PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Fermmented Alternative approaches to blood pressure control experts. But when you hear about how healthy pickles are for you, these vinegar pickled cucumbers are NOT the ones that are actively serving your heath. Common fermented foods and beverages include sourdough, vinegar, and wine.

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Benefits of fermented pickles -

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Jennifer Fideler, a graduate research assistant at ARS's Food Science Research Unit, packs pickles in jars. ARS, D Craving a pickle?

Go ahead and take a bite. Fermented vegetables are a healthy choice for a snack. Cucumber pickles are the most commonly consumed fermented vegetable in the United States, with Americans consuming more than 9 pounds of all types of pickles per person each year. Pickles are fat free, cholesterol free, low in calories, and a good source of vitamin K.

Research on potential health benefits of fermented foods has mainly focused on ingestion of live microorganisms and the subsequent probiotic effects, says Suzanne Johanningsmeier , research food technologist at the Agricultural Research Service ARS Food Science Research Unit in Raleigh, North Carolina.

More recently, emphasis has been placed on health-promoting compounds called bioactive peptides, which are short chains of amino acids, found in fermented foods. Peptides that have therapeutic properties are well documented in many fermented foods, including dairy products, sourdough, and cured meats—but not in fermented vegetables, Johanningsmeier says.

Cucumbers are full of plant compounds, including beta carotene, that are both potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Pickles offer minimal value in the way of macronutrients , including protein, fat, and carbohydrates—the primary nutrients we need in the largest amounts—which translates to low calorie content.

Vitamins K, C, and A. But when it comes to micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, pickles have a lot to offer. In fact, 1 cup of kosher or dill pickles provides up to 45 percent of your daily needs of vitamin K!

Vitamin K plays an important role in blood-clotting and healthy bone formation. Pickles are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C , vitamin A for eye health and more. A Bit of Fiber.

Pickles are veggies, and all plant foods contain some fiber. This fiber helps maintain digestive regularity hello, gut health and can also aid in lowering cholesterol levels. A final micronutrient pickles really deliver on—sadly, not in a good way—is sodium. Every day we need a small amount of sodium to carry out vital functions in the body.

As a primary electrolyte , sodium plays a central role in fluid balance while also helping to transport oxygen and nutrients. However, we only need less than milligrams mg of sodium per day to carry out these functions.

Compare this to the 4, to 10, mg of sodium that many Americans consume each day, and, Houston, we have a problem. Depending on a variety of factors, a typical sodium recommendation is somewhere between 1, and 2, mg of sodium per day. When we go past that on a regular basis, it can lead to increased risk for elevated blood pressure or hypertension, putting undue stress on the heart.

However, considering the sodium content of this crunchy snack, and the fact that those with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease and hypertension, that recommendation may not be all that sound. You may have heard that pickled or fermented foods are extremely beneficial to our gastrointestinal GI health —so are pickles on this list of gut-healthy ingredients?

It depends. One important, determining factor is how the pickle was made—mainly whether the pickle in question was actually made using the slow, natural process of fermentation vs. being quick-pickled in a vinegar brine. In technical terms, fermentation occurs when microorganisms, like bacteria, conduct metabolic processes that create desirable changes in a food or beverage.

These changes could be improving flavor, shelf life, or health benefits. A typical brine for pickles will include salt, vinegar, and water and may have additions of herbs, spices, and sugar. The salt and vinegar in the brine will offer preservation power and a tangy flavor, similar to fermentation, and the pickles themselves contain those micronutrients mentioned above, but not the additional live probiotics formed during true fermentation.

To figure out which grocery store brands make their pickles via fermentation, and which have been brined in vinegar which is technically fermented, but does not contain probiotics , check the label for ingredients and any messaging that describes their pickling method. Seeing "vinegar" on the ingredient list is often a good indicator that they aren't fermented, but pickled, getting their sour snap from the acidic vinegar, salt, and other flavorings.

These pickles develop their tangy tartness due to microbe activity that is the result of the process of fermentation. The gut microbiome is a group of over a trillion microorganisms that live in our intestinal tract. These microorganisms—mainly including bacteria, but also some fungi and viruses—play a vital role in digestion as well as the absorption and creation of nutrients in the body.

You may be familiar with the other name for these healthy bacteria for our gut health: probiotics. Many fermented foods are natural sources of live probiotics, which help restore or maintain the health of our gut microbiome. Not all fermented foods and drinks contain probiotics though: vinegar, alcohol, and baked sourdough bread do not, for example.

But increasing evidence shows that the gut microbiome supports far more than just our digestion and metabolism. It has also been found that the gut microbiome is involved in the expression of a variety of chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, liver disease, and kidney disease.

Plus, fermented foods are great immune boosters as they have natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antifungal benefits. And this exciting research is just getting started. Both Cleveland Kitchen and Bubbies also offer delicious sauerkraut options—another naturally fermented veggie cabbage to include in your diet.

But enjoyed in moderation, especially if they are fermented, pickles are a delicious addition to a balanced lifestyle—and your spicy chicken sandwich.

Also, pickle juice makes a flavorful brine for meats like pork tenderloin—one of our favorite easy Easter dinner ideas. Karakurt Y, Ozdamar-Unlu H, Unlu H, Tonguc M. Antioxidant compounds and activity in cucumber fruit in response to foliar and soil humic acid application.

US Department of Agriculture. Cucumber, raw. National Institute of Health. Vitamin K. Pickles, cucumber, sour. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sodium intake and health. Mannaa M, Han G, Seo YS, Park I.

Evolution of food fermentation processes and the use of multi-omics in deciphering the roles of the microbiota. Behera SS, El Sheikha FA, Hammami R, Kumar A.

But, there are also many other less traditional fetmented healthy options for pickled Benefitw. Natural pickling and Restrictive eating plan are the most unique, traditional forms of food preservation that enhances the quality of the foods. Fermentation is an external, predigestion process that converts complex nutrients to simpler ones. Common fermented foods and beverages include sourdough, vinegar, and wine. Pickling is a type of controlled fermentation using salt.