Does fermenting food make them less nutritious?

Answer

No,Fermentation can actually make some foods more nutritious by increasing their bioavailability of certain nutrients. During fermentation, the bacteria or yeast break down the complex compounds in food into simpler forms that are easier to digest, absorb and assimilate.

For example, fermenting milk to make yogurt or kefir increases the availability of calcium and other minerals.

Answer

The opposite, actually. In most cases, fermentation improves a food’s nutrient profile and enriches is with beneficial bacteria (probiotics). There are two major benefits to fermenting foods.

1. The microbes fermenting the foods often take something we can’t digest and break it down into something we can. They may also produce vitamins that weren’t there initially.
2. Fermentation tends to preserve food. The increased acidity, for example, that often comes with fermentation tends to greatly delay spoilage. This was pretty damn important before we had refrigeration technology.

Answer

I think other comments make sense that fermenting food is more nutritious, but there have been studies suggest that pickled food might increase risk of gastric cancer. Probably don’t eat too much.

https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/21/6/905/69347/Pickled-Food-and-Risk-of-Gastric-Cancer-a

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