How long do bacteria live in ferments?

[viitat1010]

Hi folks, hopefully this isn't a can of worms.

I'm trying to increase my fermented food intake to boost my gut microbiome and my health (based on the work of Erica Sonnenberg etc). I've been making my own ferments for a long time anyway, I often make a huge batch of something (kraut or kimchi etc) and then consume it over the following months or years.

My question is: are the bacteria still alive? for how long? Is my 12 month aged kraut tasty but 'dead'? presumably they run out of food to eat after a while, and leave behind a tangy taste (acid byproduct) and fibre texture, but perhaps I'm just eating bacteria corpses?

Any insights welcome.
Happy fermenting y'all
Tom

[Christopher Weeks]

I don't actually know, but my impression is that bacteria, at least sometimes, just go into stasis, waiting for the environment to improve. And even if that's generally correct, I'm not sure what it means for the healthfulness of the food.

[viitat1010]

Thanks for your reply Christopher. Yes I've heard that too but I've not come across any confirmation.