Health Benefits of Sauerkraut
[[Image:Choucroute-p1030189.jpg|thumb|right|Choucroute garnie, a traditional dish of Alsace, where sauerkraut is
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 78 kJ (19 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 4.3 g |
| Sugars | 1.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 2.9 g |
| Fat | 0.14 g |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
| Water | 92 g |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.13 mg (10%) |
| Vitamin C | 15 mg (25%) |
| Iron | 1.5 mg (12%) |
| Sodium | 661 mg (29%) |
| Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database | |
Raw sauerkraut is extremely healthy. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, lactobacilli, and other nutrients. However, the low pH and abundance of otherwise healthy lactobacilli may upset the intestines of people who are not used to eating acidic foods. (In such cases, it is advisable to eat small amounts daily until the person's digestive system adjusts.) Studies suggest that fermented cabbage may be even more healthy than the raw vegetable, with increased levels of anti-cancer agents such as isothiocyanates.[3]
Before frozen foods and the importation of foods from the Southern hemisphere became readily available in northern and central Europe, sauerkraut provided a vital source of the aforementioned nutrients during the winter. Captain James Cook always took a store of sauerkraut on his sea voyages, since experience had taught him that it was an effective preventative of scurvy.[4][5] German sailors continued this practice even after the British Royal Navy had switched to limes, earning the British sailor the nickname "Limey" while his German counterpart became known as a "Kraut." [6]
It is now known that the preservation of sauerkraut in an anaerobic environment (in the brine) keeps the vitamin C in it from being oxidized.[clarification needed] There is some evidence that indicates that kimchi, and by extension sauerkraut, may be used to treat avian influenza in birds.[7] Currently, there is no evidence of its effect on human cases.
Sauerkraut is also a source of biogenic amines such as tyramine, which may cause adverse reactions in sensitive people.[8][9] It also provides various cancer-fighting compounds including isothiocyanate and sulphoraphane.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Sauerkraut juice is also credited with high medical qualities; its consumption is recommended for flu prevention, as a gastroregulator for a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, from diarrhea to constipation, ulcers, bronchitis and various other digestive and respiratory diseases and disorders, anemia, but its most popular use in the regions where it's produced has always been as a major remedy against hangover, since it not only drives away the headache, but it also neutralises the effects of alcoholic intoxication on the stomach and intestinal mucosa and cleans the liver.[18]
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