Your Gut Needs Fermented Hot Sauce

Fermentation has stolen the center stage in the food scene in the last five years. For evidence of the trend’s reach, look no further than mainstream franchises: Dunkin’ has rolled out a kimchi doughnut, Arby’s has started offering up sauerkraut on sandwiches and supermarket giants like Whole Foods have gone as far as to install kombucha growler stations in their store aisles.

Cultured foods have even taken the hot sauce world by storm, catapulting fermented hot sauces like ADF’s Habanasco fermented hot sauce and Jalansco fermented hot sauce into high demand—and for good reason. At the end of the day, fermentation is so much more than the latest food trend. Considering its massive health benefits, we’re betting this craze is here to stay. Not sold on it already? Here’s why you might want to reconsider.

What is Fermentation?

Fermented foods have gained a dedicated cult following and an almost mystical reputation, but the magic of fermentation comes down to pure science. Put simply, fermentation is the purposeful exposure of certain foods to yeast and/or good bacteria.

These helpful microorganisms break down the food’s carbohydrates, transforming them into either alcohols or acids. That’s why we have fermentation to thank for beverages like wine and beer—it’s also what gives fermented foods the distinct, tangy taste that so many of us have come to crave. That is why fermented hot sauce is such a hit!

Fermentation packs food with rich flavor and adds a nice little buzz to our favorite alcoholic beverages, but it also does so much more.

To understand why your gut needs fermented foods, you must first understand that there are 10x more bacterial organisms in our bodies than there are human cells. With that startling fact in mind, one could even argue we’re more microbe than human.

Though we never see them and rarely think about them, the microbes that call our guts home wholly determine our gastrointestinal health. They keep our metabolism in check, allow us to absorb nutrients and enable our immune system to function. We’re also indebted to these microbes for much of the dopamine and serotonin produced by our bodies—two compounds which are almost single-handedly responsible for every feeling of happiness you’ve ever experienced. Sound like a lofty job? Exactly. You can eat fermented hot sauce and feel happy about it, now that sounds like a win-win.

Sadly, when it comes to survival in the modern day, our gut flora is up against a lot. Herbicides, processed foods, fluoridated water, antibiotics, stress and artificial preservatives are all out to kill the microbes that work hard to keep us healthy and happy. Thankfully, there’s something you can do to help them out.

Why Fermented Foods Rock

Here’s where fermented foods come in: the culturing process which causes fermentation loads foods up with essential probiotics (read: good bacteria) that keep your gut flora happy and thriving. Studies suggest the many benefits of fermented foods include a boosted immune system, improved digestive health, promoted heart health and the promotion of weight loss.

In addition to their probiotic boost, the culturing process also dissolves the less digestible elements present in a food source, making it possible for the body to absorb vitamins and minerals that would have otherwise been inaccessible. That’s why so many health experts recommend eating some form of fermented food with every meal—something which fermented hot sauces like our Habanasco fermented hot sauce and our Jalanasco fermented hot sauce are perfect for.

Basically, when you add a fermented sauce to your meal, you’re not just adding flavor—you’re promoting gut health and allowing your body to access untapped nutrients. If that’s not one of the hottest two-for-one deals you’ve ever heard, we’re not sure what is.