On the one hand, fermented veggies are good for the gut, but on the other, the sodium content is pretty up there. Then, you let them soak for three days, and voila, your cucumbers have metamorphosed into beautiful pickles, ready to be crunched on. And of course, you can pickle other veggies beyond cucumbers. But…beyond just being a delish sandwich supporter, are they actually healthy? I went to the research to find out once and for all.
If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. Pickling is an ancient food preservation technique. People can make pickles from almost any food but, for many, pickles are synonymous with pickled cucumbers. People preserve some pickles in a fermented brine that contains beneficial bacteria, which means they can be a good addition to a healthful diet. Fermented pickles offer more health benefits than other pickles. Even unfermented pickles, however, are rich in vitamins such as vitamin K and vitamin A.
People use brine to make pickles. Some lady on the internet was effusing on her blog about marinating chicken in pickle juice, so I did that. By now, you likely know that a happy gut means happy everything: The microbiome is ground zero for not only digestion but also your immune system and even plays a major role in maintaining a healthy weight. Because while vinegar is a good preservation, “most pickles packed with vinegar have lots of other preservatives like calcium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium benzoate, and other preservatives, and may additionally use artificial colors,” says Spindel. A peck is about two gallons, way too many pickles of any kind for one person.