Our fermentation is based on wisdom from the past. Therefore, we only use safe and known microorganisms that actually “pre-digest” the plant and ensure that the complete plant matrix is made more bioavailable to the body.
Because of our weakened digestive system, many people are no longer able to fully utilize the medicinal properties of the plant. Fermentation improves the predictability of the therapeutic effect.
And this is what it is all about!
The role of fermentation in making nutrients available
Fermentation makes nutrients more bioavailable
Fermented foods are considered to be healthy because they provide prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic substances, as well as bioavailable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The fermentation process lowers many anti-nutritional factors that inhibit digestive enzymes, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients from food. Just consider how fermentation can eliminate phytic acid, a compound found in beans, seeds, nuts, grains which prevent the absorption of certain minerals. In addition, fermentation is a form of pre-digestion that makes food easier to digest and extends its shelf life, while maintaining its nutrient density.
Fermentation also improves the amino acid and vitamin composition of food. Minerals such as zinc, for example, become more bioavailable after being subjected to a chelation process.
The role of fermentation in the formation of active antioxidant molecules
The fermentation process converts the natural flavonoids of plants into smaller, active antioxidant molecules, also known as SOD-like substances. The major advantage of these small plant molecules is that they can be more readily absorbed by the body, while also being highly resistant to stomach acid, bile salts and enzymes in the digestive tract.
These are important cellular antioxidants that help eliminate the negative effects of the free radical superoxide anion, which is closely linked to oxidative stress.
Fermentation increases the antioxidative power of plant flavonoids
The role of fermentation to boost the absorption capacity of secondary plant metabolites
Fermentation increases not only the bioavailability of nutrients, but also that of the secondary metabolites or active compounds from plants. Fermentation mimics the intestinal flora-mediated transformation of plant compounds into their bioactive form.
Certain plants contain loads of natural chemical compounds, such as saponin glycosides, which are produced in a wide variety of species. These naturally occurring glycosides are converted into their more active form by lactic acid fermentation. This conversion process, also known as deglycosylation, reduces the molecular size of the saponins, making them easier to absorb and pass through cell membranes.