Good Lifestyle

Sliced ​​slim and slipped into a burger galette. Speeded and served with a sandwich. All right of the barrel. If you like pickles, there are endless ways to enjoy them. But are these salt stems good for you? Are healthy cornhones? Let's find out.

Are healthy cornhones?

"It depends on what you mean in good health," says Bonnie Taub-Ten, RDN, creator ofImprovedAuthor of reading it before eating it. If you define healthy as a low calorie, low carbohydrates, low sugar, fat without grease or cholesterol, so yes, pickles are healthy. "A portion of pickles has only 17 calories, 3.7 grams of carbohydrates, 1.9 gram of sugar and no cholesterol or fat," she says.

But if you are a person who needs to look at their sodium intake due to a pre-existing health problem such as hypertension, high blood pressure or diabetes,Pickles would benot be considered healthy for you, she says. "The average pickle may have more than 1200 milligrams of sodium, which is more than the recommended daily upper consumption of 2,300 mg" said Taub-Ten.

In fact, most of the nutritionists with pickles is their sodium content. "Most people get more than enough sodium in their diet, due to high consumption of processed products and restaurants," she says. And according toresearch, The risks associated with excessive sodium consumption include cerebral stroke, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and stomach cancer. Yikes.

The type of pickle

Generally, the term "pickle" refers to marinated cucumbers. But do you know what it means to coraaller something? Stripping is done to food to preserve its shelf life or change the taste of food, explains the functional nutrition advisor and the chef Amy Spindel MSSW, founder ofFood with thought and teacher of food fermentation classes throughout the Texas.

"Cucumbers can be marinated or by fermenting the vegetable in salt brine, or immersing the vinegar," she says. Which of these two processes treat the crisp green rod finally affects how healthy necknichon. "Cornichons that are fermented pack a much larger nutrition punch, compared to pickles sitting in vinegar," she says.

Why are fermented cuks so healthier? Well, Spindel says, "The process of hut fermentation in a progression of bacteria in the food." The phrase "bacteria in food" could you magnify. But these are good bacteria! "Also called probiotics, these bacteria are fantastic for digestive health. They support the pH of your intestine microbiome, competing with pathogenic bacteria and support a balanced immune response, "she says. Probiotics have also been linked toimproved mental well-being, theimproved ability to manage allergies andreduced Frequency of yeast infections in vaginal owners likely to obtain them.

Vinegar packed pickles are a different story. Is it good to have one or two to your fourth July BBQ and one the last day of the summer? Sure. Anything in moderation is an ok. But generally,Vinegar pickles are not a healthy choice. Why? Because while vinegar is a good preservation, "most pickled cornichons with vinegar have many other preservatives such as calcium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium benzoate and other preservatives, and can Use artificial colors, "explains Spindel. In addition, these pickles have none of the probiotic content of fermented pickles.

Do cornichons have additional health benefits?

Cornichons are only spoons that have undergone a special process. Although the stripping process modifies their nutritional profile somewhat, pickles contain more or less the same vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients that cucumbers make: vitamin K, vitamins, vitamins and vitamins, vitamin E and fiber.

Beyond that, in some cases, the high porn sodium content is actually a good thing. Taub-Ten explains: sodium is an electrolyte and our body needs electrolytes to operate at its most optimal level. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes. Buckets on sweat, you lose a lot of electrolytes, that she says can lead muscle cramps. And that's where gherkins are - or more specifically the pickle juice. According to a study of 2010 published in the newspaper ofMedicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, ingest that the pickle juice can relieve muscle cramps as little as 35 seconds.

Are the other marinated vegetables different?

Not really! Although vitamin, antioxidant, mineral content and taste will depend on the marinated thing, Spindel says from the point of view of health, other marinated vegetables are similar to pickles. "If they are marinated in vinegar, they will not have the probiotic advantages and if they are fermented by brine, salt and water, so they will do it," she says.

Choose the healthiest pickle

Until do some "cooking" (alias strip)? According to Spindel,Cornichons that you are tinkering are almost always healthier than those you buy. In addition, "they only take 5 to 10 minutes of time and cost about $ 5 for a quarter." Easy and cheap? Sold!

Wander on the side of the store bought for more convenience? Head to the refrigerator section. Then,Look for an unpasteurized variety because the pasteurization process can actually kill probiotics, according to Spindel.

Oh, and do not escape fun flavors and funky! "Herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, chilis, basil, curcuma, pepper, turmeric, the bay leaves can make your pickle still healthier by increasing the amount of powerful phytonutrients, Antioxidants and antimicrobials in the pot, "she says.

The lower line on pickles

Particularly fermented pickles - can sometimes be part of a healthy diet. Just do not shrink a dill daily. As Taub-ten says, "I would never call pickles a health food, but in moderation pickles are fine. Fortunately when it comes to pickles, a little goes a long way. "

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