Eat fermented foods daily to support gut and heart health

Incorporate fermented foods into your daily diet: yogurt, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, kefir, natto, kombucha, or naturally fermented pickles. Aim for variety across different fermented food types.

Why It Works

A Stanford randomized controlled trial found a high-fermented-food diet increased gut microbiome diversity and reduced 19 inflammatory markers including IL-6 and IL-12b. Chronic inflammation drives atherosclerosis. The three nations with the lowest CVD mortality globally (Japan, South Korea, France) all have daily fermented food traditions: miso and natto, kimchi and doenjang, cheese and yogurt respectively.

Tips

• An imbalanced gut microbiome produces TMAO from red meat digestion, which contributes to atherosclerosis
• Larger servings produce stronger microbiome effects
• Choose fermented foods with live active cultures, not pasteurized versions