Are Fermented Foods Effective against Inflammatory Diseases?

Md Aminul Islam Apu, Polrat Wilairatana, Alok K Paul, Mohammed Rahmatullah, Chooi Ling Lim, Maria de Lourdes Pereira, Veeranoot Nissapatorn, Karma G Dolma, Madhu Gupta, Christophe Wiart

Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health 2023;20(3):2481

PMID: 36767847

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Abstract

Fermented foods have been used over the centuries in various parts of the world. These foods are rich in nutrients and are produced naturally using various biological tools like bacteria and fungi. Fermentation of edible foods has been rooted in ancient cultures to keep food for preservation and storage for a long period of time with desired or enhanced nutritional values. Inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and chronic inflammatory pain are chronic disorders that are difficult to treat, and current treatments for these disorders fail due to various adverse effects of prescribed medications over a long period of time. Fermented foods containing probiotic bacteria and fungi can enhance the immune system, improve gastrointestinal health, and lower the risk of developing various inflammatory diseases. Foods prepared from vegetables by fermentation, like kimchi, sauerkraut, soy-based foods, or turmeric, lack proper clinical and translational experimental studies. The current review has focused on the effectiveness of various fermented foods or drinks used over centuries against inflammation, arthritis, and oxidative stress. We also described potential limitations on the efficacies or usages of these fermented products to provide an overarching picture of the research field.

Address: School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.; Division of Applied Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, School of Health Sciences, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.; Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA.; Department of Microbiology, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Sikkim Manipal University, Gangtok 737102, India.; Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Re-search University, New Delhi 110017, India.; CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials & Department of Medical Sciences, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.; Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.; Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Lalmatia, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh.; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia.; School of Allied Health Sciences, World Union for Herbal Drug Discovery (WUHeDD), and Research Excellence Center for Innovation and Health Products (RECIHP), Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand.

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032481

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MeSH Terms: Fermented Foods, Probiotics, Vegetables, Bacteria, Soy Foods, Fermentation