Fermentation and Human Nutrition

Abstract

Fermentation may make a contribution to human nutrition in various ways. Foodstuffs may be fermented before they are eaten or after ingestion, as when the materials left unabsorbed in the lower parts of the alimentary canal are subjected to the action of microorganisms. The contribution of fermentation to the supply of B vitamins is the aspect with which this paper is mainly concerned. The preparation of kaffir beer is descr. as a typical fermented food. Fermented foods are found all over the world; generally the fermentation is of carbohydrates, less often, of proteins. Cereal grains which have been allowed to germinate are frequently the raw material. In the process of germination a considerable increase may occur in the amt. of B vitamins. In the stage of fermentation which corresponds with the inoculation of the wort and the proliferation of the yeast in brewing, further amts. of B vitamins are synthesized. Kaffir beer is made from malted grain (sorghum, millet, or maize) and unmalted starchy material, and is produced by spontaneous fermentation. It is consumed in large quantities in parts of Africa and makes a significant contribution to the vitamin intake. In areas where a maize diet is notoriously associated with the development of pellagra, this disease is said never to occur in individuals who drink substantial quantities of kaffir beer made from maize.