What a pickle can contribute to your overall diet depends on the brand you’re buying. “Reading the label on your pickle jar is the place to start when navigating the nutritional benefits,” says Elisa Kosonen, a holistic nutritionist and health coach. She says that you should try to steer clear of brine that contains sugar.
There are also different methods for making pickles, which can ultimately affect the nutritional value. Vinegar-based brines, like the ones used in homemade quick pickles, bring more than just a boost of acid. “The sour taste is also a great way to naturally encourage the secretion of saliva and digestive enzymes, which are key for our digestive and gut health,” Kosonen adds.
The other method of making pickles is called lacto-fermentation, and is best described as the sourdough of the pickle world. Raw cucumbers are soaked in a salt solution so that osmosis draws out the cucumbers’ natural moisture. From there, they sit at an ambient temperature and develop a colony of live lactobacilli bacteria. This probiotic is found in many fermented foods (including sourdough) and lends that tangy flavor without the use of vinegar.
When you eat lacto-fermented pickles, you can take advantage of the naturally present probiotics and enzymes, which can help aid digestion.
