How Much Sauerkraut Should You Eat in a Day? Chart, 9 Benefits, Risks (2024)

FAQs

How much sauerkraut should I eat per day? ›

Sauerkraut is a highly nutritious, probiotic-rich food, and you are recommended to eat about a tablespoon or 10 grams per day. You may gradually increase the intake of sauerkraut up to six tablespoons or 60 grams per day if you are comfortable. However, you are recommended not to overconsume.

Eating sauerkraut may help you strengthen your immune system, improve your digestion, reduce your risk of certain diseases, and even lose weight. To reap the greatest benefits, try eating a little bit of sauerkraut each day.

It's reasonable to apply this to sauerkraut, which means working your way up to 60g daily (around six tablespoons) could be a good goal. But remember: it's more important to eat an amount that's sustainable for you. Consistency is key.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For example, fermented food like Sauerkraut, rich in probiotics, may help you manage stress and maintain good brain health. Probiotics help keep you away from depression, stress, anxiety, autism, and even from some disorders like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Firstly, being fibre-rich and a source of beneficial probiotic bacteria makes sauerkraut useful for balancing cholesterol levels. Cabbage is a good source of potassium, that and the probiotic content may promote lower blood pressure.

One serving of sauerkraut has two grams of fiber — a nutrient known to aid with digestion. For people with constipation, fiber increases the weight and size of their stool and softens it, making it easier to pass. For people with diarrhea, fiber can absorb excess water and solidify their stool.

Is eating sauerkraut better than taking a probiotic? ›

For one, fermented foods are far more potent than probiotic supplements. To give you an idea, 2 ounces of sauerkraut has more probiotics than 100 capsules. 4-6 ounces of fermented vegetables has around 10 trillion bacteria, compared to the average probiotic supplement that contains around 10 billion.

Probiotics in fermented food also strengthen the walls of the intestines to keep them from leaking their contents into blood so fermented food can contribute to the prevention of leaky-gut syndrome. It has also been found to contribute to prevention and treatment of diseases such as allergies and eczema.

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."

Generally speaking, if your gut is in good shape and your body typically responds well to fermented foods, eating them on an empty stomach should be completely fine. “Fermented foods are typically fine to eat on an empty stomach since they help to support digestion,” Greenfield says.

DOES SAUERKRAUT HELP WITH INFLAMMATION? Yes, it does. Sauerkraut is linked to gut health more than inflammation directly, though. A healthy gut, however, can aid in the reduction of inflammation because when a person's digestive system is functioning properly, overall general health is improved.

Store-bought sauerkraut is considered to be less nutritious compared to homemade sauerkraut due to the processing. Most store-bought sauerkraut varieties undergo pasteurization during canning, and this eliminates all live probiotic content.

Store the container at 70 to 75°F while fermenting. 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.

Sauerkraut also has a high fiber content that helps with constipation by making stools softer, and simultaneously increasing its mass and volume. This bulkiness makes for easier passage through the digestive tract and quicker elimination.

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.

DON'T eat spicy food. It could irritate your bladder. DO eat probiotics — plain Greek yogurt and fermented food such as sauerkraut and pickles. They contain “good” bacteria that can help keep the bad bacteria at bay.

Does sauerkraut raise your blood sugar? ›

Sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables help lower blood sugar levels by improving the function of the pancreas, according to Dr.

Kidney-friendly foods

People should choose foods with lower levels of sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. These include: Fruit: apples, cranberries, grapes, pineapple, and strawberries. Vegetables: cauliflower, lettuce, onions, peppers, and radishes.

And don't forget the sauerkraut. “Fermented foods contain high amounts of probiotics, which are friendly bacteria that aid in keeping the gut balanced, and have been shown to significantly reduce stress and anxiety,” reports PsychCentral.

Sauerkraut Promotes Heart Health

The vitamin K2 present in sauerkraut helps prevent calcium deposits in the arteries. In one of the studies conducted, it was found that regular intake of Vitamin-K food significantly helps lower the risk of heart disease.

It Contains A Lot Of Dietary Fiber

As it turns out, dietary fiber can aid in digestion, balance blood sugar and possibly help lower cholesterol. Cholesterol-wise, a study published in the World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology found that sauerkraut, specifically, can help to lower levels.

Bone health nutrients

Sauerkraut and kimchi contain beneficial nutrients for the bone such as dietary fibre, vitamin K2, vitamin B, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. These vitamins and minerals are essential for building bone mineral density.

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.

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.

Eating probiotic-rich fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, is a sure (and delicious) way to boost our Vitamin C intake, iron content and improve the balance of the important gut microbiome. This will help boost our immune system, ready to fight viruses.

What are the three Superfoods for leaky gut? ›

You can also manage a leaky gut when you eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish, seaweed, nuts, and seeds. Omega-3 assists in reducing inflammation, which is often the reason for the leaky gut symptoms.

Avoiding processed junk foods, alcohol, sugary beverages, refined oils, and artificial sweeteners may aid the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Cutting out foods containing gluten or common stimulants of digestive symptoms may also help.

Based on visual observation, the ancients characterised inflammation by five cardinal signs, namely redness (rubor), swelling (tumour), heat (calor; only applicable to the body' extremities), pain (dolor) and loss of function (functio laesa).

The healthy bacteria in sauerkraut also have antibacterial properties that protect against harmful bacteria, like those that cause food poisoning.

The fermentation process already creates bacteria growth. However, the only reliable way that sauerkraut can be stored is through refrigeration after it is opened.

Research shows that the multiple strains of bacteria (such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillis brevis, and Lactobacillis plantarum) found in kimchi and sauerkraut, along with nutrients in cabbage are highly effective in helping the body detox from pesticides and other toxins.

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 is a good source of fibre as well as vitamins and minerals and being a fermented food it promotes the growth of beneficial probiotics which are important for digestive health. The nutritional value of food, like cabbage, can be enriched by fermentation and it makes the food easier for us to digest.

For example, fermented food like Sauerkraut, rich in probiotics, may help you manage stress and maintain good brain health. Probiotics help keep you away from depression, stress, anxiety, autism, and even from some disorders like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Does sauerkraut help with inflammation? ›

This fermented food is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins E and C [77]. In a study, sauerkraut has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity by reducing NO production in LPS-induced murine macrophages RAW 264.7 [117].

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.

Is Refrigerated Sauerkraut Better Than Canned? Refrigerated sauerkraut still contains live probiotics. It is therefore considered to be better than canned sauerkraut as the canning process often involves pasteurization.

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.

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.