Fermented Cabbage Benefits for Your Gut Health

Fermenting foods is one of the oldest ways known to preserve foods. And one of the first to be fermented was cabbage. Sauerkraut, or “sour cabbage” in German, “choucroute” in French.

Genghis Khan and Tartars are said to have brought it to Europe when they carried it in their saddlebags. It has lasted though the centuries for because of its amazing health benefits, and that it was easy to transport.

The famous British explorer, Captain James Cook carried sauerkraut with him on his many breathtaking voyages. He served it to his crew to sustain their health, as they were confined to eating hardtack, briny lima beans, and salted pork on their long stays away form land.

Captain Cook is noted for his mapping expedition of the St. Lawrence River, and his three incredible Pacific Ocean voyages mapping the then unknown worlds of Australia, and New Zealand. It is not known if the Hawaiians who subsequently ate him also enjoyed his sauerkraut with their roasted meal.

Sauerkraut is Abundant in Folate, Iron, Potassium

From Roman times to the present, the process of fermenting cabbage has been remarkably the same. The pickling of cabbage, through a “lacto-fermentation” process (not unlike for pickles), is finely cut cabbage leaves, layered with salt, and left to ferment, usually in ceramic jars.

My father, an immigrant from Germany, was so fond of it, the first planting at our home farm each Spring was of cabbage. Then all through the Fall and Winter, my dad would dip a big spoon into the huge earthen pot he fermented it in, and take a mouthful upon arriving home from work every day. He lived to be 90. And it was sauerkraut (or the stout German beer he drank) that he said kept him out of the hospital and doctor’s office his entire life.

Sauerkraut is often eaten with meats, or in Russia it is combined with sautéed onions and potatoes, and made into soup as well.

This very old way of eating contained its own version of ancient wisdom, as we now know these particular food combinations with Sauerkraut are the best way to digest these foods, and to get the best out of them, while minimizing their less beneficial properties.

Sauerkraut benefits come with abundance of many vitamins and micronutrients. In fact, it is very high in Vitamin C, high in calcium and magnesium (two important electrolytes needed for energy), and a great dietary source of fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese. It is high in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, both good for the eyes. Some recent research seems to indicate that it is anti-carcinogenic.

Fermented Cabbage Benefits

Rich in enzymes, and probiotics, there are few foods better for restoring the body, and keeping it healthy. For weight maintenance, it is also low in calories.

Because of how it is fermented, some versions are high in sodium, which can lead to water retention and may elevate blood pressure, if too much is eaten.

There are excellent commercial versions of Sauerkraut available. Or you can make it yourself. It’s remarkably easy to do, and not much to go wrong. Take a look here:

I snack on Sauerkraut (a heaping tablespoon full or two), add it to a meal, or put in on a wheat cracker, just like my Father did his entire, health-filled, “no-doctor-visits,” 90 year life.

I am not sure I will live that long. But I am sure that Sauerkraut helps me, with its live active probiotics, to keep my weight off. I forgot to eat it when I was losing weight, but these years since I have worked to keep my excess weight from reappearing, it is part of my regular weight maintenance arsenal.

Fermented Cabbage Recipe

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This content has been contributed by Boyd Jentzsch.