What is Natural Fermentation (and Why is it Good for You?)

If you live in or have visited Wisconsin, chances are you’ve been offered a pile of tangy, soft cabbage to accompany a bratwurst or sausage. It may look like something off of your grandma’s plate and smell a little funky, but this dish, sauerkraut, is actually brimming with nutritional benefits! Sauerkraut, a german dish made of shredded cabbage, salt, and caraway seed, is created using a process called fermentation. And if you’ve been following our products, you know that our meat sticks are made using fermentation as well. So, what is fermentation and why do we keep talking about it? Let’s talk about it!

Fermentation is a process of preservation that uses microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria, to convert carbohydrates in foods into acids or alcohols. There are three main pieces to the fermentation process, let’s check it out!

• Microbes:  Bacteria and/or yeast consume sugars and starches as fuel to produce alcohol or lactic acid, which both act as a preservative AND flavor enhancer. This is why our labels list dextrose on the ingredient list but have little to no carbohydrates in the final product. The dextrose is consumed to help preserve the meat sticks without added chemicals and to give the sticks our signature complexity of flavor!

• Cut Out Oxygen: When fermenting foods, it’s important to create an anaerobic environment. With vegetables, this is often done by submerging the vegetables in brine. This allows for growth of beneficial microbes while limiting and out-competing microbes that contribute to spoilage. 

• Get Salty: Salt is a big part of a successful ferment. Salt is crucial for drawing water out, helping create the brine, and helps to control microbial growth. One question that comes up often with our meat sticks is “why do they have a higher salt content?” and this is exactly why! It is a vital piece for preserving without chemicals. 

So what’s the big deal with naturally fermenting? Allowing food to naturally ferment vs pickling in vinegar comes with LOADS of health benefits for you! 

• Gut Health: Fermentation introduces beneficial bacteria, called probiotics, that diversify your gut microbiome. This helps with digestion, reducing bloating, and can make it easier to break down foods. Gut health is also a large part of our immune system and mental health! About 70-80% of your immune cells live in your gut and about 90% of your body’s serotonin is made in your gut! Bottom line? Happy gut, happy body!

• Nutrient Content: Fermentation helps to synthesize antioxidants, vitamin K, and B vitamins, making them more readily available. This ensures that you’re getting the most out of your food! When we’re talking about our meat sticks, this also means that the protein is more easily absorbed and digested!

• Inflammation: Naturally fermented foods help to reduce overall inflammation in the body, which can be especially helpful for folks with chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and PCOS. In addition to reducing inflammation by increasing your microbiome diversity and making digestion more efficient, fermenting foods produces certain bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which help neutralize free radicals and inhibit certain inflammatory processes!

At the end of the day, here at Primal Eats, we take the long way to make sure that you’re getting the absolute best product possible. So stop by, grab a meat stick, and cheers to your health! And next time your grandma offers you some sauerkraut? Dig in and know you’re building a healthier, stronger gut and body!

Carese Walczyk is a Registered Dietitian located in Northeast Wisconsin. She is the owner and founder of NEW Nutrition Experts, LLC- a nutrition consulting company that serves a wide variety of clientele, specializing in gut health, sports nutrition, hormone issues, food systems, and serving the LGBTQIA+ community. Throughout her career, she has been involved in a variety of community education programs and projects and served 5 years on the board of the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WAND) as an elected regional representative. She has also spoken at conferences and hosted a variety of cooking workshops. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, creating in the kitchen, and reading anything and everything.