5 Benefits of Sauerkraut

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Sauerkraut in a nutshell is basically just fermented cabbage. So whats all the rage surrounding fermented food about? How and why is that good for us? Read along to discover the amazing benefits of sauerkraut!

Here is the short version- we all have good and bad bacteria that live in our stomach. You’ve probably heard the term “probiotic” thrown around a lot these days. This essentially is just a fancy word for good bacteria. This bacteria can be grown through the breakdown of certain fruits and veggies in a clean and salted environment. As the veggies breakdown the naturally occurring bacteria starts growing. Bad bacteria is killed off by the salt and good bacteria starts thriving in it! When we eat these probiotics they get into our gut and not only is our immune system benefited but so much more! Down below I will go into 5 of the amazing benefits of my favorite fermented food- sauerkraut!

IMMUNE SUPPORT

80% of our immune system is found in our intestines. Our gut us the best weapon we have against sickness. In fact, the bacteria in your gut out number your cells 10-to-1! It has the BIGGEST role in fighting off illness. The science behind probiotics prove that not only does it play a crucial role in healing our gut but in regenerating new cells, white blood cells, collagen and is rich in vitamin C! It also serves as a barrier against microbial infections. 

DECREASED ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

The gut is commonly referred to as our “second brain”. This is because 90% of our serotonin is found in the gut. That is our “feel good” hormone that creates a sense of well-being and happiness. When we eat sauerkraut and introduce that healthy bacteria while feeding the healthy bacteria that is currently trying to survive. This encourages and accelerates healing in our intestines. The more our gut heals and our good bacteria grow the less likely we will be prone to suffer from anxiety and depression.

AIDS IN DIGESTION

Gut health is SO important to your quality of health!

100 TRILLION– thats how many microorganisms you have in your digestive system! So yeah- I’d say keeping these bad boys in check is pretty important. The fermentation process of sauerkraut helps keep those microorganisms balanced and therefore not only does your digestion improve but you’ll see headaches, bloating, constipation and many other things start to diminish as well.

SAVE $$$ ON PROBIOTICS

I used to spend about $40 a month on good probiotics and that doesn’t include what I spent on my husband and kids. A few forkfuls of good sauerkraut is equal to an ENTIRE bottle of good probiotics. In fact, this article by a team from Dr. Mercola found that fermented foods contain 100 times MORE probiotics than a supplement!

EASY TO MAKE

I cannot tell you how easy and effortless making this stuff is! I mean it- a few jars, a head of cabbage and some salt and you are set! All I do is chop, mash and salt my cabbage, let it rest for 2 hours while the brine is forming, and then shove it in a jar. A week later I have sauerkraut for weeks!

Well I hope you enjoyed learning about the benefits of sauerkraut! Drop a comment below on what reason you resonated with the most and maybe other reasons to eat fermented foods! I’d love to hear what you guys have to say!

Happy Eatings!