Super Sauerkraut

While many people think sauerkraut is something you out on a hotdog, for the past couple of years scientists have been letting people know that this food which is made out of fermented cabbage is actually a superfood capable of boosting your immune system, aiding the digestive process and even fighting cancer. Let us look at a few of the benefits of Sauerkraut.

Sauerkraut and the immune system

It is no secret that sauerkraut has a beneficial effect on the immune system. Not only is it packed with vitamins and minerals that are also found in raw cabbage,  sauerkraut also happen to contain  beneficial phytochemicals which are created by the fermentation process.  Eating sauerkraut on a regular basis can help fight off things like the common cold as well as help us deal with issues such as bad skin, weight gain and toxic blood which are all side effects of an unhealthy immune system.

Cancer Fighter

Recent studies have shown that eating this fermented crucifer may actually help prevent cancer growth, especially in the breast, colon, lung and liver. It a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, it was found that the process of cabbage fermentation broke down the compound glocusinolate found in the plant into cancer fighting isothiocyanates. Another Study from the University of New Mexico found that fermented cabbage is actually better at fighting cancer than if it is raw or cooked.  In yet another study, researchers found that Polish American women had much higher breast  cancer rates than Polish Women. When they try to determine why, they found it was because Polish American women were eating much less of the cancer fighting super food than they were in the motherland.

Digestion

Like yogurt, Sauerkraut is laden with beneficial bacteria that can help maintain balance within the gastrointestinal tract.  Fermented cabbage contains the bacterium: Lactobacilli plantarum which can help boost your immune system by increasing the amount of antibodies that can help fight off E-coli, salmonella, and candida. L.planatarum  also contains the antioxidants glutathione and superoxide dismustase which can help fight off free radicals. These beneficial bacterium  also helps turn hard to digest lactose into easily to digest lactic acid. It also neutralizes phytic acid found in grains and trypsin-inhibitors found in soy. It also helps generate omega-3 fatty acid and GTF chromium a trace mineral that help with digestion.  Suffice it to say, that sauerkraut has been used for millennia to help cure upset stomachs by increasing healthy flora in the intestinal tract.

Flu fighter

With the Avian Flu and the Swine flu causing worldwide panic, it is more important than ever to take preventative steps to help keep our immune system in tip top shape. Thankfully we have sauerkraut on our side.  During  the latest Avian Flu outbreak, a scientist from Seoul reportedly fed Kim Chi extract (a form of fermented cabbage) to 13 chickens that were infected with the deadly disease. 11 of the 13 made a full recovery. Scientists believe that it is because the fermentation process actually added nutrient value to the food.  Fermented cabbage has shown to have more vitamin C and the ability to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins.