Organic Gut Elixir Fermented Drink

Recommended use: Take 15 ml daily on an empty stomach, undiluted or with a little water.

Important notes: Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet and lifestyle. The stated recommended daily intake must not be exceeded. Keep out of reach of small children.

Allergens: Contains nuts (walnut).

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place, do not freeze, and protect from direct sunlight.

What happens during lactic acid fermentation

Lactic acid bacteria break down the sugars in the starter and release lactic acid in the process. The pH level drops into the acidic range, and that is exactly what preserves it: at this level of acidity, spoilage organisms can no longer grow. The process therefore combines preservation and flavor development in one.

There are two methods. Homofermentative strains produce almost exclusively lactic acid, while heterofermentative strains also produce acetic acid and carbon dioxide. The latter explains why some ferments fizz slightly and taste sharper. A slight cloudiness or sediment at the bottom is normal in an unfiltered ferment; shake before use.

Fermentation is older than agriculture

Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, sourdough, vinegar, beer, and wine all rely on the same basic process. In some foods it is so natural that hardly anyone thinks about it.

Cocoa beans, for example, are fermented for days in the fruit pulp after harvest, and only then do the precursors of chocolate aroma develop. Coffee cherries often undergo the same process, as do black tea and vanilla pods. Without fermentation, there would be neither chocolate nor coffee as we know them.

Why twenty-two ingredients

A ferment needs something for the cultures to work on. Root vegetables and tubers provide the fermentable carbohydrates and therefore make up the main bulk of the mixture. Fruits add acids and sugar, herbs and spices add aroma.

The broader the base, the more complex the final acid profile, because different substrates are converted at different speeds and into different products. A ferment made from a single ingredient tastes correspondingly more straightforward.

Why a ferment does not list a cell count

With capsules containing freeze-dried cultures, it is possible to specify a cell count per capsule and guarantee it over the shelf life. In a liquid, it is different: the cultures remain active, and their number changes continuously during storage and refrigeration.

A number on the label would therefore be a snapshot with limited significance. The composition itself also shifts during fermentation, which is why an ingredient list for a ferment always describes the starting recipe, not the end result. We therefore specify recipe, cultures, and process, but no cell count.