Pickles: Probiotic Powerhouses

During my childhood trips to India, some of my fondest memories were of sticking my fingers in my grandmothers’ earthen pots to pull out different flavors of pickles. These spicy, tangy and salty morsels of fermented vegetables and fruit were something I still vividly remember and yearn for, wishing I knew the secrets behind those family recipes.

In fact in Indian cuisine, no meal is complete without a scoop of pickle, popularly known as “achaar” to vivify the taste buds and enliven even a simple bowl of rice. It is that one condiment that can make its way to any dish.

The concept of fermented foods, like pickles, is not new. Ancient cultures have used several methods to store perishable food items, such as in airtight containers, to keep the food away from air and moisture. Storing food in the form of pickles was one commonly used strategy to delay the contamination of food.

Moreover, pickling foods can do so much more than preserve them. It instantly adds a fiery and tangy taste. Alongside offering a burst of flavors to our palate, pickles also provide numerous health benefits too.

Pickles are a storehouse of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Though their exact nutritional value varies with the type of pickle, they can be an excellent source of vitamin K, which regulates blood calcium levels, and vitamin A, that improves eyesight and immunity.

Pickles are also probiotic powerhouses of beneficial, gut-friendly bacteria that hold the power to improve digestion and relieve symptoms of constipation and diarrhea. Studies show that supplementation of probiotics significantly improved symptoms of patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). By improving the number of good bacteria and outnumbering the harmful bacteria, probiotics have a huge impact on our health from maintaining digestive health to building immunity to improving cognition and brain health.

In short, pickles are simply the superfood that our gut bacteria have been waiting for all along!

Pickles also carry the potential to improve our mood. Research from Virginia’s College of William and Mary and the University of Maryland shows that fermented foods, such as pickles, help reduce social anxiety. This is because the gut is our second brain that communicates with our main brain to have a direct impact on our mood. When good bugs in our gut thrive, we feel emotionally better and are better able to cope with the ups and downs of life.

Our super strong muscles could use a little something from pickles too. Have you ever experienced those excruciating post-workout muscle aches? Worry not because pickle juice can be a perfect way to rehydrate and restore electrolyte balance after a workout.

The plethora of health benefits that pickles provide is never ending. Did you know that pickles could be season specific? Though it is possible to pickle all year round, there are some pickle varieties that are known to provide season-specific health benefits. For instance, storage tap roots of radish are frequently used to make pickles and believed to be helpful in curing headache and fever during the monsoon season.

Remember that when it comes to pickles, a little is a powerhouse of nutrients that goes a long way.