{"id":3232,"date":"2026-07-11T21:40:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T21:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3232"},"modified":"2026-07-11T21:40:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T21:40:38","slug":"other-diet-fads-championed-by-maha-are-questionable-but-some-science-and-thousands-of-years-of-human-history-are-behind-fermented-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3232","title":{"rendered":"Other diet fads championed by MAHA are questionable. But some science and thousands of years of human history are behind fermented foods"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Now, a generation- and culture-spanning way of preserving food is in the spotlight: fermentation. The federal government\u2019s\u00a0latest dietary guidelines\u00a0specifically encourage Americans to eat more fermented food.<\/p>\n

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The foods have been further popularized by followers of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s Make America Healthy Again movement. And while other diet fads championed by MAHA have been questioned by health experts \u2014 like unproven claims about\u00a0raw milk\u00a0and\u00a0seed oils\u00a0\u2014 there\u2019s some science behind the benefits of eating fermented foods.<\/p>\n

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Fermented foods go back thousands of years in human history, to the days when we needed to keep food from spoiling but didn\u2019t have refrigerators. Many cultures have traditional fermented foods: yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, South Indian idli and dosa.<\/p>\n

Dietitians and doctors say they\u2019re a great addition to almost anyone\u2019s diet, but they warn against new, mass-produced products.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n

Not all fermented foods are made equal<\/h4>\n

Fermentation is a process by which naturally occurring microbes including bacteria and yeast break down and preserve food.<\/p>\n

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The foods are a hot research topic, though many of their health benefits are already clear, experts say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this for ages and we just found out more recently that it\u2019s actually helped our gut health,\u201d said Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, a gastroenterologist with New York University Langone Health.<\/p>\n

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Still, it doesn\u2019t automatically mean something is healthy if it\u2019s fermented.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBeer and wine are fermented foods, but they\u2019re not necessarily probiotics,\u201d she said. \u201cIf anything, they influence our own microbiome in more of a negative way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Barbara Olendzki, director the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School\u2019s Center for Applied Nutrition, said she recommends people focus on \u201cwhole fermented foods\u201d like fermented beets or green beans in addition to foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and tempeh.<\/p>\n

Fermented foods feed the gut in two main ways<\/h4>\n

The microbes in fermented foods help predigest it, breaking it down and changing the compounds available in it. The bacteria themselves also help keep the gut in balance, by competing with other bacteria \u2014 some of them less beneficial \u2014 already in your intestines.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that makes the fermented foods so healthy? The answer is we\u2019re still working on it,\u201d said Dalia Perelman, a Stanford University research dietitian.<\/p>\n

Some fermented foods, like yogurt, give you the live probiotics while you\u2019re eating them. Others, like sourdough bread, give you few, if any, because they\u2019ve been baked or otherwise processed in ways that kill the microbes. But there\u2019s evidence that some fermented foods are beneficial even without the live microbes, Perelman said.<\/p>\n

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Beware of marketing hype<\/h4>\n

Experts warn against sodas, chocolate or other processed foods that market themselves as probiotic. Even probiotic supplements are essentially trying to replicate the combinations of beneficial bacteria that naturally grow in many fermented foods, Perelman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsumers are getting excited about it and trying to choose products that are fermented and with the idea that it\u2019s very \u2018gut healthy,\u2019 which is not a clinical definition,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then the marketing is running with this trend.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Avoid sugary items, too, Ganjhu said. Extra sugar feeds negative bacteria as opposed to the positive bacteria in fermented foods, she said.<\/p>\n

And look for items that say \u201clive cultures,\u201d not just that they\u2019re probiotic.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe best yogurt you can have is just plain, fermented milk with culture,\u201d she said. \u201cLet it do its business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can fermented foods be risky?<\/h4>\n

While the category of fermented foods is broad, experts say they\u2019re generally safe for most people. And not just for health reasons \u2014 they also add interesting and diverse flavors to your plate.<\/p>\n

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Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowl disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet. Some people could experience different reactions depending on which type of fermented food they\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n

Olendzki said some people might experience bloating, gas and other discomfort when introducing more fermented foods, especially as their gut adjusts.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf you feel good, keep drinking it. You don\u2019t feel good? Stop,\u201d Ganjhu said. She noted that the same foods affect people differently.<\/p>\n

Eat a diverse mix of fermented foods consistently<\/h4>\n

So which fermented food is the best? You\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find a scientifically backed ranking that puts sauerkraut over kimchi, or tells you to eat a bowl of yogurt and call it a day.<\/p>\n

The best way to eat fermented foods is to eat lots of different kinds, and to make them a regular part of your diet, experts say.<\/p>\n

Ganjhu recommended thinking about the foods in categories, like milk-based yogurt and kefir, and fiber-based ones such as kimchi and sauerkraut.<\/p>\n

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Researchers are also still exploring if it matters how much fermented foods people eat. Just like so many things with diet, the answer is likely very different person to person, experts said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can hedge our bets and just get a variety,\u201d Perelman said. She suggested aiming for two servings a day.<\/p>\n

And the foods should be one part of a well-rounded diet, so the good bacteria you\u2019re introducing to your gut have things they like to eat, like fibrous prebiotics. They feed the probiotics, which are the live bacteria themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust go slow and drink a lot of water. It also matters what the rest of the diet looks like,\u201d Olendzki said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more \u2018The first time ever in my career\u2019: Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat is it that makes the fermented foods so healthy? The answer is we’re still working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink"],"yoast_head":"\nOther diet fads championed by MAHA are questionable. 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