Fermentation and its Role in Health and Disease: A Clinical Insight from the Lens of Therapeutic Intervention Strategy

Abstract

The importance of fermented food having medicinal value is well known, since ancient times and thus, is widely consumed worldwide. Since its discovery about centuries ago, there has been a lot of debate and research about the health benefits of fermented foods. As fermentation process enhances antioxidant activity of dietary food products such as fruits, milks, cereals, meat and fish by increasing the nutrients and vitamins. It offers health advantage, participates in various physiological activities and protects the cell against the toxic effects of free radicals which reflects its role in suppression of oxidative stress mediated disorders such as aging, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer etc. Various researches are going on to explore the hidden facts about the role of fermentation in health and diseases. However, the exact mechanism behind the involvement of fermented food contents in such events is not yet fully elucidated and needs further investigation. It’s protective properties and safety profile makes it an attractive therapeutic tool. In contrast, fermentation rarely produces some toxic contaminants and metabolites of the microbes into the food base. Therefore, the present article is focused on the current aspects related to health benefits of components of fermented food intake with special reference to oxidative stress mediated diseases and to understand its importance role in maintaining health diets as well.

Keywords: Antioxidants, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-obesity, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes.

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