Health Benefits of Sauerkraut (2024)

FAQs

How much sauerkraut should you eat a day for health benefits? ›

HOW MUCH SAUERKRAUT SHOULD I EAT? To get the gut benefits from sauerkraut, you should eat about a tablespoon daily. This is easily done by adding a small portion to your plate at dinner time. Doing so is known to aid in digestion and prevent constipation.

Sauerkraut is delicious, tart, and full of thriving probiotics. During the fermentation process, cabbage is thinly sliced, salted and sealed. Lactobacillus, a beneficial probiotic, grows and thrives in the delicious brine environment.

Eating sauerkraut every day can help maintain regular and healthy digestion for two main reasons. First, sauerkraut provides natural probiotic bacteria to balance the gut microbiome. Second, sauerkraut contains a lot of enzymes, bioavailable nutrients, essential vitamins, and minerals.

When I did the sauerkraut protocol, it took me about 6 weeks to get through step 3 and about 2 months to get through all the steps. But everyone is different. Probiotics crowd out bad bacteria; anti-bacterials kill bad bacteria. To eradicate stubborn bad gut bacteria, try taking some anti-bacterial herbs.

But sauerkraut has two further advantages: 1) One study found that a single batch contains up to 28 different bacterial strains. That's many more than you'll find in a standard probiotic supplement. 2) Because they're in food form, these probiotics may be more likely to reach your intestines intact.

Sauerkraut is also packed with probiotics that can improve your overall gut health. This combination makes sauerkraut an excellent food to aid with digestion. Obesity affects more than 40% of American adults and is associated with increased risks of heart disease, digestive problems, and type 2 diabetes.

To obtain such a large number of probiotics, you will need to consume between 7 to 14 g of unpasteurized sauerkraut per day. For more consistent results, you should regularly consume sauerkraut for at least 8 weeks.

Cabbage: Much like broccoli and cauliflower, eating cabbage helps stimulate the activation of two crucial liver-detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. Try eating more kimchi, cabbage soup and sauerkraut as fermented or cooked cabbage is less likely to affect the thyroid than raw cabbage.

Does cooking destroy sauerkraut's probiotics? Using sauerkraut in recipes is delicious, but the heat used in cooking sauerkraut will kill probiotics. If you do cook your sauerkraut, serve a bit extra as a raw side dish or condiment to reap the most benefit!

At these temperatures, sauerkraut will be fully fermented in about three to four weeks; at 60 to 65°F, fermentation may take six weeks. Below 60°F, sauerkraut may not ferment.

How do I know my gut is healing? ›

The biggest way to tell if your leaky gut is healing is when your energy and vitality have returned, you've regained mental clarity, your mood has improved, you've returned to your ideal weight, and you feel like your best self. It's important to remember that, as with most health concerns, gut health is on a spectrum.

Avoid Heating Your Sauerkraut

If you want to enjoy the benefits of your naturally fermented sauerkraut, don't destroy the good enzymes and probiotics by heating it. It's fine to stir sauerkraut into a warm bowl of soup or sprinkle on the top of your meal.

It's up to you. If you're new to fermented foods, start off with a forkful a day to allow your gut to get used to the probiotics and fibre. Work your way up to two forkfuls a day over a month or so or simply enjoy it once or twice a week as a side to your main course.

Fermented foods

When it comes to kidney health, research has shown that beneficial microbes have the ability to break down and excrete uric acid, reducing the amount of acid that travels to your kidneys. Try to include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha, kefir or yoghurt in your diet regularly.

An anti-inflammatory diet, regular exercise, good quality sleep, and probiotics are all strategies to put in place before trying antimicrobials or antibiotics to get rid of bad bacteria.

Sauerkraut is also high in vitamins while remaining low in calories. Research suggests that “specific phytochemicals of sauerkraut have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and a chemopreventive action against certain types of cancer.”

Sauerkraut contains far more lactobacillus than yogurt, making it a superior source of this probiotic. Two ounces of homemade sauerkraut has more probiotics than 100 probiotic capsules. Store-bought sauerkraut is often treated with preservatives, meaning it does not offer the same health effects as homemade sauerkraut.

Aside from its versatility and great taste, sauerkraut is a well-known 'superfood,' recommended atop the list of foods to include in a healthy diet. At 27 calories per cup, it is a low-calorie food and it's loaded with folate, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin K.

Sauerkraut packs a punch when it comes to vitamins.

Other healthy nutrients in sauerkraut include vitamin K, known for its role in blood clotting, as well as calcium, potassium and phosphorus. An added bonus is that fermentation makes these nutrients easier for your body to absorb.

What kind of sauerkraut is best for gut? ›

Raw unpasteurized sauerkraut is the best variety to but as it contains healthy probiotics that restore gut bio balance. Does Store Bought Sauerkraut Have Probiotics? Not all store-bought sauerkraut varieties have probiotics; only raw unpasteurized sauerkraut contains live probiotics.

The best time to eat sauerkraut for gut health is during or before a meal. This is because when you eat, your stomach produces acid and enzymes that break down food. The acidity of the stomach helps to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present in the food.

Some versions of sauerkraut (as well as kimchi and pickles) are made with vinegar and/or sugar, which both inhibit the growth of “good” probiotic bacteria in fermented foods. Most commercially made sauerkraut products you'll find in stores are pasteurized, which likely means they don't contain probiotics.

Although sauerkraut is generally healthy, there may be some risks to consider. Histamine intolerance. Sauerkraut is high in histamine, which can be responsible for digestive issues and allergy-like symptoms in some people. It's possible that eating sauerkraut could cause or worsen these reactions.

Are There Less Probiotics In Store Bought Sauerkraut? Most store-bought sauerkraut varieties will always contain fewer probiotics compared to homemade sauerkraut. This is because of pasteurization, which uses heat treatment to eliminate harmful as well as useful bacteria culture.

Fermented foods like pickles are basically probiotic superfoods, packed full of good bacteria that can support the health of your gastrointestinal microbiome and are good for your gut bacteria. Be sure to go for fermented pickles rather than vinegar-pickled.

May support heart health

Cabbage is a good source of potassium, that and the probiotic content may promote lower blood pressure. Sauerkraut is also a source of vitamin K2 which helps prevent calcium deposits from accumulating in arteries, a possible cause of atherosclerosis.

Fermented Foods

23 A 2014 randomized controlled trial looked at probiotic use in people with rheumatoid arthritis. 14 Researchers concluded that probiotics improved disease activity and inflammatory status. Common fermented foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, kefir, kombucha, and pickles.

Although heat does kill the good bacteria living in your sauerkraut, it only happens at 46°C (115°F). So if you're cooking at a very, very low temperature, you should still retain a large amount of these probiotics. Another solution could be to add your sauerkraut or kimchi to a cooked meal near the end.

Most bagged sauerkraut has been heat-processed killing beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Read the label looking for words such as “raw,” “live,” or “unpasteurized” to make sure it has been naturally fermented and not heat processed.

Should I eat sauerkraut in the morning or at night? ›

Sauerkraut is a fermented dish best consumed in the morning at about one tablespoon to 10 grams per day. Sauerkraut is a highly nutritious, probiotic-rich food, and you are recommended to eat about a tablespoon or 10 grams per day.

Sauerkraut has become one of the most popular fermented foods to eat as part of a probiotic diet. But there's a caveat. Not all sauerkraut products are the same. Indeed, it's very likely that imported, mass-produced, pasteurised sauerkraut may have little, or no, probiotic bacteria at all!

Store bought sauerkraut is typically pasteurized during the canning process, which destroys the active probiotics and therefore makes it less nutritious than fresh or homemade sauerkraut.

Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn could be signs that your gut is having a hard time processing food and eliminating waste.

You do NOT need to rinse sauerkraut (unless it's overly salty). Drain it thoroughly before cooking or using raw. Chop your sauerkraut roughly before cooking (or putting in a salad) so it's easier to combine with other ingredients.

“Fermented foods are typically fine to eat on an empty stomach since they help to support digestion,” Greenfield says. “Bitter foods stimulate bile and HCL production, which help the body digest foods more efficiently. They also contain acetate, which helps to feed and fuel good bacteria in the gut.”

The high content of sulfur, which is great for your skin. And you only have to have about half a cup of sauerkraut a day to get its benefits. Here are some more foods that fight acne. Sauerkraut is rich in vitamin A, which makes your skin healthier and radiant.

Because fermented cabbage is high in folate, it provides multiple benefits. Hearing loss related to age and gum disease may be prevented. And, the risk of heart disease and stroke are lowered. Folate is needed for cell division and DNA production, too.

Does sauerkraut affect blood pressure? ›

The fiber, probiotic, and vitamin K2 contents of sauerkraut may contribute to lower cholesterol levels, slight improvements in blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart disease.

Sauerkraut is also packed with probiotics that can improve your overall gut health. This combination makes sauerkraut an excellent food to aid with digestion.

Sauerkraut contains far more lactobacillus than yogurt, making it a superior source of this probiotic. Two ounces of homemade sauerkraut has more probiotics than 100 probiotic capsules. Store-bought sauerkraut is often treated with preservatives, meaning it does not offer the same health effects as homemade sauerkraut.

Keep in mind that while all probiotic sauerkraut is refrigerated, not all refrigerated sauerkraut contains probiotics. However, looking only in the refrigerator for raw sauerkraut brands at your supermarket will likely make your quest for the store-bought sauerkraut with probiotic a bit quicker and easier!

Raw unpasteurized sauerkraut is the best variety to but as it contains healthy probiotics that restore gut bio balance. Does Store Bought Sauerkraut Have Probiotics? Not all store-bought sauerkraut varieties have probiotics; only raw unpasteurized sauerkraut contains live probiotics.

Sauerkraut is a versatile food full of essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Live sauerkraut can also contain probiotic bacteria, which are good for your gut. Some nutrients in sauerkraut may contribute to improved heart health, bone health, immune function, and inflammation.

If you love German culture, you know that food is one of its most popular features. Sauerkraut is one of the most popular German foods and has been a staple throughout its history.

Fermented foods

When it comes to kidney health, research has shown that beneficial microbes have the ability to break down and excrete uric acid, reducing the amount of acid that travels to your kidneys. Try to include fermented foods like sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha, kefir or yoghurt in your diet regularly.

Which Is Healthier Kimchi Or Sauerkraut? Kimchi is healthier than sauerkraut due to its higher probiotic content and increased nutrients.