What is sauerkraut juice?
Sauerkraut and its juice are made from naturally fermented cabbage. In this ancient method of food preservation, brine or dry salt is added to chopped cabbage, which causes the cabbage to release juices containing lactic acid, thereby flavoring and preserving the cabbage.
The juice can be made from freshly made sauerkraut or packaged individually and sold as a topping.
Benefits of sauerkraut juice
Despite their high sodium content, both sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have health benefits because they are considered fermented foods. Commercially produced sauerkraut and its juice are also available in low-sodium varieties.
it provides probiotics
The fermentation process makes sauerkraut juice rich in natural lactic acid bacteria or probiotics. According to a June 2020 review in Nutrients , probiotic lactobacilli have been linked to a variety of nutritional benefits, such as improved gut and overall health.
Therefore, many people drink sauerkraut juice, believing that it helps promote intestinal health and relieve digestive problems such as constipation.
That said, there hasn't been much research on the actual benefits of sauerkraut juice for your gut or any other aspect of your health. More research is needed to understand how drinking sauerkraut juice affects your gut and overall health.
It is rich in vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that plays an important role in the health of skin, bones and connective tissue. It helps your tissues heal and also helps you absorb iron.
Many fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin C. Sauerkraut and its juice are particularly high in vitamins—an 8-ounce serving contains 40 percent of the recommended daily value (DV), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the same serving, you also get 8% of your daily value for calcium and iron, according to the USDA.
Disadvantages of sauerkraut juice
If you're thinking about the health benefits of drinking sauerkraut juice, here are a few things to consider first.
sodium
Sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice are often preserved with salt, which means they are often high in sodium.
An 8-ounce serving of sauerkraut juice contains a whopping 2,083 milligrams of sodium, which is 88 percent of the USDA's recommended daily allowance.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), consuming too much sodium may increase your risk of heart disease. If you're already at high risk or have heart disease, you may need to limit the amount of sodium in your diet to 1,500 milligrams per day, according to the AHA.
Stomach discomfort
Because sauerkraut juice contains high concentrations of probiotic bacteria, you may experience digestive symptoms when drinking sauerkraut juice.
People report diarrhea and stomach pain as side effects of drinking sauerkraut juice. If these symptoms occur, stop drinking sauerkraut juice; if symptoms persist, contact your doctor.
Other ways to use sauerkraut juice
If you've used up all your sauerkraut and want extra sauerkraut juice, drinking it may not be the best idea, but there are some other ways to use it so you can still get those beneficial probiotics:
- Use sauerkraut juice to marinate meat.
- Make a base for homemade salad dressing.
- Use it as a brine for other vegetables, such as cucumbers.
- Stir it into soup recipes.
