Benefits and Nutritional Value of Sauerkraut

Sauerkrautis a fermented cabbage that has important health benefits. Due to the fermentation process it is exposed to, it has benefits far beyond fresh cabbage.

What is Sauerkraut?

Fermentation is an ancient method that naturally alters the chemistry of foods. Similar to cultured dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, sauerkrautThe fermentation process produces beneficial probiotics that are linked to improvements in immune, cognitive, digestive, and endocrine function.

Humans have used fermentation to preserve valuable vegetables and other perishable foods for a long time without using today's refrigerators, freezers, or canning machines.

Fermentation is the metabolic process of converting carbohydrates such as sugars into alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids.

It requires the presence of a carbohydrate source (such as milk or vegetables containing sugar molecules) plus yeast, bacteria, or both.

Yeast and bacterial microorganisms are responsible for converting glucose (sugar) into healthy bacterial strains that fill the intestinal environment and help regulate many body functions.

Microbial fermentation occurs when bacteria or yeast organisms are deprived of oxygen.

The type of fermentation that makes most foods probiotic (rich in beneficial bacteria) is called lactic acid fermentation. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. 

Nutritional Value of Sauerkraut

SauerkrautContains many nutrients important for overall health. The nutritional content of a 142-gram portion is as follows:

Calories: 27

Fat: 0 grams

Carbs: 6 grams

Fiber: 4 grams

Protein: 1 grams

Sodium: 41% of the Daily Value (DV)

Vitamin C: 23% of the DV

Vitamin K1: 15% of the DV

Iron: 12% of the DV

Manganese: 9% of the DV

Vitamin B6: 11% of the DV

Folate: 9% of the DV

Copper: 15% of the DV

Potassium: 5% of the DV

Sauerkraut It is nutritious because it undergoes fermentation, a process in which microorganisms on cabbage digest their natural sugars and convert them into carbon dioxide and organic acids.

FermentationIt starts when yeast and bacteria that are naturally present in the air come into contact with sugars in cabbage.

Sauerkraut fermentationcreates conditions that support the growth of beneficial probiotics, which are also found in products such as yogurt and kefir.

Probioticsare bacteria with powerful health benefits. It also helps make food more digestible, which increases the gut's ability to absorb vitamins and minerals.

What Are the Benefits of Sauerkraut?

Improves digestion

The gut is said to contain more than 10 trillion microorganisms, more than 100 times the total number of cells in the body.

Unpasteurized sauerkrautcontains probiotics, beneficial bacteria that act as the first line of defense against toxins and harmful bacteria. These aid digestion.

Sauerkrautprobiotics such as those found in the intestines after using antibiotics It helps to improve the deteriorating bacterial balance. This also helps reduce or prevent antibiotic-induced diarrhea.

Studies also show that probiotics help reduce gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and symptoms associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Strengthens immunity

Sauerkraut It is a source of probiotics and nutrients that strengthen immunity.

Bacteria in the intestines have a powerful effect on the immune system. SauerkrautThe probiotics contained in it help improve the bacterial balance in the gut. This keeps the intestinal lining strong.

A stronger gut lining prevents unwanted substances from leaking into the body and causing an immune response.

Maintaining a healthy gut flora helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and even increases the production of natural antibodies.

The second reason to use the sauerkraut Regularly consuming probiotic foods such as common cold and urinary tract infections as it reduces the risk of developing infections.

Besides being a source of probiotics, sauerkrautboth contribute to a healthy immune system C vitamin ve iron is rich in terms.

Helps reduce stress and maintain brain health

Mood affects what we eat, and vice versa. What we eat affects our mood and brain function.

A growing number of studies are discovering a link between the gut and the brain.

They found that strains of bacteria found in the gut may have the ability to send messages to the brain, and this can affect the perception of the world.

The goal of this process is to test the role and privilege manipulation in order to access the resources of a sauerkraut Fermented, probiotic foods such as fermented, probiotic foods provide the creation of a healthy gut flora, which research suggests can help reduce stress and maintain brain health.

Probiotics have been found to help improve memory and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, and even obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Sauerkraut It also protects brain health by increasing the intestinal absorption of mood-regulating minerals, including magnesium and zinc.

May reduce the risk of some cancers

Sauerkrautwhich is the main component cabbageIt contains antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds that may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Researchers believe these compounds may help reduce DNA damage, prevent cell mutations, and prevent excessive cell growth that typically leads to tumor development.

The fermentation process of cabbage can also create certain plant compounds that suppress the growth of precancerous cells.

Some genes increase the risk of cancer. The expression of these genes is sometimes modulated by chemical compounds in the food we eat.

Two recent studies, cabbage and sauerkraut juiceIt suggests that by reducing the expression of cancer-related genes, it may help reduce the risk of cancer.

In another study, researchers from young to adult cabbage and sauerkraut women who eat breast cancer riskThey observed that the decrease.

Women who ate more than 3 servings a week had a 1,5% lower risk of breast cancer than those who ate less than 72 servings a week.

Another study in men showed that cabbage has similar effects on prostate cancer risk.

Good for the heart

Sauerkraut It is a beneficial food for the heart.

This is because it contains a good amount of fiber and probiotics, both of which can help reduce cholesterol levels.

SauerkrautProbiotics such as those found in can help lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.

Sauerkraut, Vitamin K2It is one of the rare plant sources of. Vitamin K2 is thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease by preventing calcium buildup in the arteries.

In one study, regular intake of vitamin K2-rich foods was linked to a 7% lower risk of dying from heart disease over the 10-57-year study period.

In another, women reduced their risk of heart disease by 10% for every 2 mcg of vitamin K9 they consumed per day.

1 cup of sauerkraut Contains approximately 6.6 mcg of vitamin K2.

Strengthens bones

Sauerkraut, It contains vitamin K2, which plays an important role in bone health. Vitamin K2 activates two proteins that bind to calcium, the main mineral found in bones.

This is thought to strengthen bones. For example, a 3-year study in postmenopausal women observed that those taking vitamin K2 supplements experienced slower age-related losses in bone mineral density.

Similarly, some other studies have reported that taking vitamin K2 supplements reduced the risk of spine, hip and extra-spinal fractures by 60-81%.

Reduces inflammation and allergies

Autoimmunity, one of the main causes of inflammation, is a condition in which the body attacks its own tissues because it means being harmed by an outside invader, whether it's a food you are sensitive to or allergic to.

SauerkrautIts beneficial probiotics content helps to increase and regulate NK cells called "natural killer cells" that control the body's inflammatory pathways and act against infections or food allergy reactions.

This, in turn, can reduce the risk of developing almost any type of chronic disease, from heart disease to cancer.

Does Sauerkraut Weaken?

Regularly sauerkraut eating can aid weight loss.

Because, like most vegetables, it's low in calories and high in fiber. High-fiber diets keep you full longer, which naturally reduces the number of calories consumed each day.

SauerkrautIts probiotic content can also help with weight loss.

The cause is not fully understood yet, but scientists think that some probiotics may have the ability to reduce the amount of fat the body absorbs from food.

As a result;

Sauerkraut it is incredibly nutritious and healthy.

It provides probiotics and vitamin K2, known for its health benefits and many other nutrients.

Eating sauerkrauthelps boost immunity, improve digestion, reduce the risk of certain diseases, and even lose weight.