Never thought I ‘d read that headline. Here on the FFB or anywhere else, for that matter. But Sauer-kraut is now gaining traction with scientists and nutritionists as even more dietarily beneficial than they previously thought…
Beautiful classic Reuben: With hand-sliced brisket and a nice, healthy ‘head’ of sauerkraut…
We’ve mentioned the membership of Sauerkraut in the pantheon of fermented foods which is currently getting so much positive attention from the food and nutrition experts. Along with yogurt, kimchi, miso and even sourdough bread… But as we’ll see, it appears there are some important distinctions to me made between fermented classics such as ‘whole’ sauerkraut and the simple sum of its parts.
Abundant benefits
All fermented food offer myriad bio-active substances that are purported to deliver a whole laundry-list of benefits. And Sauerkraut is one of the most-commonly consumed fermented foods in the Western Diet.
Sauerkraut, in particular, is an indispensable Deli side and condiment here in the West, finding a well-established place alongside sandwiches as well as on top of Hot Dogs and right inside other classics, epitomised by the legendary Ruben.
Gut feeling?
“The digestive tract is teeming with some 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms,” says Dr. David S. Ludwig, a professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HTHC).
Research today is looking at a wide range of benefits fermented cabbage in particular can deliver, including anti-inflammatory and probiotic support to your gut microbiome. And a healthy gut microbiome can help reduce the risk of conditions ranging from obesity and diabetes to neuro-degenerative diseases. “It’s a very exciting, dynamic area of research,” Dr. Ludwig observes.
Aroused researchers’ curiosity
Researchers led by Maria Marco, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at HTHC, wanted to pinpoint what it was in sauerkraut that provided its profound positive effects on the human body. In doing so, they separately tested raw cabbage, sauerkraut and the liquid brine left behind from the fermentation process. The sauerkraut samples included both store-bought products and fermented cabbage they made in the lab.
The team discovered that sauerkraut did, indeed, maintain the integrity of intestinal cells, while raw cabbage and brine did not. Marco said that there was also no noticeable difference between grocery store sauerkraut and the lab-made version.
“Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding [are being] made by the gut microbiome,” Marco explains. “So that gives us a little more confidence that this connection we found between the metabolites in sauerkraut and good gut health makes sense.”
My take
I’ve noted, in passing, social media comments and longer ‘article’ posts about taking a glass of sauerkraut juice every day to fortify your gut media. Marco’s findings suggest the process doesn’t work that way. Which refutation is valuable in itself as confirmation that the ‘Kraut Juice Cure’ is merely an urban legend.
I think it’s also important that Marco stresses, “It doesn’t matter, in a way, if we make sauerkraut at home or we buy it from the store; both kinds of sauerkraut seemed to protect gut function.” Not having the time or the inclination make your own Sauerkraut is no bar to taking advantage of its myriad benefits.
And, if getting more kraut in my diet means eating more Octoberfest sausages topped with it, or more Reubens stuffed with it, I think I could get used to that!
~ Maggie J.