Fer-Real FAQs

Fermented foods are foods that are preserved using fermentation techniques. By submerging food in a specific salt-water solution for an extended period of time, probiotics present on the vegetables convert carbs to lactic acid. In this environment, the probiotics reproduce, creating a healthy product with a unique flavor.

Fermented foods have many health benefits, including the presence of vast amounts of probiotics and pre-digestion enzymes, as well as the fact that they are naturally self-preserving.

Probiotics

When vegetables are submerged in brine, the naturally present bacteria convert the carbohydrates from the vegetable into lactic acid. In this environment, natural probiotics reproduce, creating massive probiotic colonies. Fermented vegetables have more and a wider variety of probiotics than raw vegetables.

Digestion

While fermenting, lactic acid creates enzymes that help vegetables break down proteins, vitamins, and minerals, into smaller pieces. This makes digesting faster, easier and less energy-consuming. Because of this pre-digestion factor, even people who have difficulty digesting raw vegetables can enjoy fermented vegetables. Think of fermentation as a stomach before your stomach, easing digestion and speeding up the process.

Food Preservation

Fermented foods produce lactic acid, creating an environment too acidic for harmful pathogens such as salmonella and E. Coli to survive. As the acid destroys natural toxins, it protects the food from rotting as well.

Fermented foods are beneficial for maintaining a healthy gut. Adding them to your diet can also help you treat autoimmune conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, fungus, yeast, constipation, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, brain fog, stress, and anxiety.

Even if you are not dealing with a specific condition, fermented foods help strengthen natural immunity.

To start out, we recommend eating the equivalent of 1-2 tablespoons of any of our fermented vegetables, or half a cup of any of our fermented beverages twice a day. After 4 days, increase that amount to 2-3 tablespoons of Fer Real fermented vegetables or 1 cup of our fermented beverages twice a day.

Every tablespoon of carefully fermented foods contains about 10 billion CFU (count of probiotic cells), and between 30-40 different probiotic strains. Aside from the large variety of probiotics, fermented foods contain a unique acid that helps protect the probiotics as they make their way to your gut.

The gut microbiome (the bacteria living in your gut) is composed of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) as well as harmful bacteria. When a person has too few probiotics, the harmful bacteria will overcome the beneficial bacteria and damage the gut lining, resulting in tiny holes. The content of your gut is supposed to leave your body but can leak back into your bloodstream through these holes. This is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome and is the cause of autoimmune conditions. By consuming enough probiotics, you can establish balance in the gut, avoiding or healing Leaky Gut Syndrome and ensuring good gut health.

Fer Real products are not under FDA certification. Advice and suggestions are based solely on client feedback. Any questions or concerns about whether eating fermented products is right for you should be discussed with your healthcare provider.

In terms of the CFU, some fermented foods are more potent than others. On the other hand, some of the products have less probiotics but a larger variety of strains, giving you better probiotic diversity. Our recommendation is to alternate between our products. This way you can get the best dose of probiotics both in terms of CFU and the variety of strains.

Fermented borscht and sauerkraut contain high CFU counts.

Fermented giardiniera and beets salad has a larger variety of probiotic strains.

Alternating between a variety of Fer Real products will ensure you get the benefits of high CFU counts as well as a variety of probiotic strains.

Yes. Fermented foods are safe for adults, including pregnant women, and kids of all ages. For breastfed infants, we recommend that the mother eats fermented foods, passing the benefits to her infant through her milk. For formula-fed infants, we recommend adding 1 teaspoon (5ml) of fermented beverages twice daily or as needed to a serving of formula.

Fer-Real Foods prides itself on making only the best tasting foods for you and your family to enjoy. Our pickles are very smooth and flavorful, and our Borscht has a unique and potent beet flavor. In fact, all our products are exceptionally tasty. Try it for yourself!