Is Koji the One of the Biggest Food Trends of 2017?

We have about 100 trillion microorganisms on us and inside of us. That number far exceeds the number of cells in the human body. These microbes collectively weigh about 2 - 3 pounds! We need at least 85% beneficial microbes and less than 15% pathological microbes in order to stay in good health.

Eating foods that are rich in natural and native probiotics, is a fantastic way to increase the biodiversity of your gut micro-biome. We should have about 2,500 different species of microbes in our gut. Most people don't even come close to that. We even have fungi and protozoan in our gut and we don't quite know why, but in my opinion, they must have a function, or else we wouldn't have them there!

Optimizing your gut health with fermented and fiber-rich foods is a huge step in the direction of seeking optimal health. Gut microbes produce the lion's share of our body's serotonin, which is the "feel good" hormone. Prozac and Paxil are 2 drugs that increase serotonin levels, but with many potential side effects.

Among the latest trends in fermentation are koji-fermented foods. Koji is a type of fungus used for millennia in China and Japan to ferment foods.

Koji can also be used to tenderize meats, cutting the time required to “dry age” the meat down from 45 days to as little as 48 hours. It can also be used as a marinade for chicken, seafood and vegetables.

The link below has some tips on food fermenting and more.

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