ISBN: 978-93-94174-16_0

Fermented Foods and Gut Health: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Emerging Functional Food Applications

Department of Food Processing Technology, AMET (Deemed to be University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Fermented foods have been consumed for centuries across diverse cultures and are increasingly recognized as functional foods that promote gut health. Beyond improving food preservation, sensory quality, and nutritional value, fermentation generates bioactive compounds, including probiotics, postbiotics, bioactive peptides, short-chain fatty acids, organic acids, exopolysaccharides, and microbial metabolites, which contribute to intestinal homeostasis and overall health. Recent advances in microbiome research have highlighted the pivotal role of fermented foods in modulating the gut microbiota, a complex microbial ecosystem essential for nutrient metabolism, immune regulation, intestinal barrier integrity, and protection against pathogenic microorganisms. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome has been associated with numerous gastrointestinal, metabolic, immune, and neurodegenerative disorders. This chapter reviews the current evidence on the role of fermented foods in maintaining gut health by examining their classification, nutritional composition, bioactive constituents, and mechanisms of action. Particular emphasis is placed on fermented dairy products, soy-based foods, cereals, millets, vegetables, and traditional fermented foods as important dietary sources of beneficial microorganisms and fermentation-derived metabolites. Current evidence indicates that fermented foods enhance microbial diversity, strengthen intestinal barrier function, regulate immune and inflammatory responses, and stimulate the production of beneficial metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids. Human intervention studies, epidemiological investigations, and systematic reviews further support their role in improving gastrointestinal health and modulating the gut–brain, gut–liver, and gut–immune axes. Although challenges remain regarding product standardization, microbial strain specificity, and clinical validation, advances in microbiomics, metabolomics, and precision nutrition are expected to facilitate evidence-based dietary recommendations. Overall, fermented foods represent a promising nutritional strategy for promoting gut health and preventing dysbiosis-related disorders.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: nivethakrishnaa20@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Nivetha Muralikrishna. 2026. Fermented Foods and Gut Health: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Emerging Functional Food Applications. In: M. Kannan and Bhuvaneswari Rajagopal (Eds.), Advances in Aquatic Nutraceutical and Drugs. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 120-129. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-16-0_8