ickles can be found on sandwiches, in salads, or simply as a snack. Are you also a fan of those sour bombs? Then we have good news, because this vegetable has some surprising health benefits.
Pickled or Fermented Vegetable
Pickles owe their sour taste to the fact that they are fermented in a salt solution, where healthy bacteria break down the sugars. This fermentation process creates acids, giving pickles their well-known sharp sour flavor. The longer the fermentation process lasts, the more intense that sour taste becomes. However, not all pickles in the supermarket are fermented; many varieties are made sour by being preserved in vinegar instead of being fermented.
Health Benefits
Fermented pickles contain natural bacteria that break down sugars, while vinegar-based pickles typically do not have these bacteria. As a result, fermented pickles contain probiotics, making them generally healthier than vinegar pickles. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that are important for a healthy gut flora and digestion. Additionally, the fermentation process preserves nutrients such as vitamins and minerals better than when pickles are pickled in vinegar. Vinegar pickles still have low calories and the benefits of vinegar but lack the natural probiotics found in fermented varieties.
Source of Good Nutrients
Pickles can have surprising health benefits. For instance, they are low in calories, so this snack won’t make you gain weight. Moreover, fermented pickles are a source of probiotics, which are good for healthy digestion.
Additionally, pickles contain antioxidants like vitamins C and E, which help protect your body against free radicals. They also contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which can help the body stay hydrated—handy after exercising or on hot days. Eating a pickle—or drinking the juice, for those who enjoy it—might also help with cramps, thanks to replenishing the minerals lost through sweating.
A Small Warning
Preserving food always involves a lot of salt. About 5 percent of most pickling recipes consists of salt. Two small pickle spears can contain nearly 600 mg of sodium, which is more than a quarter of the recommended daily limit. Therefore, eat pickles in moderation, about one or two small pickles per day. This way, you can enjoy the benefits without consuming too much salt.
Do keep an eye on which jar of pickles you buy at the supermarket. Most of the time, these pickles are pickled in vinegar, and while we now know that they also have health benefits, some jars have a lot of added sugar, which detracts from the healthiness of the vegetable.