Ancient cultures found that salt was very valuable. One way ancient people stored food before refrigeration was to season it with salt. Salt is a natural preservative that helps to prevent bacteria from growing and spoiling food. Additionally, ancient people would dry or pickle food in order to preserve it. Drying food removes the water from the food, which makes it harder for bacteria to grow. Pickling or brining involves adding something acidic like lemons, limes, or vinegar to the food, which creates an environment that is hostile to bacteria. Fermentation was also used to preserve food. Food was fermented by adding yeast or good bacteria to it, which produced alcohol or lactic acid. Kimchi is a great example of fermented food. All these processes inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria and extended the shelf life of food. Just as important salting, pickling, and fermenting are all good for you and your gut.