Fermented Foods in Medicine: An Evaluation of Their Uses and Effects on the Human Gut Microbiota

Abstract

This paper reviews several health-related claims about fermented foods as they relate to the human gut microbiome. Beyond regular health benefits, these claims include the ability of fermented foods and their products to reduce the risk of disease. Several immune-related diseases, infectious diseases, and metabolic disorders are linked to an unhealthy gut microbiome, where the effects of fermented foods allow for the restoration of a healthy microbiome to induce a state of overall well-being. This review identifies and clarifies the validity of the claims made in favor of fermented foods through investigating the uses of fermentation in medicine and their impact on the human gut microbiome. The future of fermentation products in medicine holds great promise for novel treatments. Further research may provide invaluable knowledge on the connection between the gut microbiome and overall health.

Exploring the Impact of French Raw-Milk Cheeses on Oxidative Process Using Caenorhabditis elegans and Human Leukocyte Models

“…), which can exert positive biological effects after consumption. Bioactive peptides generated by fermentation from milk, whey proteins, or casein are studied for their beneficial biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-microbial, or anti-hypertensive activities [ 14 , 15 ]. Different studies have demonstrated that the antioxidant capacity of milk and dairy products is due to sulfur-containing amino acid cysteine compounds, vitamins (A and E), carotenoids, enzyme systems (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase), and polyphenolic metabolites [ 16 ].…”