If you love both delicious flavor and a healthy lifestyle, you’re in luck. Click to learn some health benefits of sauerkraut that will make you ready to eat.
Did you know that an American usually eats 1.5 pounds of sauerkraut annually?
Made of fermented raw cabbage, sauerkraut has become a popular side dish that you can buy from a store or make at home. While you may enjoy this food for its rich, distinct flavor, you might not know exactly how healthy sauerkraut is and how it can help your body.
So, why is sauerkraut healthy? Read on for five health benefits of sauerkraut you must know.
1. Improved Digestion
Thanks to the probiotics in the unpasteurized variety of sauerkraut, you can benefit from not having as much stomach trouble such as constipation, gas, and diarrhea. The food can especially help you if you’ve taken antibiotics that destroy both good and bad bacteria and can cause digestion issues.
So, does store bought sauerkraut have probiotics? Unfortunately, it doesn’t since that kind has been pasteurized. So, you’ll need to make your own to get the most sauerkraut benefits.
2. Potential Weight Loss
If you find that you have trouble feeling full and just can’t lose weight, then sauerkraut may help you out. This food contains no fat but has a load of fiber in it.
Along with the impact from the probiotics, the fiber content will make you feel fuller so you’re less likely to reach for more unhealthy foods and snacks during the day. A shrinking waistline can be one of the benefits of sauerkraut you notice most.
3. Less Risk of Cancer
You might feel surprised to learn that eating sauerkraut might cut your risk for breast or prostate cancer. This effect comes from the fact that cabbage has many healthy antioxidants that can protect your cells.
For the most sauerkraut health benefits, try to eat at least three servings weekly.
4. Stronger Immune System
Thanks to the nutrients and probiotics contained in sauerkraut, the food can potentially help you get fewer viruses and other infections. Since sauerkraut helps you build a healthy gut, your body can make more antibodies lined up to defend illness.
Eating sauerkraut might even help you if you already have an illness. For example, the food contains vitamin C which might make that annoying cold go away more quickly.
5. Better Mental Health
While you might not think of sauerkraut as helping your brain and mental state, it surprisingly can! The probiotics contained within it could potentially help your memory and thinking. If you find that you feel stressed out often, sauerkraut might help you feel calmer when you eat it regularly.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t substitute sauerkraut for any existing mental health medications you take. Instead, ask your doctor about how the food might supplement your treatment’s benefits.
Enjoy These Health Benefits of Sauerkraut
If you seek a single food that helps you cut down on fat, contains many vitamins, and treats your gut good, then look no further than sauerkraut.
To get all these health benefits of sauerkraut, find recipes to learn to make your own in a jar. You can enjoy it on its own or with your favorite foods like sausage, meatballs, and other vegetables.
For more advice on eating healthy, check out our other blog posts.