HEALTH BENEFITS OF FERMENTED MILK AND

FOOD-PRODUCTS

• Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using  yeasts,bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions.

• Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol.

• The science of fermentation is also known as zymology, or zymurgy.

What is fermentation in food processing???

• FERMENTED MILK PRODUCTS • Yogurt • Cheese• Kefir• Buttermilk• Sour cream• Acidophilus milk

Examples of fermented food products..

• Sauerkraut• Kimchi• Natto• Fermented meat products• Sour-dough bread• Miso

FERMENTED FOOD PRODUCTS….

• Enrichment of the diet through development of a diversity of flavors, aromas, and textures in food substrates

• Preservation of substantial amounts of food through lactic acid, alcohol, acetic acid and alkaline fermentations

• Biological enrichment of food substrates with protein, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, and vitamins

• Elimination of antinutrients• A decrease in cooking time and fuel requirement

ADVANTAGES…..

• Lactose Intolerance• Cholestrol control • Anti-Cancer effects• Energy• Immunity• Longevity• Protection from Rotavirus diarrhoea• Prevention of inflammatory bowel diseases• Anti-hypertensive effect• Anti-diabetic effect

HEALTH BENEFITS …..

FERMENTED FOOD

PRODUCTS

• Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency and hypolactasia, is the inability to digest lactose,a sugar found in milk and some dairy products. Lactose intolerant individuals have insufficient levels of lactase—the enzyme that metabolizes lactose—in their digestive system .

SYMPTOMS: • Abdominal bloating and cramps, flatulence, diarrhea,

nausea, borborygmi (rumbling stomach) and/or vomiting after consuming significant amounts of lactose.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

• Hydrogen breath test• Blood test• Stool acidity test• Intestinal biopsy

Tests for Lactose Intolerance

“Sweet” acidophilus milk has been reported by some to prevent symptoms of lactose intolerance, whereas others have found this product to be ineffective.

Developed by M.L. Speck and co-workers, it consists of normal pasteurized milk to which is added large numbers of viable L. acidophilus cells as frozen concentrates.

As long as the milk remains under refrigeration, the organisms do not grow, but when it is drunk, the consumer gets the benefit of viable L. acidophilus cells.

It is “sweet” because it lacks the tartness of traditional acidophilus milk.

• Although cholesterol is important and necessary for human health, high levels of cholesterol in the blood have been linked to damage to arteries and cardiovascular disease.

•  Major dietary sources of cholesterol include cheese, egg yolks, beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shrimp.

• Cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis - a condition that greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke - by suppressing the activity of a key protein that protects the heart and blood vessels

CHOLESTEROL CONTROL

Maasai tribesman in Africa consume high quantities of meat and milk and yet show little or no signs of cholesterol or cholesterol-associated diseases.

As early as 1974 it was claimed by Mann and Spoerry that consumption of high quantities of fermented milk helped the Maasai community to keep their serum cholesterol levels low.Their daily consumption of whole fermented milk is 4-5 litres.

Yogurt contains a factor that inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol from acetate.This factor may be either 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid orotic acid plus thermophilus milk and methanol solubles pf thermophilus milk on liver cholesterol.

Lowered Cholesterol synthesis due to :

Bacteria causing decreases synthesis of cholesterol

Bacteria removes cholesterol or its

precursors from gastro-intestinal tract like

L.acidophilus

• Since cholesterol is used in the production of bile acids, enhanced catabolism and excretion of bile acids might reduce serum cholesterol.

• Deconjugation of bile acids occur which are easily excreted.

• High excretion of bile salts means more cholesterol is used up leading to reduction of cholesterol in the body.

Mechanism for reduced level of cholestrol

• assimilation of cholesterol by probiotics

• cholesterol binding to cell walls of probiotics

• incorporation of cholesterol into the cellular membranes of probiotics during growth and conversion of cholesterol into coprostanol which is directly excreted in faeces

Other Mechanisms

Cholesterol reduction by 50% in the culture media was found after 10-14 days of growth at 32 degree centigrade by

Propionibacterium fruedenreichii . Cultured buttermilk,yogurt and acidophilus milk

had no noticeable effect on serum cholesterol. Reduction in cholesterol in those people who

fed upon milk products fermented by o Enterococcus faecium- 2*108/ ml o Two strains of Streptococcus thermophilus 7*108 /ml

• Bacteria isolated from commercial fermented milk are known to have anticancer properties.

• Bacteria responsible for Anti-Cancerous activity:

L.acidophilus L.delbruekii subsp. Bulgaricus L.casei• Their anti-cancerous activity was seen

against : SARCOMA & CARCINOMA

ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS

MISO a fermented Japanese or probiotic form of soy bean, is particularly rich in the

• Isoflavone• Aglycones• Genistein • Daidzein which are believed to be cancer preventatives.

The Japanese, who consume large amounts of fermented soy foods like NATTO (prevents breast cancer and osteoporosis) and MISO along with green tea, ginger and ocean herbs, have the longest lifespan of any people in the world.

• Anti-carcinogenic properties of probiotic bacteria are due to inhibition of carcinogens and/or pro-carcinogens, inhibition of bacteria that convert pro-carcinogens to carcinogens, increasing intestinal acidity that alter microbial activity and reduced bile acid solubility.

• Altering colonic transit time by aiding in removal of fecal mutagens more rapidly as well as stimulating the immune system

Mechanism…

• a steady increase of cases of botulism since 1985.• This is caused by the traditional Eskimo practice of

allowing animal products such as whole fish, fish heads, walrus, sea lion and whale flippers, beaver tails, seal oil, birds, etc., to ferment for an extended period of time before being consumed.

• The risk is exacerbated when a plastic container is used for this purpose instead of the old-fashioned method, a grass-lined hole, as the botulinum bacteria thrive in the anaerobic conditions created by the air-tight enclosure in plastic.

Risks of taking Fermented food

I think in light of all of this wonderful information, it behooves us to turn back to the traditional ways our ancestors used in preparing their daily food menu,  to consume more fermented foods, and not rely as heavily on refrigeration and freezing of our food supply as a means of preserving our food.  Mankind has been eating fermented food for millennia, I think it's time we got back to practicing the same healthy ways of preparing our family's foods!

CONCLUSION

Wish you all a HEALTHY LIVING…

NAZISH NEHAL, M. tech (Biotechnology), University School of Biotechnology, GGSIP University, New Delhi.