Post: This Probiotic Food Might Help You Live Longer

By Ana Morales

March 13, 2025 ©Tasty food and photography Products are independently selected by our editors. We may earn an affiliate commission from links.

Japan has some of the highest life expectancy rates in the world—and that’s no doubt thanks in part to the country’s healthy eating habits. “The typical Japanese diet—as characterized by plant food and fish as well as modest Westernized diet such as meat, milk, and dairy products—might be associated with longevity in Japan,” a recent examination in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains.

Something similar happens in South Korea, which boasts higher average life expectancy rates and lower obesity rates than many other countries—including the United States, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. “Generally, a traditional Korean diet is considered healthier than a Westernized diet,” one study notes, adding that the traditional South Korean dietary pattern includes “consumption of vegetables, kimchi , eggs, legumes, and seaweed.” Vogue Beauty

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Although there are obviously many factors that influence these circumstances, there is a common dietary habit across both countries: the regular consumption of fermented foods . Fermented vegetables (which are generally pickled in vinegar and salt or sugar) are an ever-present accompaniment during most traditional Japanese and South Korean meals. “They are key for providing special probiotics to the diet,” nutritionist Cristina Barrous recently explained to Spanish Vogue .

“Growing evidence suggests that fermented foods change the metabolic activities in the gut, acquire new characteristics, and increase benefit in age-associated changes,” states still another study . “A series of relevant benefits associated with fermented foods in healthy aging and longevity have been reported that includes preventing allergic reactions, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, and improving metabolic function and neuroendocrine effects.” Pickled foods for longevity

Adding fermented, pickled foods to meals is a healthy option because they contain helpful bacteria that support intestinal functioning. They improve digestion, helping nutrients to be better absorbed while reducing the accumulation […]

This Probiotic Food Might Help You Live Longer