Get smarter and happier. Eat fermented foods.

No, seriously, eating them might help you think better and smile more.

Researchers looked into how the probiotics in fermented foods affect your brain. Turns out, they help regulate neurotransmitters, reduce inflammation, and bring down stress.

In simple terms, we have bad and good bacteria in our tummies. If there’s too much bad, it can mess with neural transmissions. The good bacteria in fermented foods can offset that and help you think more clearly. They also produce compounds that help support your brain managing stress and emotions.

However, not all fermented foods have these bacteria. The researchers suggest eating yogurt, Miso, Sauerkraut, or Kimichi and eating a serving every day.

That said, I have an amazing recipe for Fermented Jalapeno Honey Hot Sauce that everyone keeps asking me to make for them. Obviously these researchers didn’t ask, so I can’t vouch for its bacteria. But, it’s delicious. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients: 8 ounces fresh jalapeno peppers, stemmed and halved about 5 peppers, 2 garlic cloves, 2 ½ cups non-chlorinated water filtered (no tap water), 2 table spoons non-iodized salt, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup reserved brine from straining the ferment, ⅕ tea spoon cumin seeds. 

Directions:

1. In a clean jar, combine the jalapenos and garlic.

2. In a separate vessel, make a brine by combining the water and salt.

3. Pour the brine into the jar, leaving at least one inch of headspace. Screw the lid on tightly and store the jar at room temperature away from direct sunlight to ferment for 10 days. Burp the jar daily.

4. Once fermentation is complete (I usually let it sit 2 to 4 weeks), strain the ferment, reserving ¼ cup of the brine. Place the ferment, honey, vinegar, reserved brine, and cumin seeds in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth.

5. Keep the sauce stored in the refrigerator for up to one year.