Not long ago the public appetite for fermented foods was largely niche, the domain of specialty health food stores and trendy boutique grocers. Mainstream stores always had the fermented likes of cheese, yogurt and sourdough bread at the ready, but "fringe'" goods such as kimchi, kombucha, miso, and kefir were much harder to find, which wasn't a problem because most consumers were only vaguely aware of such foods, if at all.
Today that's changed. There's a growing public awareness of the wide-ranging benefits of fermented foods when it comes to our gut health, the balance of micro-organisms in the gut which can impact our overall well-being, from digestion and immunity to mental health. As such, the demand for fermented foods has grown and you'll likely find these formerly niche items at most grocery stores from Costco to Superstore, kefir stocked right next to the milk.
New source of trusted information
So beneficial are fermented foods that a team of Canadian researchers including Dr. Raylene Reimer, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition and registered dietitian in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Kinesiology have launched the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative (CFFI). The online resource is the first of its kind in North America, where researchers, policymakers, members of the food industry, and consumers alike can find and share trusted information about the health benefits of fermented foods.
"The crux of the initiative is to compile and build research evidence on the health benefits of fermented foods to push for their greater prominence in Canada's Food Guide," says Reimer.
Fermented foods are produced by harnessing bacteria and other micro-organisms to alter the taste, digestibility and shelf life of certain foods.
Fermented foods, like the ones seen here, can impact overall well-being, from digestion and immunity to mental health. Photo Credit: Riley Brandt, University of Calgary
Reimer and her CFFI research partners Dr. Ben Willing, PhD, from the University of Alberta and Dr. Jeremy Burton, PhD, interim vice-president research at St. Joseph's Health Care London and Lawson Research Institute are seeking to emphasize the importance of fermented, gut-healthy foods in a well-rounded diet.
Willing is a former Canada Research Chair in Microbiology of Nutrigenomics and Burton heads one the largest microbiome research programs in the country. Reimer has been at the forefront of prebiotic and dietary fiber research. The CFFI is funded by the Weston Family Foundation.
For food professionals and everyday users
"The CFFI website has something for everybody who has an interest in fermented foods," says Reimer. "It's a resource for researchers, health professionals and those in the food industry, but it's also aimed at everyday consumers as a place where they can go to learn about fermented foods and their many health benefits."
The site unpacks the myths of fermented foods and offers practical information as to the many types of fermented foods, where to find them, how to cook with them, and even how to make them. There's also a list of recommended apps for tracking gut health.
"When developing this initiative we surveyed over 4,000 Canadians," says Reimer. "It's a very low percentage of people who make their own fermented foods at home. Instead, we buy them. But it's pretty easy to do and the website provides information for doing it safely."
She continues: "We're all about harnessing the power of food for health and wellness and we recognize the immense benefit of having bacterial exposure in our lives. We're living in a very sterile, sanitized world today and we're often not getting the microbial exposure we need on a daily basis. That's another reason why fermented foods are so crucial to our diets."
Focus on latest scientific evidence
The CFFI resource will be kept up to date with any pertinent new research findings added to the site, says Reimer. "We want to provide Health Canada with the scientific evidence they need to realize that fermented foods should be included in Canada's Food Guide."
Burton adds: "Large, population-based studies show people who eat fermented foods are generally healthier, with fewer digestive issues and lower risk of chronic diseases. How exactly does that work and why? Those are some of the big questions we're trying to solve."
Burton has a pet name for fermented foods, when referring to their health benefits. "One day, I believe, ferment-ceuticals' will be engrained in our diets and our health vocabulary."
The latest research on fermented foods by Reimer, Burton, Willing, and a larger team of co-researchers, entitled "Current Research in Fermented Foods: Bridging Tradition and Science," was recently published in the scientific journal Advances in Nutrition.
Raylene Reimer is a professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). She is a member of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health at the CSM.
