Not all fermented foods are probiotics, nor are all probiotics fermented foods
Femented foods or drinks such as yogurt, chocolate, sourdough, wine or beer, are foods that have been transformed thanks to controlled growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and even certain molds. The ability to preserve food and produce new unique flavors and textures has surely been what has long driven humanity to consume food as an important part of our diet.
Although gastronomically speaking these reasons have their specific weight, the real advantage for humans is the beneficial effect they produce on our intestinal health. Fermented foods help create and maintain a diverse gut microbiota, consisting of different types of microorganisms, which produce thousands of beneficial and powerful compounds, harmoniously coexisting in the host gut habitat.
A first classification of fermented foods
We can divide fermented foods into two groups:
1) Those that contain live microorganisms when consumed: yogurt, kefir, raw sauerkraut, etc.
2) Those that do not contain live microorganisms when consumed: sourdough bread, tempeh, alcohol (such as beer and wine), as well as chocolate.
Fermentation not only gives products a unique texture and flavor, but can also improve their nutritional value and digestibility in many ways. Fermentation produces vitamins, antioxidants, and molecules that can lower blood pressure and inflammation. For example, lactic acid bacteria (BLA) have long been used to produce fermented foods, such as yogurt or kefir. These bacteria are known to improve the digestion of lactose. Likewise, it has been scientifically recognized that some bacteria have probiotic properties.
Probiotic Bacterial Colonies from dietary supplements. (Wikipedia Commoms)
But what is the difference between fermented foods and probiotics?
As we stated at the beginning, not all fermented foods are probiotics , nor are all probiotics part of the fermented food group. There are fermented foods that contain probiotics, that is, beneficial bacteria that live in the intestine and improve the general health of the body. But there are also fermented foods that do not contain them. For a micro-organism to be considered a probiotic, it must meet a series of characteristics:
- It must be a non-toxic microorganism, free of adverse effects and that does not cause infections
- Necessarily resistant to technological destruction (heating, etc.) and remain stable during the life of the product
- It must have undergone a quality study that demonstrates its effectiveness in people. The WHO is the organization responsible for determining whether a food or bacteria is a probiotic or not
Probiotics are microorganisms that are taken with food and consist of lactic acid-producing bacteria (such as lactobacilli, lactococci and bifidobacteria), discovered by scientists specialized in Health Sciences after a long and methodical process of research in the laboratory. They meet the 3 points mentioned above and must be certified by a competent body worldwide (the World Health Organization) in order to be considered as such.
To conclude, we can say that both fermented foods and probiotics are a good addition to our diet. They will help us maintain a healthy and diverse microbiota, which will benefit our general health.
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