A new study from UC Davis demonstrates that sauerkraut may protect gut health, providing valuable benefits beyond its tangy taste. Learn how this fermented food could enhance digestion and guard against illness.
Sauerkraut, traditionally a tangy garnish, might be a powerful ally for your gut, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, emphasizes the protective properties of sauerkraut on intestinal cells, leading to better digestion and reduced inflammation-related damage.
The research, spearheaded by Maria Marco, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Lei Wei, a postdoctoral researcher in Marco’s lab, focused on the metabolites produced during the fermentation of cabbage.
The team compared the effects of raw cabbage, sauerkraut and the brine from the fermentation process on intestinal cells.
Their findings were striking: sauerkraut preserved the integrity of these cells, which was not observed with raw cabbage or brine alone. Interestingly, both store-bought and lab-made sauerkraut exhibited these protective properties.
“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 said in a news release. “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.”
The study highlighted the nutritional metamorphosis occurring during fermentation, which enhances the presence of beneficial metabolites like lactic acid, amino acids and other plant-based chemicals linked to improved gut health.
The ongoing research aims to pinpoint which specific metabolites play the largest role in supporting long-term gut resilience and health.
“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 added.
Fermented foods have been staples in various diets worldwide for centuries, appreciated for both their unique flavors and health benefits. This research from UC Davis reinforces the idea that including sauerkraut in everyday meals could offer substantial health rewards, beyond just being a flavorful complement.
Marco emphasized the potential for future human trials to validate if the gut-protective benefits observed in the laboratory setting can be replicated through regular dietary inclusion of sauerkraut.
“A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way,” she added. “We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.”
Source: University of California, Davis