Photo caption: Microbiome researcher Jeremy Burton of St. Joseph’s Health Care London and chef Connor Flynn show off some easy-to-make fermented foods that are the subject of a national research-and-education project called the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative.
Break out the sourdough bread and spoon up a side of sauerkraut – there’s growing evidence that fermented foods can be as good for your gut health as for your palate.
And now, a unique-in-North-America resource called the Canadian Fermented Foods Initiative (CFFI) is bringing together consumers, researchers, health practitioners and industry to share trusted information about ‘ferment-ceuticals’.
“Across all countries and cultures and centuries, people have longstanding traditions of fermenting food to preserve their harvest and add some zip to their meals,” says microbiologist Jeremy Burton, PhD, who is leading the initiative and is Chair in Human Microbiome and Probiotics, located at Lawson Research Institute, the innovation arm of St. Joseph’s Health Care London.
“And while taste and budget are great motivators for fermented food consumption, the health boost appears to be equally compelling.”
Large population-based studies show people who eat fermented foods are generally healthier. Their blood pressure and cholesterol are lower, they have fewer digestive issues and appear to be at lower risk of chronic diseases.
“How exactly does that work – and why? Well, that’s the big question we’re trying to solve,” Burton says.
Burton is working to understand how microbes involved in fermentation could be key to restoring or improving a healthy gut microbiome; and how that, in turn, could strengthen our immune systems and prevent diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.
Unique One-Stop Resource
CFFI is funded by the Weston Family Foundation, flowing through St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, to explore and advance the role of fermented foods in health, science and food systems.
“All these aims feed into each other and, ultimately, into healthier people and populations,” says Burton, who is also Miriam Burnett Chair in Urological Sciences funded through St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation.
From Research to Kitchen to Tabletop
While the science of fermented foods drives Burton and his team, the kitchen-table side of the equation fuels chef Connor Flynn, a teacher and certified master food preserver who is collaborating with CFFI on education and recipes.
“Fermenting foods is an old, old practice that’s never fallen out of flavour, but has sometimes fallen out of favour to North Americans. Now it has become popular again for a lot of reasons,” Flynn says.
They include sustainability, practicality and a push to reduce food waste.
And, of course, there’s the palate.
“Chefs are always looking for new flavours, and they’re discovering the unique tastes these foods bring to the table,” Flynn says.
Hungry for Knowledge
The launch of CFFI is an important next step in research that leads to improved human health, says Burton. “We’re bridging the gap between science, food and people.”
Co-CFFI founders and researchers are Raylene Reimer, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition and registered dietitian at the University of Calgary; and Ben Willing, PhD, professor at the University of Alberta and former Canada Research Chair in Microbiology of Nutrigenomics.
Says Willing, "Dietitians are acutely aware of the role that a healthy gut microbiome plays in overall health, so they are hungry for knowledge with regards to the benefits of fermented foods.”
Reimer adds, “Educating consumers about the variety of gut microbiome-friendly foods is a great way to promote health. With exciting research on the horizon, fermented foods may one day be prominently featured in national dietary guidelines."
Burton maintains that the gut microbiome is the biggest unexplored frontier in good health, and fermented foods will play an important role. “One day, I believe, ‘ferment-ceuticals’ will be engrained in our diets and in our health vocabulary."