Using Fermentation to Build Up Your Immune System in Surprising Ways

Written by on in Medical, Preparing Our House Systems

Our Immune Systems Are Intricate Things

Did you know that your gut is your second brain?  It is, and it affects your actual brain, your sense of wellness, and ability to deal with stresses and pressures of life.

Portrait of a worried man standing over gray background and looking at cameraBuilding off that premise, the GAPS diet was developed by a Mom who was also an MD.  She started developing the diet after her child was born and diagnosed with autism. Recognizing the correlation between diet and mental conditions such as autism, depression, anxiety, and others, she set off to learn how to treat and heal first her son, then others with similar conditions.  This diet healed her child of his autism.  The GAPS diet has been shown to help people with autism, depression, anxiety, ADHD and autoimmune diseases.  How does the diet attack these symptoms? It allows the good bacteria to proliferate by starving the bad bacteria.

There is overwhelming evidence out there that anxiety and depression are often linked to gut conditions.  You can find articles and studies on it here, here, and here just for starters.  There are also other studies linking gut health to overall health.

So, why am I talking about gut health and boosting your immune systems?  Dr. Dan Peterson assistant professor of pathology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, says on HopkinsMedicine.org, “A huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your GI tract.  The immune system is inside your body, and the bacteria are outside your body.  And yet they interact. For example, certain cells in the lining of the gut spend their lives excreting massive quantities of antibodies into the gut.  That’s what we’re trying to understand—what are the types of antibodies being made, and how is the body trying to control the interaction between ourselves and bacteria on the outside?”

There is a great and obvious importance in having good gut bacteria.  It will boost your immune system and allow your body to handle stress much better.  The cheapest way to feed your gut good bacteria is to eat and drink fermented foods.

Benefits of Eating and Drinking Fermented Foods cheese variety selection

There are a host of benefits to eating and drinking fermented foods!  If you are cutting out junk foods at the same time, the effects will be greatly amplified!

Some of the benefits of eating and drinking fermented foods include:

Examples of Fermented Foods

Some of these you won’t surprise you at all.  Some of these may.

  • Yogurt – Pasteurized milk is heated to 180 degrees (to kill bad bacteria) then cooled to 110 degrees and inoculated with a small amount of already made yogurt.  Let this sit at 110 degrees for 6-8 hours.
  • Fermented pickles – Fermented pickles are so simple to make and take 4-7 days to ferment.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – Is made by using discarded apple peels or cutting up apples into chunks, putting them into a crock or jar, covering them with an sugar and water solution and letting them sit to ferment.  The fermentation process eats all the sugar.  You simply strain off the apple pieces and use the liquid.
  • Raw Cheese –
  • Kefir – Fermented milk using Kefir grains.
  • Water Kefir – Also called natural soda.  You ferment water and sugar with water kefir grains.  The kefir grains will eat up sugar and leave you with a naturally fermented fizzy drink.  Ferment these a second time with fruit to give it a more vivid flavor.Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Kombucha – Kombucha is a fermented drink that requires something called a scoby and a small part of a previous batch of kombucha.  You combine true tea (not herbal tea), sugar, water, a scoby, and a small part of a previous batch of kombucha.  Ferment the kombucha a second time with a fruit to further enhance the flavor.
  • Sauerkraut – Sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage.  Shred and knead cabbage with salt until it produces its own brine – enough to cover the entire shredded portion of the cabbage.  It is then left to sit and ferment.
  • Kimchi – is a spicy version of sauerkraut.  Besides cabbage, Kimchi contains radish, scallions, red pepper paste, garlic, and ginger.
  • Natto – A fermented form of soy made from steaming soybeans and adding a bacterial inoculant.

What About You?

Have you ever heard of fermented foods being a boon to your immune system before?  Have you ever eaten any of the fermented foods listed?  Are there others that you already enjoy that aren’t on the list?  I’d love to hear!  Let us know in the comments section.