People started to use pickles 4,000 years ago as a way to preserve them and to extend their traveling from one place to another place. They are preserved in vinegar and made with the taste of sour, tangy, sweet, or crunchy. Few pickles have so much sweet taste, because of adding too much sugar.
Human beings want to taste several food items. Lots of countries have different cultures and food items based on their climatic conditions. Our tongue has several receptors to taste the foods. Commonly we have the ability to taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami, fat, and spicy.
Few pickles have too much spicy taste, because of adding too much chili powder. Different types of pickles are available based on what people like to taste. Some are made with vegetables, fruits and also made with meats like chicken, mutton and fish. Non-vegetarian like to taste mouth watering mutton pickles.
Nutrition In Pickles
They have nutrients to provide benefits to the body.
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Sodium
Types of Pickles
- Dill pickle
- Bread and butter pickle
- Sweet pickle
- Half sour pickle
- Kosher dill pickle
- Pickle
- Preserved lemon
- Gourmet Pickle
- Indian gooseberry Pickle
- Lime
- Citron Pickle
- Mango pickle
- Mixed pickle
- Pickled carrot
- Pickled peppers
- Claussen pickle
- Cornichons
- Gherkin
- South Asian pickle
- Red Chili Pickle
- Garlic Pickle
- Green Chilli Pickle
- Hungarian pickle
- Kimchi
- Fermented pickle
- Chicken Pickle
- Mutton Pickle
- Prawn Pickle
- Fish Pickle
Health benefits of Consuming Pickles
Consuming pickles in daily life provides so many health benefits to the body. They are:
Boost immune system
Pickles are packed with micronutrients, vitamins and minerals to save the body from several diseases. It can improve bone power, immunity system, cure anemia, protect eyesight and avoid several health issues.
Control sugar levels
They are made with Vinegar can help to decrease the high blood sugar level and increase the blood hemoglobin in diabetic patients. They directly help to control diabetes issues, because it contains acetic acid which helps in the control of sugar. Diabetic patients should remember one thing, be careful to choose and avoid those having high amount of salts, because it can increase blood pressure.
Improves digestion
Amla, gooseberry and citron pickle, so popular in Asia, mainly in India, because they help to improve the digestion process very well. Amla Pickle has great usage in the preparation of traditional ayurvedic medicines. Consuming citron pickle with meals helps to improve the digestion process and avoid gastric problems. Regularly adding these will help to keep the bowel movement healthy and also maintain the digestion process smoothly. So, people taking one teaspoon of any of these pickles with meals will help digestion.
Improves liver health
Pickles also have hepatoprotective features that protect the liver from various diseases. Consuming lemon , garlic , Gooseberry and amla pickles supports improving liver health.
Good for pregnancy
Pregnant women adding them in their daily food diet is good for them. Nausea and vomiting problems which are so common in the first trimester of pregnancy can be avoided by adding them with meals. Pickles also help to avoid morning sickness. The tart, tangy and sour flavor stimulate taste buds while facing appetite problems.
Deal Muscle cramps
Pickles are well known to be good for dealing muscle cramps because the pickle juice supports the nervous system to stop cramps. Athletes most of the time use pickled juices to deal their muscle cramps. Cucumber pickled juice is a favorite for many athletes, because it acts very quickly in the body. Drinking a few ml serving of pickle juice is providing a quick recovery from muscular cramping compared with drinking a glass of plain water.
Antioxidant
They are packed high in acidic and they contain minerals. It also has a good amount of antioxidants and this antioxidants level depends on the types of fruits and vegetables added to the pickle.
Prevents ulcers
Regular consumption made with amla and gooseberry can decrease ulcers. This pickle has the ability to heal the internal wounds caused due to the interaction of acids on tissues and due to the sudden failure of mucus membranes. But people should choose the amla and gooseberry pickles, which have a medium amount of spice.
What happens to people who take too much of the quantity?
People should know the side effects to the body, from consuming too much pickles in their daily life.
Increase blood pressure levels
Pickles are made by applying excess salt at the time of drying them in the sun and more salt is also added during the making process. Presence of too much salt present increases the sodium content in them. Excess amounts of sodium will be harmful to health. The sodium will increase blood pressure levels, which can lead to heart problems as well. Adding too many of them in the daily food diet will increase blood pressure quickly.
Affects kidneys health
According to the Food and Drug Administration, USA, a normal person has 2,300 mg salt. But consuming too much may increase the salt amount in the body. This will lead to severe health problems like water retention, bloating, high blood pressure, and increased workload on the kidneys. High workloads to the kidneys will affect its function. So, better to take one or two teaspoons of pickles in a day is good for the kidneys health.
Boost high cholesterol levels
The making process also includes oil, which acts as a moisture barrier and preserves them from decay and waste. This oil encourages the formation of cholesterol levels, increasing risk of developing or worsening heart disease. High cholesterol levels can also damage liver health.
We all know the proverb “Too much of anything is good for nothing”. We should remember this proverb while eating food, especially pickles. Yes, consuming too much of pickles will provide so many health effects. So, take less pickles and get so many health benefits to the body
