3 Fermented Foods in Health and Disease Prevention. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802309-9.00001-7 Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 Fermented Foods in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: An Overview J.R. Wilburn, E.P. Ryan Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States 1.1 INTRODUCTION The word fermentation stems from the Latin fermentare, defined as “to leaven.” Although the practice of food fermentation is rooted in myriad of cultural norms throughout the world, fermentation has expanded from the household to com- mercialized and industrial scale production systems intended for the mass mar- ketplace. One broad definition for the practice of fermentation states that it is “the transformation of food by various bacteria, fungi, and the enzymes they produce” (Katz, 2012). It is worth noting that, in addition to the definition laid out by Katz, fermentation processes can, and do, utilize yeast for the transfor- mation of foods and beverages (Giraffa, 2004). Fermented foods and bever- ages have been enzymatically altered by microorganisms in a manner that still tastes and smells desirable to humans (Steinkraus, 1997). Beyond preservation, fermentation is widely utilized to improve food palatability (Azokpota, 2015), and for purposes of producing unique and new variations of foods (Rodgers, 2008). The types of foods commonly prepared through fermentation, as well as the specific fermentation practices utilized, vary from one culture to the next, driven by availability of food sources, taste preferences, environmental condi- tions, raw materials, and, ultimately, new technological development (Prajapati and Nair, 2008). Fermentation can be strongly represented in the final end prod- uct, as in kimchi and kombucha, or be merely a step in the preparation, such as with chocolate and coffee. In both cases, fermentation is an important step in the development that can be responsible for creating flavor and scent patterns, as well as health properties unique to each finished product. From preservation of foods and beverages to preparation of a product for immediate consumption, fermentation is globally an important process of food and beverage production. Fermented foods have long been thought to provide health benefits to the consumer. Some of the potential health benefits of fermented foods that have