Pickles are a household staple and can be found in the depths of many refrigerators. The juicy spears typically accompany your burger and fries to add some salty zest to your meal. But you may have never wondered about the nutritional benefits of this crunchy snack—or the salty juice it’s cured in. Pickle juice is mostly brine solution, but it is surprisingly an incredible source of electrolytes, antioxidants and nutrients. In the post, we would share the Health Benefits of Drinking Pickle Juice for your reference.
Health Benefits of Drinking Pickle Juice
What is pickle juice?
Pickle juice is a pretty simple drink. It’s made with three ingredients: cucumbers, water, and salt. Cucumbers contain the natural probiotic — Lactobacillus bacteria — that lives on the cucumber’s skin and aids in the fermentation process. The pickles you buy at the store are made just a little differently — manufacturers generally remove this bacteria and replace it with vinegar, creating what is commonly called pickle juice (via Medical News Today).
In addition, pickle juice is a green goddess of a drink. When consumed on a regular basis, pickle juice is touted for helping to boost your immune system, aid in digestion, combat muscle cramps, help with rehydrating after exercising, control blood sugar, relieve period cramps, help with weight loss, serve as a cure for the common hangover after a night out with friends, and even sweeten and combat bad breath.
The Health Benefits Pickle Juice
- Pickles contain disease-fighting antioxidants
Score one for the cucumbers! Since pickles are fermented cukes, you get to count some of that veggie goodness, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Antioxidants may protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules inside the body that are linked to cancer, heart disease and more. You can get some antioxidants from pickle juice, but eating the pickle is more beneficial.
- Prevents Hangovers
You know the feeling… waves of nausea, a heavy head, raging thirst, over sensitivity to light and noise? Indeed, it’s the dreaded hangover. Wondering how to get rid of that throbbing headache? Drinking pickle juice is in fact a popular choice, as it helps mask the odor of alcohol on your breath. It even helps balance the electrolytes and replenishes your reduced sodium levels. Combining it with water will help you hydrate faster and get on with your day sooner.
- It helps regulate blood sugar levels
While pickle juice made with vinegar may not have probiotic benefits, it does come with its own perks. “Pickle juice may help regulate blood sugar levels,” says Kelli McGrane, RD for Lose It!. “Studies have shown that when consumed prior to a meal, individuals with type 2 diabetes had reduced blood sugar spikes.” And though the vinegar in pickle juice is largely responsible for improving the body’s response to insulin, I probably don’t need to convince you a shot of vinegar tastes a lot better when it’s masked by the sweet and sour flavors of a pickle.
- Ease digestion
With gut issues on the rise in recent years, fermented foods have garnered a lot of attention for their probiotic potential. If you can find fermented pickles (they’ll be in the refrigerated section, unlike the vinegar-cured pickles on the shelf), drinking the juice might be helpful for alleviating digestive issues. The probiotics in pickle juice may support the growth and healthy balance of good bacteria and flora that keep your gut healthy, according to a 2018 study in the journal Foods. One note: You can get the same benefit from other fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.
- Athletic performance
Pickle juice has been called a natural Gatorade, and it’s been utilized by athletes looking to cut down on sugary sports drinks. It is true that athletes might benefit from pickle juice because of its high sodium content, Cynthia Sass, RD, Health contributing nutrition editor, tells Health.
When you sweat, you lose fluid and electrolytes—including sodium. “Pickle juice can be a very good source of sodium, and some athletes like the taste,” Sass says. But the flavor can be intense, she adds, and since people will probably drink a small amount of pickle juice at a time, it should not be your only method of hydration to replace electrolytes.
