gut bacteria) giving them antimicrobial, cardio-protective and antioxidant properties.

Hence the health benefits of fermentation are numerous and varied and are said to help manage and prevent diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease.

Recent advances in the understanding of gut-brain interactions, and the effect of the microbiome on mental health, indicate that a healthy gut enables clearer thinking and can lift the mood. Most of us may have experienced some kind of brain-fog after a meal. The suggestion is that a condiment of fermented foods can alleviate this and not only improve our gut health but also our health in general. This is probably why fermentation has long been practiced around the globe.

Popular fermented foods

• Sauerkraut – a fermented cabbage that can be used in a range of recipes, popular in Germany and Poland
• Kimchi – traditionally made in the autumn, this Korean side dish of fermented vegetables often features cabbage
• Kefir – a cultured milk drink commonly made with cow’s milk but also made with other types of milk and substitutes including goat’s milk, rice milk, coconut milk or coconut water.
• Lassi – a traditional Indian and Pakistani drink, blending yoghurt, water, salt and spices
• Miso – this traditional Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans and grains consists of millions of beneficial bacteria

7 simple tips

1. Use fresh ingredients – Avoid bruised vegetables as they could cause a ferment to go bad.
2. Hygiene – Clean your vegetables. Wash your tools and hands with hot, soapy water before use.
3. Salt – A. Use the recommended amount of salt as per recipe. Salt is important to create an environment that is inhospitable for harmful bacteria to survive. B. Make sure the salt is evenly distributed. C. Use fine high quality sea salt. Do not use iodized salt or table salt as it contains additives that can make the ferment go bad.
4. Water – Always use either purified water or good spring water. Tap water contains chemicals like chlorine that inhibit good bacteria.
5. Submerge – Ensure all vegetables are well covered with salty water that no air can get to them and weigh the vege down with either a heavy glass or terracotta disc, or a clear, clean plastic bag filled with water.
6. Glass – Make your ferments in glass jars, not metal. Once the ferment has started avoid using metal tools to stir as it interferes with the fermentation process. Use a wooden spoon instead.
7. Stir the surface of the fermenting food daily to prevent mould from forming on the surface. If mould should start to form at the top, you can skim it off. Everything under the brine is still safe to eat. If mould develops under the brine, the batch is bad. Throw it away.

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New proposed vitamin D requirements were introduced in the UK in 2016. How does this affect you?

Until 2016 there were no UK recommendations for vitamin D as it was assumed individuals will make enough from skin exposure to the sun during summer.
Vitamin D3 in particular is essential for bone health, with low levels linked to osteomalacia, the adult form of rickets where bones become soft and painful. This vitamin has also shown beneficial roles in other health outcomes, including reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases. It is estimated that 1 in 5 adults in the UK could be at risk of low vitamin D status.

In the UK we can only make vitamin D from skin exposure to sunlight between April and September, i.e. spring and summer months. Exposing our hands and face to sunlight for 15-20 minutes a day should be adequate. However, sunscreen with an SPF of 15 is estimated to block up to 93% to UVB rays, preventing the synthesis of this precious vitamin in the skin. During winter months in the UK, the sun doesn’t have enough UVB radiation for us to make vitamin D. Therefore, our body uses stores of this vitamin over the winter, which may need topping up.

The main source of vitamin D is skin exposure to sunlight

But what are the new vitamin D recommendations?

Since 2016 the proposed vitamin D intakes for UK individuals aged 4 years and over is set at 10 micrograms (mcg) per day. We should still get most of this vitamin from sunlight on our skin, but there are a small number of foods which are a good source. These include:

Oily fish e.g. salmon, mackerel and sardines (5-10mcg/100g)

Egg yolks (5mcg/100g)

And fortified foods like:

Fortified fat spreads e.g. margarine (5-10mcg/100g)

Fortified breakfast cereals (2.8-5mcg/100g)

Milk alternatives and powdered milks (0.75-1.5mcg/100ml)

As you can see, it is difficult to achieve the recommended intake from natural dietary sources alone, especially if you have dietary requirements e.g. vegetarian or vegan, so supplementation can be a useful way to reach this target. It is advised not to take more than 25mcg a day. There is no risk of your body making too much vitamin D from sun exposure, but always cover up or protect your skin before you start turning red or burn!

Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you are unsure of what supplement to take.

For more information about vitamin D visit The British Dietetic Association

For more information on how to stay safe in the sun visit Cancer Research UK. See also our blog on skin cancer awareness.

Since publishing this article the UK government has released it’s new advice on Vitamin D, and BBC news writes Vitamin D supplements ‘advised for everyone’.

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