A plate of parantha, poori, roti sabzi or idli may never look complete without a combo of yummy pickles. Pickles or achaar is one of the most important traditional delicacies of Indian food and over the centuries, pickles have been an all-weather meal companion for all class of people, from poor farmer to the richest zamindar.
Even today, pickles find its special space in many Indian dishes but lately, it has also come under many health debates, like is a pickle suitable for people with health conditions like hypertension and obesity, is it actually healthy for the body, does it weakens digestion, etc?
According to India’s leading dietician and nutritionist Avni Kaul says pickle is healthy if it’s homemade and free from commercial and artificial preservatives. People can eat pickles if they take it in small and moderate quantities.
In today’s blog Nutritionist Avni Kaul decodes the health benefits of home-made pickles
a. Great Source of healthy bacteria
When vegetables and fruits are fermented, healthy bacteria break down the natural sugars. This process is what gives fermented pickles their sour taste. Homemade pickles sit in saltwater and ferment over many days and turn into a great source of probiotics for the body.
According to scientific research probiotics may promote clearer skin, better immune function, increased gastrointestinal health, and could even reduce depression.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24906613
b. Rich in vitamin and minerals
In the normal cooking procedure of deep heating and frying, vegetables commonly lose its vitamins and minerals. But in pickles, the natural fermentation process generally preserves key nutrients like vitamin B, fat-soluble vitamins (like Vitamin A in carrots) along healthy fibers. Thus one small spoon of pickle can help conditions like anemia, vitamin D, B 12 deficiencies.
C. Pickles are bad for hypertension
To some extent, this is true for pickles that are commercially made or contain a high quantity of table salts. But if pickles are made at home, raw salt can be replaced by black salt or Himalayan salt.
Note: every hypertension patient has their unique body composition, blood pressure condition, lifestyle, age, other health issues. Thus hypertension patients should never add pickles to their diet without consulting a health professional.
Avni Kaul is Founder of Nutriactivania with Masters Degree in Food and Nutrition from University of Delhi and is also a Certified Diabetes Educator from Project Hope and International Diabetes Federation. She is a Leicester Mammas Ambassador trained in Lactation Counselling with NHS United Kingdom. Mammas support pregnant and new mothers and their families. Specializations of Avni Kaul Include Infant and Young Child Feeding Practises, Pre and Post natal diets, Fat loss, Muscle Gain and Holistic Health and Nutrition