Mixed
Consumption of fermented foods containing live lactic acid bacteria (LAB) delivers high loads of viable microbes (up to 10^9 CFU/g or ml) to the human gastrointestinal tract, contributing to the transient gut microbiome and offering health-promoting properties via metabolic activity.
Eat fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut that contain live cultures. These deliver billions of bacteria to your gut, which may support health through metabolic byproducts and transient microbial presence. Avoid assuming all fermented foods (like bread or beer) contain live bacteria, as heat or processing often kills them. For maximum benefit, choose artisanal or refrigerated products over heavily processed shelf-stable versions.
Such high amounts of live LAB are therefore ingested with FFs and reach the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT)... It is estimated that between 10^8 and 10^12 CFU of bacteria may be ingested daily with the consumption of FFs (Derrien and van Hylckama Vlieg 2015).
Why this rating
The paper is a review article summarizing observational studies and genomic data, lacking specific randomized controlled trial (RCT) data for general FF consumption outcomes.
Source
The food-gut axis: lactic acid bacteria and their link to food, the gut microbiome and human health
Francesca De Filippis et al. · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · 2020
DOI 10.1093/femsre/fuaa015
More from this paper
- Lactic acid bacteria in fermented foods produce bioactive metabolites (postbiotics) such as biopeptides, vitamins, and GABA, which confer health benefits even if the bacteria themselves are not alive at consumption.Moderate
- Consumption of fermented foods is associated with beneficial effects on weight management, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mood/brain activity.Limited
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