In recent years, fermented foods have gained popularity and traction thanks to their proven ability to positively influence our personal microbial community, known as the gut microbiome. Where twenty years ago you may only have commonly encountered yoghurt and sourdough bread sold commercially, nowadays all kinds of previously niche fermented foods have entered the mainstream food marketplace, including kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and others. What these all have in common is that they are lacto ferments; in other words, they use lactic acid-fermenting bacteria (primarily from the lactobacillus species) to break down the sugars in the food to form lactic acid, carbon dioxide and alcohol. Kombucha is an exception in that it combines different kinds of fermentation, including lactic, acetic and alcoholic, due to the presence of other acids and beneficial yeasts. The same is true for water and milk kefir, which produce a wider range of microorganisms in total.
You may know that positively influencing microbial diversity in the gut through eating fermented foods and plant foods has a proven impact on your digestion, elimination and immunity. However, did you also know that there is emerging evidenFermentation has a proven benefit to cognitive healthce that gut microbes can communicate with the brain? They do this via modulating chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream and via neurotransmitters produced in the gut wall, which is called the enteric nervous system and sometimes nicknamed the ‘second brain’. Microbes also interact with immune cells in the gut wall. In fact your microbes are permanently locked in an ongoing ‘cross talk’ with your neurons, your metabolism, your immunity and your whole physiology. This has important implications for mental and emotional health and disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Throughout history fermented foods have been used for their benefits to mental wellbeing; in fact ‘kefir’ translates from the Turkish word for ‘good feeling’, suggesting that in previous centuries we understood this relationship intuitively. These days we are still on the cusp of making a breakthrough in our collective understanding of the gut’s microbial population. However, we know that diversity is important, and when it comes to gut health it is more important to nurture diversity with multiple probiotic species, rather than focus on taking a single strain in high doses.
In order to obtain this breadth of species, your probiotics should come from real foods and plants. But if you don’t have time to ferment your own, you can buy readymade fermented foods, or find plant-based fermented supplements, like Living Nutrition’s new Cognitive range.
Through an innovative fusion of fermentation methods, including developing a hybrid culture based on the unique qualities of kefir and kombucha, Living Nutrition has perfected the art of capturing all the benefits of fermented foods in a capsule. The Cognitive range has been formulated by practitioners and combines key herbs, mushrooms and plant nootropics to provide potent but gentle support for the gut-brain’s cognitive pathways.
All the plants, mushrooms and foods in the range are organically grown and certified. They undergo an extended fermentation to ensure the final product is rich in enzymes, beneficial microbes and micronutrients. Each blend offers targeted support for specific needs, and they’re convenient to use with no refrigeration required.
Night Time is for those times when sleep is elusive or you feel wired and tired, and can’t relax. It is a soothing blend of traditional herbs with supportive compounds to prepare you for a restful night’s sleep. It contains valerian, a herb that has a long history of traditional use as a sedative and encourages deeper sleep. It also contains passion flower to calm a restless mind, and hops to help dissolve tension and restlessness.
Natural Nootropic
Natural Nootropic contains traditional herbs including ginkgo, brahmi, green tea and lion’s mane mushroom which have been fermented for enhanced bioavailability and action. Ginkgo is often used to support memory and circulation, and lion’s mane is a mushroom rich in special terpenoids for optimal mental function. Green tea is a source of catechins called EGCG which is high in antioxidants and protective against cellular damage. Brahmi is used as a general tonic to fight stress and support mental function. This blend has been designed to support clarity and performance and is ideal for situations requiring sharper focus and concentration.
Tranquillity
Tranquillity contains a calming combination of traditional herbs including lavender, ashwagandha and lemon balm. Lavender is a traditional aromatic plant considered to be soothing and good for stress and anxiety relief. Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that may help to balance cortisol levels and adrenal stress. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and has been used as far back as the Middle Ages to support anxiety and promote sleep. The blend is rich in essential oils, sensory compounds and antioxidants, forming the perfect herbal blend to support nervous system balance, so you can approach the day with a calm outlook.
True Adaptogens
Adaptogens are plant foods, herbs or mushrooms that gently harmonise different organ systems in the body to restore balance. True Adaptogens contains four key herbs that are traditionally used to modulate the body’s response to stress. Red ginseng and rhodiola for energy and stamina, ashwagandha for stress and cortisol support, and holy basil for inflammation and anxiety. Together, these herbs support healthy energy levels and enhance resilience to stress, so are ideal for physically and emotionally challenging periods.
Wisdom
Wisdom is a blend of herbs that have been used throughout the centuries to support mental balance and wellbeing as well as spiritual connectedness and insight. It contains holy basil, gotu kola, green tea and lion’s mane. Gotu Kola was used by Buddhist monks to train their concentration during long meditations. Holy Basil is an adaptogenic herb also known as ‘tulsi’ and prized for its support to adrenal stress and fatigue. Lion’s Mane is rich in compounds that boost nerve growth factor (NGF) and green tea contains antioxidant compounds that may support focus and concentration. Use this blend to aid mental clarity and support balanced cognitive pathways. It’s ideal for your meditation practice too!
Good to know….
All the plants, mushrooms and foods in the range are organically grown and certified. They undergo an extended fermentation to ensure the final product is rich in enzymes, beneficial microbes and micronutrients. Each blend offers targeted support for specific needs, and they’re convenient to use with no refrigeration required.
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