Starters aren’t just for making bread. The mixture, which consists of fermented flour and water, might also be beneficial for research. Scientists are now studying the kitchen staple in the name of gut health. For their research, a team of food scientists based in Europe are crowdsourcing sourdough starters from home bakers across the continent. Their study is part of the HealthFerm project, which aims to better understand how fermented foods can improve human gut health. Their ultimate goal is to create healthy, vegan foods with microbes from the live cultures. Because they require fewer resources to make than animal products, plant-based, fermented foods could also be better for the planet. As of April 4, 2025, the scientists have collected over 800 samples. The donors’ generosity is even more impressive considering how much work goes into growing a starter. The ingredient isn’t available at your typical grocery store, and home bakers usually have to trade starters among themselves or cultivate their own from scratch, which can take months to fully develop. Most research about the health benefits of fermented foods focuses on yogurt and other dairy products, so more research on plant-based fermented items is still needed.
