Fermenting may seem like a funky trend, maybe familiar to you if you’ve sipped some yummy kombucha or splurged on a jar of small-batch pickles. But the truth is, fermentation is a common technique that’s been used for centuries all around the world, and it’s still everywhere today. We wouldn’t have the coffee, tea, chocolate, cheese, wine or beer that we know and love without the incredible power of
fermentation. Let’s dive into this fascinating process and find out why the best things in life are fermented!
What does fermented mean?
Fermentation is a transformative process where food is broken down by living microorganisms. These friendly microbes may be yeast, bacteria or mold, depending on the food to be fermented and the outcome desired. The results of fermentation are foods that are enriched, unlocked and nutrient packed. Milk turns into easily digestible yogurt or well-preserved cheese. Cabbage can become kimchi or
sauerkraut, soybeans become miso, and flour becomes bread. It’s pretty amazing! Most people don’t go a day without consuming
fermented foods, starting with their morning coffee or tea.
What are fermented vitamins?
New Chapter®, the Vermont-based vitamin and supplement company, recognized the importance of fermentation in making foods easily digestible. If it works for milk and cabbage, why not use it for vitamins? In 1986, we started fermenting key nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in our multivitamin products. The results of this whole-food fermentation are multivitamins that are gentle on the stomach and packed with goodness. Today, fermentation is an integral part of designing New Chapter products for your body to absorb. Because if you can’t absorb an ingredient, it’s not going to benefit your wellness!
What is New Chapter’s fermentation process?
In general, you could compare New Chapter’s fermenting of vitamins, minerals and herbs to the way that bread or cheese is made. Bread and cheese need a live starter plus carbohydrates to start the fermentation journey. For our nutrients, we start with an organic master yeast (
Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mixed with non-GMO soy and other whole foods (such as organic carrot and orange peel), plus the targeted vitamins and minerals we’re aiming to unlock. This proprietary blend becomes a nourishing super-broth that cultures over many hours. Then, clinically studied probiotics, tenderizing fruit enzymes and low heat are added to complete the fermentation.
Throughout the New Chapter
fermentation process, the yeast and probiotics work to pre-digest vitamins and minerals. This helps the nutrients be ready for your body to recognize as food. The friendly microorganisms also produce their own nourishing compounds, such as beta glucans and trace minerals, which become part of the whole growth media or “fermentate.” We make sure to keep these beneficial products of fermentation in our vitamin blends – because we believe they’re one of the best parts.
What are the benefits of fermented multis?
The benefits of fermented multivitamins are that they’ve been transformed with the help of activating microorganisms. Basic nutrients, such as vitamin C, iron or copper, become whole-food fermented vitamins and minerals that your body can recognize and use like food.
Charlotte Traas, New Chapter’s Director of Education, says, “Some supplement makers assemble vitamins and minerals for a multi and that’s it. New Chapter sees that as just the beginning. We next ask, how can we make these more readily acceptable by the body? How can we enhance antioxidant capability and help your body absorb and utilize these ingredients? To answer this, we take key nutrients through the process of fermentation. It takes more time, but the results are absolutely worth it. When you take a fermented multi that your body can recognize and utilize, you’re going to feel that difference.”
Fermented vitamins are made to let you get the most out of your supplement and experience benefits like immune support, stress and energy support, and heart, eye, bone and digestive support.
† Plus, New Chapter fermented multivitamins are so gentle you can even take them on an empty stomach. Fermenting is a key part of crafting products packed with natural goodness to support your wellness, every day!
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
