Who doesn’t love to eat pickles? That crunchy goodness that come in jars can be eaten as is or added to salads if you like to give your food that extra bite. But many of us are forgetting about the juice that the pickles are swimming around in the jar with as we often toss them afterwards. If you are one of those who do not pay attention to pickle juice, you might want to stop now since the juice itself is loaded with numerous health benefits that you are missing out on. What benefits, you ask? Here are a few that you should know of:
Good source of hydration
Who would have thought that pickle juice can be good for hydration? Pickle juice has been found to contain potassium, water, and sodium which are all needed for hydration. This can be a good choice for a quick pick-me-up after an intense workout. Drinking one and a half up to three ounces of pickle juice is enough.
Relieves muscle cramps
If you suffer from muscle cramps, pickle juice may help you out. According to a study that was conducted by North Dakota State University back in 2010 showed that drinking 1.5 oz of pickle juice for every hundred pounds of your body weight can help provide you with relief from your muscle cramps within 2 minutes.
Packed with probiotics
Another benefit associated with pickle juice is that it packs plenty of probiotics which are actually good for your gut. This is due to pickles being fermented. However, you will need to pay attention to the ingredients list in pickle jars in grocery stores as some of them may be manufactured using heat and vinegar which kills off the probiotics. If you want to be sure that you are getting the good stuff from the pickle juice, why not ferment some on your own.
Stomachache remedy
You may not be aware of this, but pickle juice is actually a good remedy for treating your stomachache. This is due to the vinegar that is present in pickle juice which can help fight off bloating as well as increasing the number of good bacteria in your gut too. The problem with stomachache is that it is triggered by low acidity which can easily be restored by pickle juice.
Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants
Drinking pickle juice can help you get plenty of vitamins as well as antioxidants which can protect you from free radicals. Although there are other sources of antioxidants to consider, if you’re already drinking pickle juice, then you are good to go.
Regulate blood sugar levels
Another reason why pickle juice is good for you is that it can help regulate blood sugar levels. There are studies that show that consuming pickle juice before a meal can help regulate blood sugar spikes especially in those who have type 2 diabetes.
Perfect for workout recovery
We often choose to drink water after we workout but drinking pickle juice can give you a boost especially after exercising hard. Since your body’s store of potassium has gone down, it would help to replenish it fast with the help of pickle juice. Another plus to drinking pickle juice is that it can also alleviate the muscle cramps that you are dealing with. Now that packs a powerful punch!
Pickle juice may be that last thing that you have in mind when you’re eating pickles, but with the benefits mentioned above, it’s high time that you try it out. Now there is no need for you to waste everything in that bottle of pickle that you just bought!
