The good gut

Probiotics and fermented foods can help maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the microbiome, writes Deepa Natarajan Lobo

Renowned Greek physician Hippocrates once said, “All disease begins in the gut.” How ironic that over 2000 years later, the statement is more true than ever. With sedentary lifestyles, poor eating habits and illnesses of all kinds being the order of the day, it’s time we take stock of the situation and focus on the one simple part of the body that plays the most important role in our physical and mental well-being — the gut which is technically the digestive system. “If our gut isn’t healthy,
foreign bodies can attack our system easily. This is why most diseases start with a leaky gut, be it celiac, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid, or weight gain,” says Shruti Gupta, a nutritional therapist in functional medicine. “There is also a direct connection between the brain and the gut. When we are stressed, we have a sinking feeling in the gut. Also, if our gut doesn’t function properly, we just don’t feel good,” she adds. Consisting of organs like the small intestine, stomach, anal canal, mouth and rectum to name a few, the gut has its fair share of good and bad bacteria. So for great health, the trick is very simple — to promote the good bacteria and keep the bad ones at bay. This can be done by consuming a range of nourishing probiotics and fermented foods, many of which are easily available or can be prepared at home.

Rice gruel

Known as pazhaya sadam and panta bhat, pazhan kanji is a rice porridge that is fermented overnight and consumed for breakfast or lunch. Although considered a poor man’s meal, it is finding its way into the menus of many top-class restaurants across the world thanks to its simplicity, nutrition and taste. “In rural Kerala, pazhan kanji is made from leftover cooked rice, which is transferred to an earthen pot at the end of the day and covered with water. This is then left overnight to ferment and consumed the next day with either crushed shallots and Kandhari chilli (bird’s eye chilli) or as an elaborate meal with pickles, chutney and fish curry,” says Chef Regi Mathew, culinary director and co-owner of the fine dine Kerala restaurant Kappa Chakka Kandhari. “Due to the overnight fermentation process, the simple rice dish turns into a probiotic gruel, which is rich in iron, potassium, and sodium. Consuming this helps with hydration and maintaining the fluid level in the body, especially during summer. It also produces good bacteria which helps with gut health and is excellent for any kind of stomach ailments,” he adds.

Kimchi

A delicious Korean dish made with cabbage, kimchi has gained immense popularity among food lovers over the years thanks to its taste as well as health benefits. “Made by fermenting cabbage with a variety of spices, kimchi is a probiotic that is full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and iron. It is pungent, spicy, and similar in taste to Indian food, which makes it a perfect accompaniment to Indian dishes as a side or in the form of a pickle,” explains Shishir Rai, Chef De Cuisine, The Lotus Oriental, a pan Asian restaurant in The Leela Bhartiya City.

Tempeh

This miracle food is estimated to have originated in Java, Indonesia, several hundred to even 1000 years ago and is known to have saved many lives from starvation. Cut to the present, tempeh, made from fermented soybeans, has been gaining popularity across the world, especially among vegetarians and vegans. Cube it, mash it or crumble it — tempeh is a great substitute for meat and can be turned into a variety of dishes like kebabs and bhurjee. Available online and in most supermarkets, it can even be added to pastas, noodles, dosas and chapatis. “The vegetarian plate in India is screaming for a protein main and tempeh fills the gap perfectly for being a protein-centric ingredient. It absorbs flavours easily and is low on saturated fats and carbs and high on proteins and fibre, which is an extremely unusual combination,” says Siddharth Ramasubramanian, founder and CEO of Hello Tempayy, a company that produces tempeh in a range of interesting flavours.

Not to forget the wonders it does for our gut health thanks to the extensive fermentation that the beans have to undergo. “It’s a potent block of nutrition that fills your gut with good bacteria and has a lot of umami when compared to its counterparts like paneer,” he adds.

The K-factor

The market is flooded with a range of kefirs, kombuchas and even the traditional Indian drink kaanji. “People are realising the health benefits of these fermented drinks and I am getting a lot of enquiries for them,” says Supratim Bhattacharya, a microbiologist and founder of Scoby Labs, a fermentation kitchen lab, which makes kombuchas, kefirs, fruit wines and tepache (a fermented drink from pineapple rind) among others.

“When you consume fermented drinks like kefir, kaanji and kombucha, you have a lot of good microbes going into your body, which improves the microbiome of the gut. These foods and drinks also reduce appetite as when you consume them, the process of carbonation takes place inside your body. So in the long run, it could lead to weight loss too although I wouldn’t advise one to consume these mainly for losing weight,” he adds. The South Indian koozh, a porridge made from fermenting ragi or finger millet, is yet another magical drink for gut health.

Idli, dosa, yoghurt

Hard-pressed for time? Just stick to the humble idli and dosa and the good old curd rice. Yes, it’s as simple as that. “We Indians are lucky that we have colourful local produce of all kinds — be it vegetables, fruits or lentils. All we need to do is just include a variety of vegetables and fruits in our diet and our gut will be happy,” explains nutritional therapist Shruti Gupta. “Indians have also always eaten fermented dishes like idli, dosa and curd rice. So just stick to these simple preparations and avoid refined, processed, sugary and salty foods as the bad bacteria love to feed on those,” she adds.