Are Pickles Good for You?

Are Pickles Good for You?

You may have heard about the health benefits of pickles and pickle juice. Sour, salty pickled cucumbers might help with weight loss, diabetes, and even cancer prevention. But you may also have heard warnings about high sodium content and increased risk of stomach cancer.

Pickle nutrition facts

Depending on the brand and type, nutrition facts can vary widely, but almost all pickles are very high in sodium.
Pickles, cucumber, dill or kosher dill, 1 small spear (35g) – 4 kcal, 8g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 283 mg sodium, 0.2g protein, 4g sugar

Are pickles fermented?

Fermentation is one method of pickling, but not all pickles are fermented.
When vegetables and fruits are fermented, healthy bacteria break down the natural sugars. This process is what gives fermented pickles their sour taste. The pickles sit in salt water and ferment over many days.
Most pickles you’ll find in the grocery store are unfermented, vinegar pickles. In these cases, the cucumbers soak up the vinegar and spices. They’re easy to make at home, too.

Health benefits

Eating fermented foods may help with everything from insulin resistance to inflammation. Sauerkraut, one of the most popular fermented foods worldwide, has been shown to have anticancer benefits, while eating yogurt regularly may reduce the risk of obesity.
Drinking pickle juice has become a trend because of touted benefits related to muscle cramps, weight loss, diabetes, and more.
Pickles can boost your intake of antioxidants, that can fight against problems such as heart disease and cancer.
Cooking any food can break down heat sensitive nutrients, including antioxidants. Pickling raw vegetables and fruits preserves their antioxidant power.

Sodium in pickles

Preserving any kind of food requires the addition of salt, and salt makes up about 5 percent of most pickling recipes in addition to being a concern for most people with high blood pressure, extremely salty pickled foods may put you at greater risk for stomach cancer. One way to control the amount of sodium in pickles is to make them yourself.

If you’re not sensitive to salt, you don’t have high blood pressure, or you can make pickles yourself, you can enjoy the health benefits and the salty crunch of a delicious dill pickle.

Sources: Health Line