The bacteria that inhabit our gut are surprisingly vital to our brain functioning and mental health. Fermented vegetables, beans, grains, condiments, tea, and milk products are rich in microbes that support balance and optimal functioning in our central nervous system. Imbalance can be a root cause of anxiety and depression.

Maybe the relationship is not so surprising, though, when we look to our roots. Humans around the world have been eating fermented foods for millennia. Since our settlement patterns, agriculture practices, soil composition, food preparation skills, and diets have changed so drastically in the past couple hundred years, most of us (surely anyone reading this post) have been disconnected from our traditional sources of nourishment. This includes, fundamentally, fermented foods.