STUDY: Here Is What Happens When You Eat A Pickle Every Day

Think back to many years ago when our ancestors had to function using much less than we have today. Before there were refrigerators, there were a number of ways that people could preserve food long term. One of these ways was fermentation.

What Is Fermentation?

During the process of fermentation, food is placed into an acidic solution and stored in that manner. More often than not, this was a vinegar solution. This process of fermentation slows down the rate at which food will deteriorate or spoil.

Any bacteria that does go ahead and form during the process of fermentation can be consumed and it can actually be beneficial to your overall intestinal health. Basically, this is a natural form of probiotics like the ones you’ll find in pill form or yogurt these days.

Benefits

Consuming fermented foods like pickles will place macrobiotic compounds in the body which in turn will boost the body’s immune system and functions. The digestive system can greatly benefit as well from this process.

Eating a pickle each day, or some other form of fermented foods can actually improve mental health as well. A recent study was conducted at the College of William and Mary. The participants increased their consumption of fermented foods for a total of thirty days. The majority of the participants experienced less depression, anxiety and negative moods.

Options

Eating a pickle each day can get you these benefits, but keep in mind there are other healthy options when it comes to fermented foods. You can also select sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, yogurt, fermented milk, miso soup and more.

There doesn’t seem to be an issue with eating too much fermented food. So while you might want to add more than one pickle to your diet, the only thing that might happen is you’re going to get sick of pickles. So switch it up a bit and eat a variety of fermented foods if available in your area.

Featured image: TheWrap