by Erik Krause
Fermentation is connected in most peoples minds with wine making. However, wine is just one of a multitude of products created by fermentation. Cheeses, Yougurt, Miso, and sauerkraut are just a few of the foods created by fermentation.
Fermentation has recently been getting press again as a helpful way to make beans an even better source of nutrition. In the process of fermenting, large proteins and sugars are broken down by bacteria into smaller, more digestible forms. In addition, the bacteria produce other products such as vitamin B12 which are needed by the body.
Vitamin B12 is only produced by bacterial activity. A major source of B12 in the modern diet is from red meat, but it is again the activity of fermentation which produces it. A cow is a large fermentation vat which through thorough crushing and mixing of grasses with enzymes, produces an environment where bacteria break it down, providing nutrition to the cow. Fermentation does produce some B12 in the human digestive tract, but it is mostly produced later than when the body can absorb it.
Another benefit of fermented (and unpasteurized) foods is that they contain beneficial bacteria which are needed in our intestines. It is said that such 'living' foods can help to repopulate the intestine with proper bacterial strains. This helps with digestion and also provides a protective mechanism against other invasive bacteria and fungi which can cause serious problems when they get out of control.
There is a condition known as "antibiotic-associated colitis", which is most often seen in hospital situations where patients are undergoing long-term, wide spectrum antibiotic treatment. This treatment kills a large portion of the beneficial bacteria, leaving an open door for other bacteria (usually Clostridium difficale) to take over, causing pain, diarrhea, dehydration and possibly death. This bacteria is a normal occupant of the digestive tract, but is kept in check by the presence of other bacterial populations.