Pickle juice can help you manage hangovers, lose weight and improve your gut health. This article discusses this nutritious juice’s benefits, potential side effects, and nutritional profile. Keep reading.
Why Should You Have Pickle Juice Anyway?
Why? It is not the only health drink out there. What makes it so special? What Are Its Benefits? Improves gut health, fights dehydration, aids weight loss, and helps manage cramps and hangovers. Who Can Use It? Generally suitable for all except those with gastrointestinal issues and gout. How Often? Regularly, but in moderation. Should be taken in moderation due to its high sodium content.` Caution Its high sodium content can cause stomach issues in some individuals. It can also lead to uric acid buildup in the body.
First, it is not juice. It is brine or a salt solution used to preserve foods. Its key ingredients are water and salt. The preserved food, along with the brine, is what we call a pickle. The most common way of pickling involves cucumbers, in addition to the water and salt. Lactobacillus bacteria ferment the cucumbers and cover their skin. These are the beneficial bacteria, which are often removed during commercial processing and replaced with vinegar instead. Hence, it is always best to make your own pickles at home (we will cover this in a while). After many weeks of curing, the cucumbers turn to pickles. The pickle juice is what is left behind after the pickles (cucumbers) are removed. This is the same juice that has some super cool health benefits. A study published by the Harvard Medical School states how fermented foods can boost gut health (1). Another study by the North Dakota State University states how ingesting pickle juice before exercise (with a longer gap) can enhance performance and help maintain core temperature (2).
What Are The Benefits Of Pickle Juice?
1. Pickle Juice Fights Your Cramps
What if we say pickle juice can resolve your cramps in under a minute and a half? That’s what this research says – drinking 1.5 oz of pickle juice for every 100 lbs of body weight can actually accelerate recovery by a whopping 45% (3). The protons in pickles activate the spinal column and inhibit the firing of specific nerves that cause leg cramps, thereby, promoting better sports performance. There are areas in the mouth and the esophagusi Also known as the food pipe, it is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the stomach and carries food. through which these nerves can be stimulated – and pickle juice does just that. These properties of the juice may also help treat jerks and twitches associated with restless leg syndrome. Some sources suggest that the juice, in addition to normal muscle cramps, can be useful in treating menstrual cramps as well. Khyati Jain, a certified yoga trainer and blogger, describes her experience of how drinking pickle juice helped treat her cramps. She writes, “It is believed that vinegar-based drinks like pickle juice, helps in reducing cramps as it triggers a reflex after ingestion that reduces the motor neuron activity that leads to cramping muscles.” She further adds, “I have tried sports drinks, coconut water, and muscle electrolytes all for nothing — until I tried this unusual drink that actually helped me get rid of these monstrous leg cramps (i).”
2. Treats Your Hangover
Hangovers can be torturous. And nobody wants to stay there. If you are looking for a remedy, turn to pickle juice. Excess alcohol can deplete your body of water and electrolytes, causing a hangover. This is where the salts in pickle juice come to the aid. They replenish the lost salts and bring your body back in balance. Also, the salt in pickles can naturally make you drink more water. This also hydrates you.
3. May Aid Weight Loss
Pickle juice is the ideal replacement for high-calorie energy drinks – in case you are looking to lose weight. Though pickle juice has no fat, it can have few calories. But it sure can be a great deal when compared to most of the high-calorie energy drinks in the market. Commercially available pickle juice contains vinegar, which, as per studies, may help weight loss (4).
4. Boosts Your Gut Health
The probiotics in pickle juice do the trick – they encourage the growth of the good gut bacteria, thereby boosting digestion. Studies also show how taking probiotics can cut the risk of colorectal cancer (5). Some sources suggest that pickle juice may treat heartburn, thanks to its vinegar content. But the same pickle juice may have the opposite effect in some people. So, please consult your doctor before taking pickle juice for this purpose.
5. Pickle Juice Fights Dehydration
Thanks to the sodium and potassium content, pickle juice combats dehydration too. Sodium and potassium are electrolytes the body loses through sweat. Though plain water can work well in combating dehydration, pickle juice aids faster recovery.
6. May Treat Sore Throat
We only have anecdotal evidence here. Pickle juice may relax your throat muscles, thereby treating sore throat.
7. Can Refresh Your Breath
Nothing can turn down someone like bad breath. The bacteria in the mouth cause it, and pickle juice helps in eliminating these bacteria. The vinegar in pickle juice has antibacterial properties, which help cleanse your mouth and eliminate bad breath. Sipping and swigging some pickle juice can freshen and sweeten your breath.
8. May Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels
The vinegar in pickle juice may have a minor effect on blood sugar levels. Studies suggest that vinegar may help improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar spikes after eating (6). However, further studies are warranted in that regard. Also, the impact of pickle juice on blood sugar is relatively modest and it should not be considered a primary way of managing blood sugar levels. If you want to regulate your blood sugar levels, focus on a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Consult a doctor for a personalized treatment plan to help you keep your blood sugar levels in check. These are the ways pickle juice can make your life easier. But apart from what we discussed, the juice has some other important nutrients too.
What Is The Nutritional Profile Of Pickle Juice?
Vitamin K is the most abundant nutrient in pickle juice. The juice also contains vitamins A and C, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Impressive, isn’t it? But how do you make pickle juice?
How To Make Pickle Juice At Home
What You Need
1 gallon of cold water 35 to 40 small pickling cucumbers 1 cup of raw cider vinegar 4 cloves of garlic 2 tablespoons of pickling spices 2/3 cups of Kosher salt 4 fresh dill heads
Directions Great. But is there any other way of taking pickle juice?
Popular Pickle Juice Recipes
1. Pickle Brine Gazpacho
What You Need
1 cup of pickle brine 8 slices of bread (remove the crusts and tear them into chunks) 2 pounds of seeded ripe tomatoes 3 quartered shallots ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves Fresh herbs, for garnish ½ cup of tomato juice (if required)
Directions
2. Pickle Juice Vinaigrette
What You Need
¼ cup of pickle juice 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and vegetable oil 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon of strained spices and garlic 1 small minced and peeled shallot 1 small minced and peeled garlic clove A pinch of red pepper flakes Kosher salt, for taste
Directions Sumptuous recipes with loaded flavors, aren’t they? But hey, pay close attention – we don’t recommend everyone to have it.
Who Should Not Have Pickle Juice?
Though the juice does not have any serious side effects, it is not meant for all. Please avoid the juice if:
You want to cut down sodium or are on a low-sodium diet for any reason (including conditions like hypertensioni A condition that often occurs without any symptoms and in which, the blood exerts too much pressure on the arterial walls. ). You suffer from gout or have a family history of gout – as the juice can increase uric acid build-up.
Pickle juice may also cause water retention and bloating. So, if these are a concern for you, please avoid pickle juice. How long does pickle juice last? Whether store-bought or homemade, if properly sealed, pickle juice might last up to a year. Where to buy pickle juice? You can purchase pickle juice from your nearest supermarket or even online. Does pickle juice help pass a drug test? No. It doesn’t. The best way to pass a drug test is not taking any drugs. Is pickle juice safe during pregnancy? Though it is safe in small amounts, we suggest you don’t take the juice during pregnancy. The high sodium content can be harmful to the baby and the mother. How much pickle juice can I drink a day? You can consume 1.5-3 ounces or six tablespoons of pickle juice daily, but you should not exceed this amount. Do pickles juice burn belly fat? No, there is no evidence that suggests pickle juice specifically burns belly fat, but it may help overall weight loss as it has few calories and no fat. Does pickle juice help with anxiety? Yes, fermented foods like pickles help in alleviating the symptoms of anxiety and depression as they are rich in probiotic microorganisms that fight oxidative stress and restore serotonin levels (7).
Illustration: Benefits Of Pickle Juice Its Nutrition And Recipes
Learn all about pickle juice to drink and the fantastic benefits it can provide. Stay refreshed, recharged, and informed by checking out this video.
