Fermented foods have become a hot topic recently - but they have been an essential part of a healthy diet in every culture, on every continent, throughout the years. There is a theory that it was the Tatars who introduced "sour cabbage" from the Orient into Eastern Europe, and from there kraut went to Germany, etc. It has been documented that the Chinese workers building the Great Wall of China, ate fermented cabbage regularly. So did Roman soldiers: it was said that it prevented digestive problems connected to new foods and water of the countries they conquered. Captain Cook was the first captain to not lose any sailors to scurvy: he had 60 barrels of sauerkraut on his ship! (His voyage lasted for 27 months and there was, of course, no refrigeration back then - this fact gives you an idea of the kraut's shelf life!)
Mainstream health experts began paying a renewed attention to organic sauerkraut after a study published in 2002. Finnish researches reported that in clinical studies a substance produced by fermented cabbage, isothiocyanates, helped prevent the growth of cancer.
Eating raw sauerkraut on a regular basis can:
§ Decrease your likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer.
§ Assist in managing Type 2 diabetes.
§ Aid in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.
§ Improve your digestive function and comfort.
§ Keep your immune system strong, reducing colds and flu.
§ Support good colon health by making it easier to manage constipation, diarrhea
= and bloating, as well as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
§ Decrease allergies.
§ Reduce yeast infections.
§ Synthesize vitamin K, which is essential for healthy bones.
§ Combat anxiety and depression.
§ Improve mood and brain functions.
§ Decrease your likelihood of developing auto-immune disorders.
§ Prevent the overgrowth of yeast and other harmful organisms.
§ Enable the body to absorb and utilize essential minerals, such as calcium, zinc, and iron.
§ Assist in the manufacturing of several members of the B vitamin family.
§ Enhance communication between your brain and intestinal tract.
§ Support healthy longevity over
.
