MMaybe you’ve heard somewhere that pickles are a “superfood,” and you’ve dutifully added them to your grocery list. Unfortunately, you may end up reaching for the wrong jar, as many pickles in supermarkets aren’t exactly good for you.
Scientists have made progress in separating fact from fiction when it comes to health claims about pickles: both the cucumber variety and other types of pickled vegetables. We asked experts how to find the healthiest types of pickles, whose benefits are backed by research, and the right amount to eat every day.
Choose the best pickle
Most of what you find at the grocery store—both in the refrigerated and room temperature sections—are “quick pickles,” which means the cucumbers (or other pickled vegetables) are acidified in a stock-based broth for no more than a few days. vinegar. . Some of these quick pickles are also processed with heat, which helps them last longer on store shelves and destroys pathogens that can make people sick.
This process is called ‘pickling’. But what you really want are fermented pickles.
During fermentation, the vegetables sit in a salty brine for several weeks. This leaves plenty of time for healthy bacteria, or microbes, that live on the surface of the cucumber to interact with the sugars in the vegetable and convert them into lactic acid. The process gives pickles their tangy flavor while also killing other bacteria that could spoil them or harm you. And when you eat these fermented treats, scientists think the remaining live microbes affect the gut in ways that improve health.
To find these healthier pickles, look for refrigerated jars with labels that say “fermented.” Additionally, the ingredients list on the back generally should not contain vinegar, which is a sign of rapid pickling, says Robert Hutkins, a microbiologist at the University of Nebraska. (However, there are a few brands of “lightly” fermented vegetables that do contain some vinegar, he adds.)
read more: Is Kombucha healthy? This is what experts say
Another telltale sign: “If you pop open a jar of fermented pickles, you should see bubbles forming on the surface,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, a registered nutritionist and author of Daily snack bowl. Some examples of fermented pickles include various Bubbies products (those marked “fermented”) and Olive My Pickle.
Adopt a pro-microbe mentality
If eating microbes sounds unappetizing, keep in mind that they have been part of the human diet for centuries. According to anthropologists, people enjoyed fermented vegetables more than 4,000 years ago. Other evidence shows that our earliest ancestors discovered the taste of pickled vegetables after encountering vegetables that had initially been accidentally buried underground millions of years ago. In Korea, storing salted vegetables in cold, dark soil developed as a useful way to preserve food, which had a similar effect to today’s fermentation methods.
read more: Why Older People Love Pickleball So Much
You are very unlikely to get sick from eating properly fermented vegetables because the microbes and using the right techniques will create conditions that make it almost impossible for pathogens to grow. Both large and small manufacturers must comply with safety regulations.
The health benefits of pickles
There is “evidence that fermented vegetables, including pickles, may have health-promoting properties,” says Hutkins.
More research is needed, but several dozen studies are well designed to compare diets containing pickled vegetables with diets containing non-pickled versions of the same vegetables, Hutkins says. Most of this research has been conducted in Korea and focuses on kimchi, or sauerkraut, and not pickled cucumbers. But the findings are promising, with fermented vegetables (again mainly cabbage) associated with significantly better glucose metabolism, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a more robust immune system, reduced triglyceride levels and higher HDL cholesterol (the good kind) in people. who ate them.
Other research has found that regularly reaching for fermented vegetables is linked to lower blood pressure. “That’s counterintuitive,” says Hutkins, “because these products contain a fair amount of salt,” too much of which can increase blood pressure. One theory to explain this paradox is that “fermented foods can counteract the potential negative effect” of sodium, says Andres Gomez, a microbial ecologist at the University of Minnesota.
read more: How stress affects your heart health
The benefits appear to stem in part from the fiber, vitamins, minerals and other chemicals retained during the fermentation process. Additionally, the live microbes of fermented vegetables may provide unique benefits compared to the non-pickled, unfermented kind, providing greater support for gut and metabolic health. At least one study linked a healthy diet seasoned with pickles to reducing psychological stress, supporting the theory that the gut and brain exchange important information. “We know that microbes, organic acids and other metabolites in fermented foods positively influence the communication between the gut and the brain,” says Gomez, who studies this phenomenon.
Mix your pickles
Try adding several types of pickled vegetables to your diet: cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, peppers – the list goes on. Because different pickled vegetables contain different microbes, such a repertoire could be healthier than eating just one kind. This helps explain why kimchi can be particularly good for you. Kimchi recipes typically mix napa cabbage with other pickled ingredients, such as bok choy, green onions, garlic and ginger, which multiply the microbes that travel to the intestines.
Such diversity is “considered one of the most protective and healthiest approaches,” says Hutkins, adding that we will need more research to know whether it makes a big difference to a person’s overall health.
Pickles vs. pills
Probiotic supplements often contain microbes such as those found in fermented vegetables. So if you want to benefit from these microbes, you can replace pickles with pills, at least in theory.
read more: What science says about the health benefits of vitamins and supplements
But “all probiotic supplements have not been proven to work,” notes Largeman-Roth. Plus, pickles are cheaper and taste better. “Personally, I prefer to get my nutrients, vitamins and my live microbes from food,” says Hutkins, who founded and consults a probiotic supplement company called Synbiotic Health and wrote a book on fermented foods. Many probiotic supplements also lack the chemicals that result from the activities of living microbes during fermentation, says Gomez. Fermented pickles contain these “postbiotic” chemicals, like butyrate and GABA, which have their own benefits for gut health and gut-brain communication, he says.
The right amount of pickles
Aim to have between two tablespoons and ¾ cup of pickled vegetables per day, says Hutkins. That’s the range consumed in studies showing health benefits. If you take more you could get into trouble with your doctor. Pickles contain a fairly high amount of sodium per serving, and excess sodium has been linked to adverse health outcomes. “It’s okay to eat pickles daily if you balance their sodium content with fresh, low-sodium produce like fruits and leafy vegetables. green,” advises Largeman-Roth. This is another reason to buy fermented pickles; the unfermented, unrefrigerated, quick-pickled brands often contain more sodium. Even with fermented pickles, however, it’s important to look for pickles with lower sodium content and consider your overall sodium intake.
Get the most out of your pickle
To really take your pickle game to the next level, eat them after you’ve sweated a lot during exercise or a sauna session. In this scenario, salinity works for you because it adds electrolytes lost through sweating, says Largeman-Roth. So for a strategic recovery, grab pickle after pickle.