The other day, I bought some sauerkraut at a Polish shop in Plymouth. It is surprisingly hard to find in England — people simply do not eat it here, and many English people do not even know what it tastes like. Some of them think it is something like kefir: a stale, expired product. But for us Ukrainians, it is a simple yet delicious dish that regularly appears on our tables. So today, I decided to take a closer look at its nutritional benefits — and believe me, there are quite a few of them!

Let us start with its calorie content, which, I must admit, is simply stunning: only 23 kcal per 100 grams. You can eat as much as you like with no worries about excess weight. Isn’t that wonderful? And even if you add finely chopped onions and season this whole delight with any oil from the extra virgin range, it still will not affect your figure in the slightest. Your body, however, will receive a great many benefits — and now let us take a look at what they are.

First of all, this fermented food significantly strengthens the immune system and suppresses the growth of harmful microorganisms in the intestines, effectively protecting them. In addition, it helps remove toxins from the body and accelerates the absorption of essential nutrients. This appetising “pickled vegetable” also has an extremely positive effect on blood vessels, strengthening their walls and helping to reduce harmful cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby lowering the risk of dangerous atherosclerotic plaques forming.

Sauerkraut contains large amounts of fibre and vitamin C, as well as vitamins K1 and B6, copper, sodium, iron and many other beneficial substances. Moreover, it has a positive effect on metabolic processes in the liver and helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In short, it is incredibly tasty and exceptionally healthy. Just writing this is making my mouth water, so as soon as I finish this article, I will rush off to enjoy this wonderful product with my family. After all, with onions and unrefined oil, this cabbage really goes down a treat! I sincerely hope you get the chance to enjoy it very soon too — bon appétit, everyone!