Fermented Foods and Health Modulation

Dear Colleagues,

Fermented foods, as long-standing staples of traditional diets worldwide, have emerged as a pivotal focus in nutritional and biomedical research. Beyond their roles in food preservation and flavor enhancement, a growing body of evidence is shedding light into their profound impacts on health, driven by their bioactive components (e.g., bioactive peptides, short-chain fatty acids) and inherent probiotics. Unlike dietary interventions that target a single endpoint, fermented foods act holistically: they modulate the gut microbiome, regulate immune function, fine-tune metabolic processes, support gastrointestinal barrier integrity, and even confer benefits to skin and oral health—all of which are critical for disease prevention and systemic homeostasis maintenance.

This Special Issue seeks cutting-edge research that include the following: the mechanisms underlying the interactions between fermented food components and the gut microbiome, immune system, metabolic organs, skin, or nervous system; and the effects of fermented foods on conditions such as chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity), intestinal disorders (inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome), hyperuricemia/gout, neurological conditions (Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression), dermatological issues (atopic dermatitis), oral health concerns, and immune-related disorders.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Nutrients.

Prof. Dr. Xuegang Luo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.