Fermented foods support your health in so many ways… They tame tummy issues, reduce your risk of diabetes, keep your mental health in check and help you maintain a healthy weight among other things. But have you ever thought about using fermented foods to fight the flu? 70 to 80 percent of your immune system is in your gut. And fermented foods inject your gut with a hefty dose of healthy bacteria that keeps those immune cells thriving.
Where to get your flu-fighting lactic acid…
Since lactic acid is found in healthy, tasty and totally safe fermented foods, you have nothing to lose. In fact, you should be eating these foods to promote good health whether it’s flu season or not. You’ll find lactic acid in foods, like:
- Yogurt
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut- finely cut cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria.
- Tempeh- is a vegetarian soy food
- Pickled vegetables
- Sourdough bread- Sourdough bread is made by the fermentation of dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast.
- Miso- a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting
soybeans with salt and koji (the fungus Aspergillus oryzae) and sometimes rice, barley, or other ingredients.
- Red wine
- Kombucha- Kombucha is a variety of fermented, lightly effervescent sweetened black or green tea drinks commonly intended as functional beverages for their supposed health benefits
Besides fermented foods, another source of lactic acid is exercise. So make sure to stay active during flu season too.
Now, a quick warning… You can get too much lactic acid, which puts you at risk for a dangerous (and sometimes deadly) condition called lactic acidosis. It’s happened to people who have over-exercised before. But the chances of developing this problem from eating fermented foods is slim… unless you start eating insane amounts of fermented foods daily. Rather than gorging yourself on fermented foods at every meal, just make sure you eat or drink something fermented every day. That may be a bowl of yogurt for breakfast, a serving of sauerkraut with lunch or a kombucha as a mid-afternoon snack. That should be enough to keep you healthy and flu-free.
