The healthiest drinks for digestion and immunity. Borscht and cabbage brine, liquid foods obtained through natural fermentation, are some of the best sources of probiotics.
These contain bacteria that are very beneficial for our body.
Nutritionist Mihaela Bilic explained what the actual benefits of sauerkraut and borscht, as well as other fermented foods, are when consumed.
Mihaela Bilic: Borscht and cabbage brine, true probiotic elixirs!
Borscht and cabbage brine are true probiotic elixirs! Raw fermented products have been the basis of human nutrition for centuries, being beneficial for health even when the concept of probiotics was not known.
The live microorganisms present in any fermented product, from brewer’s yeast, dairy products, and cheeses to pickles and borscht, play a role in rebalancing the microbial flora in the intestines and restoring the optimal ratio between good and bad bacteria colonies.
This balance depends not only on digestive processes but also on our health, as the intestines are the central hub of the body’s immunity, writes Dr. Mihaela Bilic.
Borscht is such a product, obtained through the lactic fermentation of wheat grains. Sauerkraut also involves the same lacto-fermentation process that gives rise to a food rich in beneficial bacteria.
After careful counting, Dr. Joseph Mercola states that in a 200g serving of sauerkraut, there are 10 trillion bacteria, which is equivalent to an entire box of probiotic pills. Interestingly, the bioavailability and effectiveness of fermented foods surpass those of probiotic supplements/medications.
Miracle drinks from the pantry that aid digestion and immunity
Every culture has fermented foods in its culinary tradition, which, beyond their role in increasing the body’s resistance to diseases, also have nutritional advantages: they are rich in B vitamins and vitamin C, fiber, antioxidant phytonutrients, and minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron). Borscht and cabbage brine have been a source of vitamin C during winter when fresh fruits and vegetables were not available.
Fermented dairy products, whether yogurt or buttermilk, have always been known as remedies for good digestion and optimal intestinal transit, explains Dr. Mihaela Bilic.
