Health Benefits And Disadvantages Of Pickles And Pickle Juice | HuffPost

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Terri Coles— The Huffington Post Canada

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Earlier this year, Newfoundlanders faced a crisis. It wasn’t the economy, or the latest political budget. It was pickles.

News of the discontinuation of Zest’s mustard pickles was met with a public uproar in the province this March, with bottles of the beloved yellow pickles selling for several times their retail price. But even the biggest pickle fan might balk at drinking the juice those salty delights are stored in, or upping their intake for reasons of health and not taste. But it turns out that you might want to reconsider your position, because both pickles and pickle juice have some health benefits that might surprise you.

Pickling has been with us about as long as food itself. Roman emperor Tiberius (42 BC to 37 AD) allegedly loved cucumbers. Before we had appliances like fridges and freezers, pickling was a way to preserve foods for the long haul. And on top of that, pickled foods are delicious, which is why they’re a part of cuisines from around the world. If there are some health benefits to go along with that tasty tartness, even better!

Here are 13 things you should know about pickles and pickle juice, from what pickling means to what the health benefits (and drawbacks) might be and how to eat them.

The Benefits Of Pickles And Pickle Juice

(01 of13)

Pickle Juice Isn’t Really Juice

Technically, pickle juice would be the result if you juiced or blended up a pickle. What people are talking about when they discuss pickle juice is actually brine, the salty solution the food (cucumbers or something else) is pickled in. (credit:Zbigniew Kosmal via Getty Images)

(02 of13)

Not All Pickles Are Fermented

Any benefits that come from that liquid come from when foods are pickled in a traditional way, which means they are fermented. Drinking the juice from the jar of Vlasic pickles you bought at the supermarket isn’t going to do much but up your sodium intake significantly (credit:Aaron McCoy via Getty Images)

(03 of13)

Get Fermenting

Traditionally, pickled or fermented foods have some health benefits, says chiropractor Scott Schreiber. "Fermentation occurs when beneficial bacteria are added to a food," he says. "Through their metabolic processes, essential nutrients are synthesized. These include, but are not limited to, vitamins K2 and B12.” Have you ever opened a new jar of kimchi and seen it bubble? That’s fermentation at work. (credit:Krzysztof Dydynski via Getty Images)

(04 of13)

Probiotic Benefits

Pickled foods contain probiotics, which are thought to have many different health benefits. Healthy bacteria break down the cellulose and natural sugars in fruits and vegetables during the fermentation process, and can also increase the presence of healthy bacteria in your digestive tract when you eat those foods. (credit:juanmoro via Getty Images)

(05 of13)

Keep Blood Sugar Down

There’s some early evidence that eating pickled foods with your meal could help prevent blood sugar spikes. That’s thanks to vinegar used in some pickling — the results are limited so far but indicate that pickled and fermented foods could be beneficial to those living with diabetes. (credit:Piotr Adamowicz via Getty Images)

(06 of13)

Get Antioxidants

Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which help protect against damage caused in the body by free radicals. But a lot of things can reduce the antioxidant quality and quantity in those foods including spoilage and cooking. It’s thought that preserving foods through pickling can protect those antioxidants, which means you get the benefits when you eat them. (credit:Marilyn Conway via Getty Images)

(07 of13)

Relieve Muscle Cramps

"Athletes consume pickle juice pre-competition to prevent cramps and exercise-induced soreness,” says Schreiber. "This is due to the abundant amount of calcium chloride and potassium.” Adventure traveller Patrick Sweeney backs that up. "I do the Leadville 100 mountain bike race every year, and suffer beyond belief for nine hours at altitudes reaching 12,500 feet,” he says. "When I've cramped there it's brought tears to my eyes and complete immobility — pickle juice cures it.” However, the scientific research on this is still limited and inconclusive. (credit:Andreas Stamm via Getty Images)

(08 of13)

Treat Restless Legs

"Pickle juice can also relieve restless leg syndrome,” says Schreiber. "The reason is still not understood, but the high concentration of electrolytes are believed to play a part.” A small study from 2010 showed that pickle juice did relieve some of the cramping related to restless legs, though the reasons why were unclear. (credit:Dirima via Getty Images)

(09 of13)

Go Global

Pickled foods go far beyond the cucumbers that come with your sandwich. In Korea, there is kimchi, made of cabbage and radishes; Germany has sauerkraut; India has a wide variety of pickles that vary by region; Chinese cuisine includes pickles for cabbage, carrots, and eggs. And pickling isn’t just for fruits and vegetables — just look at the pickled herring popular in northern countries like Iceland. (credit:Fudio via Getty Images)

(10 of13)

If You’re Watching Sodium

If for some reason you’re on a sodium-restricted diet, pickle juice is not a good idea, says Schreiber. The liquid is high in the nutrient because salt is used in the pickling process. If you need to eat a limited amount of sodium make sure to talk to your doctor about safe amounts of both pickles and pickled foods. (credit:Zoonar/j.wnuk via Getty Images)

(11 of13)

Avoid If You Have Gout

“Refrain from consuming pickles or the juice if you have gout, as this can increase uric acid production,” Schreiber advises. Uric acid is what crystallizes in the joints in those with gout, which can lead to painful outbreaks. (credit:ThamKC via Getty Images)

(12 of13)

Watch For Stomach Cancer Risk

There’s some evidence that pickled foods could be related to a higher risk of gastric cancers. The disease is more common in Turkey and Japan, where pickled foods are more common, and a Turkish study found that gastric cancer was more common in patients who ate a lot of pickled foods. If you have higher risk factors for gastric cancers, it’s worth being cautious — and either way, talk to your physician about your personal risk level. (credit:Juan carlos Herrera arango via Getty Images)

(13 of13)

How To Use Pickle Juice

In addition to drinking it diluted or even straight up, there are other ways to incorporate pickle juice into your diet. You can use it as the acidic component of salad dressings, for example. Nutritionist Meghan Telpner suggests mixing it with yogurt to make a dip, or using it as part of a marinade for fish or chicken. (credit:Olgaorly via Getty Images)

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