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Is sauerkraut greater than only a tangy topping? A brand new College of California, Davis, examine revealed in Utilized and Environmental Microbiology means that the fermented cabbage may assist defend your intestine, which is an important a part of total well being, supporting digestion and defending towards sickness.
Authors Maria Marco, professor with the Division of Meals Science and Expertise, and Lei Wei, a postdoctoral researcher in Marco’s lab, checked out what occurs throughout fermentation—particularly, how the metabolites in sauerkraut in comparison with these in uncooked cabbage.
Researchers examined whether or not sauerkraut’s vitamins may assist defend intestinal cells from inflammation-related harm. The examine in contrast uncooked cabbage, sauerkraut and the liquid brine left behind from the fermentation course of. The sauerkraut samples included each store-bought merchandise and fermented cabbage made within the lab.
They discovered that sauerkraut helped preserve the integrity of intestinal cells, whereas uncooked cabbage and brine didn’t. Marco stated that there was additionally no noticeable distinction between grocery retailer sauerkraut and the lab-made model.
“Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding to be made by the gut microbiome, so that gives us a little more confidence that this connection we found between the metabolites in sauerkraut and good gut health makes sense,” Marco stated. “It doesn’t matter, in a way, if we make sauerkraut at home or we buy it from the store; both kinds of sauerkraut seemed to protect gut function.”
Digestive advantages
Chemical evaluation exhibits that fermentation adjustments cabbage’s dietary profile, growing helpful metabolites reminiscent of lactic acid, amino acids and plant-based chemical compounds linked to intestine well being. These adjustments could clarify why fermented meals are sometimes related to digestive advantages.
Marco stated she and Wei recognized a whole lot of various metabolites produced throughout fermentation and are actually working to find out which of them play the most important function in supporting long-term intestine well being.
“Along with eating more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, even if we have just a regular serving of sauerkraut, maybe putting these things more into our diet, we’ll find that can help us in the long run against inflammation, for example, and make our digestive tract more resilient when we have a disturbance,” Marco stated.
Fermented greens and meals are already a staple in lots of diets, however this analysis suggests they might be greater than only a flavorful aspect dish. Marco stated the following step is to conduct human trials to see if the gut-protective metabolites present in sauerkraut can have the identical optimistic results when included in on a regular basis diets, as was proven within the lab.
“A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way,” she stated. “We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.”
Extra info:
Lei Wei et al, The fermented cabbage metabolome and its safety towards cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers, Utilized and Environmental Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1128/aem.02234-24
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