Fermented Herbs: Part 1 Make Your Own

 An herbal carrot kraut.  Can you guess the herbs? photo from The Resiliency Institute

There are two options for getting more fermented herbs in your life.  See some of the other articles on this blog for reasons why that might be a good idea.  Otherwise here is the first vehicle...

The first is to brew/ferment your own food or drink that contains the herbs you're interested in consuming.  This is a relatively simple option if you have some experience fermenting food.  If you don't,  then it's probably time to get started.  I do teach classes on fermenting foods so you'll either have to come visit Hawaii to take one,  or you'll need to invite me out to give a class in your town.  Or simply check out this video on fermenting veggies.  If you still want to know how much salt to add use 1.5 teaspoon per pound of vegetables. 

Fermented vegetables are usually what I recommend people begin with.  They are not only ridiculously healthy for a number of reasons,  they are fairly simple to make.  But fermented beverages are also simple to make.   If you want personalized help or coaching around either of these shoot me an email or leave a comment.

Adding fresh, dried, or powdered herbs to your vegetable of beverage ferments makes them a potent vehicle for ingesting those very herbs.  In previous posts  you've seen that fermentation increases the absorbability (also referred to as bioavailability: bio-avai-la-bility... what a wonderful word) of the antioxidants and other substances in medicinal herbs.  This is generally true for minerals as well.  Here is an example.  So maybe consuming a fermented food "enhanced" with a beneficial herb might just might be the fermented functional food you've been waiting for.  

In the next post I'll talk about some fermented herbal products on the market.  In the meantime,  get started making your own.  Here is my favorite video explaining how to do just that.  For more questions contact me via my Facebook page: Ferment To Be

Ancient Wines: Thyme, Artemesia, and Their Use in Wine

The authors of this fun-to-read study ('fun' used with reservation) are using archaeological evidence to understand ancient people's botanical medicines. 

The purpose is to discover effective plant compounds that fight against cancer.  

Their approach: Analyze the botanical residue in ancient Egyptian and Chinese wine vessels.  Thyme and the herbs in the Artemisia family are identified as herbs present in the wine that possess some anti-cancer effects.


The authors write:

"Our ancestors might well have discovered

empirically some of the most potent and medicinally effective

plants in their environments, especially in periods of

experimentation as epitomized by the Neolithic Revolutions

beginning 10,000 years ago, after the end of the last Ice

Age. Plants, including herbs, tree resins, and other organics

were ideally dissolved in and dispensed by ancient fermented

beverages, such as wine and beer...By analyzing organic residues inside ancient containers, key natural products and organic compounds of potential medicinal value can be directly detected"

Well, maybe it's more fun to drink the medicine than study it.

Fermented Korean Herbal Medicine

Yet another study that shows lactic acid fermentation can enhance the effectiveness of medicinal herbs.  

The herb in question is Hwangryun-haedok-tang, a Korean traditional herbal medicine used to "treat inflammatory-related diseases, including dermatitis, hepatitis, and gastritis."  

From reading the study it appears to be a multi-herb mixture that includes coptis japonica, Scutellaria baicalensis (skullcap), chinese philodendron, and Scutellaria baicalensis (fruit) 

The authors state:"Fermentation increases the production of active components in medicinal herbs, which beneficially influences health through health-promoting and disease preventing effects....

"Bacteria fermentation not only generates the bioactive components of flavonoid but also changes its structure. Bacterial fermentation de-glycosylates, sulfates, or methylates flavonoids, which influences the absorption rate and metabolism in the liver [25]. The structure change of flavonoid by bacteria fermentation increases the absorption rate and the amounts absorbed, which might elevate the bioactivity and bioavailability of active components [26,27] and might contribute to the beneficial effect on bone [28]."

"This study demonstrated that lactic bacterial fermentation fortifies the inhibitory effect of HRT on osteoclastogenesis and bone loss. These results suggest that fermented HRT might have the beneficial potential on osteoporosis by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis."

Fermented Angelica (Dong Quai Root)

A Korean study demonstrated an increase in antioxidants by 20-50% when Angelica Senensis root was fermented by lactic acid bacteria cultures.

http://www.fasebj.org/cgi/content/meeting_abstract/24/1_MeetingAbstracts/830.2

4 Ways Fermented Foods Can Positively Impact Your Health

This is a Presentation I will be giving in my upcoming fermentation class. Thanks to Sandor Katz and his book The Art of Fermentation for helping to clarify some of this knowledge for me.  Learn on!

Fermenting Turmeric Pt. 2

Curcumin, the yellow pigment of turmeric, has been shown to be effective against a whole slew of inflammation related diseases including cancer and Alzheimer's.  That much is clear.  But the question remains:  How should one consume curcumin, and in what form and manner, in order to reap the most benefits?  Many supplements exist, promising the most bio-available curcumin. They are full of curcumin extract in different concentrations.

Curcumin is recognized as the principle bio-active component of turmeric.  However, this not the entire story.  Curcumin is transformed through digestion into different forms known as metabolites.  It is the metabolites that are easily absorbed by the body, not the whole curcumin molecule.  Some of the known metabolites of Curcumin are curcumin glucuronides and sulfates.

The question then becomes are the metabolites of curcumin effective as an anti-inflammatory and canncer preventing agent?

The answer might just be yes according to these studies, which show the effectiveness of curcumin metabolites, especially tetrahydrocurcuminoid:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/131/8/2090.short

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22156377

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22212488

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17569222


It is through microorganisms and enzymes in the human gut that curcumin is transformed.  In 2011, Japanese researchers isolated a microorganism and enzyme responsible for curcumin's transformation into the potent and easily absorbed metabolites. They identified a type of E. Coli as the responsible agent.  I wouldn't assume it is the sole transformative agent, but it's what they found.

In summary, curcumin is transformed into potent metabolites through enzymes and microbes in our digestive system.  So it is possible to "ferment" curcumin in vitro- outside the body, and perhaps in a mason jar, as the Japanese study displayed.  I wonder if any of the common microbes used in food processing like lactobacillus, aspergillus, and s. cerevisiae are capable of performing the transformation?

Before I end, it is important to acknowledge the risks of taking concentrated supplements- which curcumin is.  This well researched letter addresses the dark side of curcumin.  I tend to believe that natural medicine in  food and plant form is better than the extract form.  However, if you can't consume enough of the foods, then yes to the extracts with care.  But turmeric is widely available, so how best to prepare it?  Cooking in oil is suggested because curcumin is oil-soluble.  Curry's are prepared this way.  Daily consumption of low doses might be the way to go.  But what about fermenting turmeric to eat in food form?  That's what these posts are about.

Aloha.

Fermented Turmeric Tea

I love Turmeric.  Not only because the color is like liquid sunshine, but because of all great health benefits such as prevention of certain types of cancers and inflammation diseases.  My girlfriend will only drink it once in a while, and reluctantly at that, because she wants to keep her teeth white- liquid sunshine can stain white teeth.  She's a good sport, sampling many concoctions that I make. I drink it when I remember, and I don't think it really stains my teeth.  Those that work with turmeric know that it's yellowing potential is huge when working with it, but it will quickly fade over the next day.

Fermented turmeric tea aka fermented ukon is a common drink in Okinawa. Why ferment Turmeric? Because the Okinawans do, and they live for a long, long time. But really,  it makes a milder tasting turmeric.  I've tested this my self.  A Japanese friend of mine was kind enough to fulfill my request for Japanese fermented turmeric tea when she visited recently.  The tea comes in a granular form, in a paper tea bag.  Directions say to boil the tea for 4-5 minutes then drink.  The writing on the box says that fermentation reduces the bitterness of turmeric.  Swanson claims that fermenting turmeric also ensures high concentration of curcuminoids, the property of turmeric believed to be so beneficial. Can you send me your studies that confirm that, Swanson?  

It was nice to try the Japanese brand tea, but since we have so much fresh turmeric in Hawaii, I wanted to make my own fermented version at home.

Fermented turmeric tea

I've made my own fermented turmeric following this process. 

1. Ferment slices of fresh turmeric in a sugar water using a lactic acid bacteria starter culture.

2. Slice .5 lb fresh turmeric.

3. Add to quart size mason Jar with 3 cups purified water and about .5 cup sugar

4.  Add starter lactic acid bacteria starter culture in the form of ginger bug, water kefir, or something else.

Turmeric fermenting in a lactic acid bacteria brew

5. Stir regularly for the first few days, cover from bugs, and ferment until it stops bubbling.

6. Dry the pieces of turmeric in a low oven or dehydrator. 

BTW in case you are new to fermentation, the bacteria consume the sugars in the water, as well as in the turmeric, and quite possibly increase the bio availability of beneficial compounds in the turmeric.

The resulting turmeric is sweet smelling and lighter in color than the fresh turmeric and presumably better for you.

Dried, fermented turmeric.  Mine in the front, Japanese brand in the back.

Other ways to incorporate fermented turmeric in your diet:

 Add powdered or fresh turmeric to live kim chi or sauerkraut.  Possibly add a few slices to a bottle of kombucha and leave on the counter for a day or two, at which time the bacteria, acids, and enzymes can perform their work.  What about adding the powder to sourdough pancakes?  Or perhaps mixing a few tbs of powder into your miso?  These are some ways to ferment turmeric.  Not saying they will taste super great, but they will most likely be super great for you.