Pickle brine, while salty and vinegary in its smell and contents, actually has a surprising number of health benefits! Different fermentation liquids, processes, and foods all contain their own special list of benefits depending on what is being fermented and how. For example, cucumbers can be fermented/pickled in water seasoned with salt and spices or in vinegar, and depending on which liquid is chosen, the pickles and their brine will provide varying benefits, such as reducing muscle cramps, increasing gut health, and even aiding blood sugar regulation and weight loss.
Why Does Pickle Brine Help with Muscle Cramps?
Can pickle brine help with muscle cramps? According to many athletes and health professionals, it can! In fact, many athletes drink pickle brine before exercising to help prevent muscle cramps in the first place. Drinking an ounce or two of pickle brine can stop cramping within seconds – faster than water alone. It also works faster than the time it would take for the sodium to replenish electrolytes lost via the traditional route of the stomach.
Muscle cramps are caused by multiple things, but the most common culprit is muscle fatigue, which happens when the nerves that prevent muscles from contracting too much begin to malfunction. Pickle brine can aid this glitch because the acetic acid in the brine triggers key nerve receptors that send signals to immediately stop the muscles from malfunctioning. This immediate effect is due to pickle brine having 20 times more sodium and eight times more potassium than your average sports drink. This means that electrolytes in the pickle brine are extremely abundant.
Concerns with pickle brine arise when looking at how it may raise the blood, sodium, and potassium levels to an unhealthy and unsafe extent. However, this is only a problem when you drink too much; a few sips won’t do any harm.
It’s important to note that pickle brine is not the only key to treating cramping; stretching and hydrating are essential, too. You should aim to drink at least half of your body weight in fluid ounces daily, plus an additional 16 to 24 ounces for every pound of sweat lost during exercise. Athletes who sweat heavily should typically aim to incorporate electrolyte-rich fluids.
A Good Source of Probiotics
Naturally fermented pickles, and their brine, contain helpful microorganisms called probiotics. Probiotics are live, microscopic bacteria and yeasts that help keep your gut balanced and healthy.
“Your gut contains many bacteria species that are beneficial for metabolism, overall health, digestion, and fighting sicknesses. They’re also linked to less anxiety, depression, and better mood,” explains Skoda. Probiotics aid digestion and usually live in refrigerated, water-based pickles rather than vinegar-based pickles. Probiotics are also found in other fermented foods like kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, and yogurt.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Vinegar-based pickle brine instead of water-based is known to help regulate blood sugar. Vinegar itself can prevent blood sugar spikes and dips, and so regularly drinking a little vinegar pickle brine can stabilize blood sugar levels. This can be essential for those who suffer from hypertension and are at a higher risk for developing heart disease. This benefit is centered on the vinegar in the pickle brine, so other vinegar products, such as vinegar-based salad dressings or apple cider vinegar also do the trick if you aren’t the biggest fan of pickles.
Most jars of pickles tend to look the same at first glance, but next time you are shopping for pickles, be sure to investigate what exactly your pickles are pickled in to know what health benefits you are getting or missing out on!
