Can Leftover Chapatis improve your Gut Health ?

To understand the science behind fermented foods like Kefir, read my previous post. Current post is all about story - My family's love of leftover chapatis. 😀

As we have seen earlier, fermented foods help reduce inflammation in the body. They also strengthen the immune system by supporting the gut's barrier function and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. Though not as popular as Kefir, Kanji, Kimchi or Sauerkraut, leftover Chapatis are still one of my favourite fermented food.

Our ancestors (in India) used to say that leftover chapatis (flatbreads) are better than freshly made chapatis - the former being lighter on stomach. In my grandmother's generation, i.e. 1950s- 1970s, many ladies in North Indian villages used to make chapatis once in the morning. Those chapatis were eaten throughout the day. That was the time when there were no machines to assist in the household chores and their days were jam packed with various chores - taking care of cows, grinding the grains on a stone chakki (mill), getting water from nearby water source, etc. In fact my father, a doctor, grew up relishing leftover chapatis. He would pester my mother to make extra chapatis in dinner so that he can have leftovers in the morning breakfast, lolz. Even though the practice of eating leftover chapatis had dwindled in his generation, me and my siblings grew up on a morning breakfast of leftover chapatis eaten as such (without reheating) with pickles and veggies. I still relish it and would eat it from time to time.

But after reading the science behind fermented foods, my respect for leftover chapatis has gone up another level. My father, a diabetes specialist, says that leftover chapatis have lower glycemic index than the hot chapatis, which means less of a spike in blood sugar levels. Centuries old experiences, knowledge and wisdom indeed have value!