5 Surprising Health Benefits of Sauerkraut

We're guessing you've heard of Sauerkraut. If you haven't, it's a meal with cabbage loaded with probiotics and vitamin K2 that helps us lose weight by bolstering the immune system. It behaves just like medicine to support our physical well-being over time. But these are just the tips of the iceberg of benefits that Sauerkraut has. Let's explore the five unknown health benefits of Sauerkraut that you might never have known.

Vitamins and Minerals

The best sauerkraut has particular vitamins, notably A, B, C, U, and K. It also possesses minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, and iodine. There is even a little bit of sodium. That's just how many healthy components go into making this tasty dinner.

Vitamin C:

• Cabbage has some Vitamin C, but the best sauerkraut, its fermented cousin, has way more - up to 20 times. 
• Vitamin C also helps to fight scurvy, a disease that has plagued sailors for ages.
• Fun fact: Captain Cook carried a ton of best sauerkraut on a voyage to prevent scurvy, and guess what? It worked!

Vitamin K2:

• This vitamin helps keep bones strong by putting calcium in the right places.
• You can find it in fermented foods like sauerkraut, natto (a sticky fermented soybean dish), and some dairy products.
• Sauerkraut is a good source, but natto has way more Vitamin K2 (if you can stomach the taste!).

Vitamin U (not a real vitamin):

• This isn't a true vitamin, but it helps with digestion problems like ulcers and heartburn.
• You can get it from raw cabbage, but sauerkraut has more because of fermentation.

Various Strains of Probiotics or Bacteria

We all are pretty well familiar with beneficial live and active probiotics in sauerkraut that support our body to remain healthy.

It's very important to select raw sauerkraut when deciding on store-bought best sauerkraut to ensure that we are getting these bacteria present in the vegetables (probiotics).

Our gut is full of tiny organisms, like good bacteria, that help us digest eaten food properly. It's like having a mini cheer squad for your digestion. Sauerkraut is a fermented food that consist of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Let's learn about these two useful bacteria:

Lactobacillus plantarum is tough enough to survive the trip down your tummy and into your intestines. It fights off bad bacteria and makes a special cleaning agent (hydrogen peroxide) to make things squeaky clean. You can thank this little champ for helping you digest your food better.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is another good gut buddy. It mostly hangs out in your small intestine. It ensures you soak up all the good nutrients from your food like a tiny superhero with a super-absorbent sponge!

Beneficial Digestive Enzymes

Our body produces enzymes through food digestion. This differs from probiotics, which are live bacteria in our digestive system. Here's the catch: our bodies can not make probiotics; however, probiotics do make enzymes.

Our bodies use amazing tiny helpers called enzymes to digest food. Imagine these enzymes as super-powered scissors that chop big food molecules into smaller pieces. Our body can easily absorb these building blocks into the bloodstream to give us energy.

Enzymes are effective at breaking down food, which can help control uncomfortable digestive problems, especially as we age.

There are three primary types of enzyme helpers:

• Protease: This helps to cut proteins into smaller pieces called peptides and amino acids.
• Amylase: This turns starchy foods like bread and potatoes into simple sugars your body can use.
• Lipase breaks down fats in our food so our body can digest them easily.

If you want a happy and good digestion system to run smoothly, you can eat fermented foods like the best sauerkraut alongside plenty of fresh fruits and veggies.

Antioxidants

Free radicals are tiny troublemakers that can damage your cells. Antioxidants are superheroes that fight off these free radicals and keep your cells healthy.

Remember vitamin C from before? That's a superstar antioxidant found in sauerkraut! But the best sauerkraut has even more awesome helpers: lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants hang out in your eyes, acting like sunglasses. They shield your eyes from the bad blue light from your phone and computer screens. They help prevent cataracts, which can cloud your vision. While sauerkraut is a great source, don't forget about leafy greens and eggs, as they're loaded with these eye-protecting antioxidants too.

Dietary Fiber

Like most vegetables, cabbage is cool because it has low calories and maximum fiber. Oh, yes, health-conscious readers! Fiber is super important for staying healthy.

One study followed many adults for ten years, and the folks who ate the most fiber were less likely to get all sorts of un-fun diseases. But a small serving of the best sauerkraut, which is fermented cabbage, doesn't exactly pack a fiber punch.

Our ancestors ate way more fiber than we do today, like 100-150 grams daily. Now, we're stuck at around 15 grams, far from what we should be getting.

So, what should you do? Eat more stuff that's loaded with prebiotic fiber. Think berries, leeks, that weird-looking jicama thing, kale, even dark chocolate! This fiber feeds the good little guys in your gut, which is awesome for your overall health.