You probably think drinking pickle juice is sort of gross, and most people do. However, there is a reason people are so crazy about drinking pickle juice today.
Pickles have been around for over 4,000 years. Throughout history, people have claimed that pickle juice brings health benefits such as preservation of beauty and strengthening of warriors.
In case you didn't know, athletes have been sipping on this beverage for years. The juice is good after workouts because it helps with cramps.
What Is Pickle Juice?
Pickle juice is made using cucumbers, salt, and water. After several weeks, the cucumbers turn into pickles due to fermentation.
The fermentation is caused by the lactobacillus bacteria on the skin of these cucumbers.
A cup of pickle juice has about 0 to 200 calories, 0 to 1 gram, 0 to 1 gram of fat, 0 to 47 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 to 1 gram of fiber. However, these ingredients vary based on the recipes used by the manufacturers.
Today, it turns out there are plenty of reasons to take pickle juice. So, here are some of the benefits of drinking this beverage.
1. Lowering Risk Of Disease
According to some sources, pickle juice can boost immunity and even lower cancer and heart disease risks. This might be due to the presence of antioxidants and probiotics in pickle juice.
2. Soothing Muscle Cramps
Based on a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, dehydrated people get faster relief from muscle cramps after taking pickle juice.
All it takes is about a third a cup of pickle juice. This might be because pickle juice has vinegar, which helps stop nerve signals that cause tired muscles to stop cramping.
3. Pickle Juice Can Help With Hangover
Drinking alcohol can cause a lot of dehydration, and taking pickle juice can reverse this negative effect. Pickle juice has electrolytes that help rehydrate your body.
4. Hydrating The Body Fast
Drinking water is one of the best ways to stay hydrated, but so is drinking pickle juice. In fact, this beverage is recommended if you have been working out for more than an hour.
The beverage has more sodium and potassium than water, and these help you get hydrated much faster. You lose these minerals after hard workouts, and since the beverage has a lot of them, you get them back after taking them.
Electrolytes help retain the fluid balance in the body and keeps all the systems working properly. A lot of them are lost when you work out hard, and pickle juice can help restore them.
Pickle juice is good at hydrating the body, and it is also great for your kidneys and liver.
5. It Has Zero Fat And Few Calories
Pickle juice has no fat, and a cup can have between 0 and 100 calories. That makes this beverage a great idea when you are trying to avoid high-calorie sports drinks.
6. Soothing Sunburns
Pickle juice is a great remedy for sunburns. Some people apply the juice to the skin directly, while others soak a paper in the juice then lay it on the sunburnt area.
7. It Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Because pickle juice has vinegar in it, the beverage is very good at regulating blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. This chronic illness is common among overweight and obese people.
8. It's Cheap
If you usually didn't drink pickle juice but ate pickles all the time, then you won't have to spend any money to get your hands on this beverage.
That said, you can always buy commercial pickle juices, which are marketed as sports drinks. The good thing about store-bought pickle juices is that they will tell you all the ingredients and nutrients in them.
9. You Can Use It To Pickle Other Veggies
In addition to cucumbers, you can also pickle vegetables like carrots, beets, and peppers using pickle juice. So, if you are not using the juice right away, you can use it for this purpose.
10. Treating Stomach Pain
Due to the presence of vinegar in the pickle juice, this beverage can treat an upset stomach. Evidence shows that pickle juice can relieve stomach pain.
Usually, the juice restores the pH balance in the body by lowering its acidity level.
Pickle juice can also be used as a natural laxative. For this benefit, you should drink a small glass of pickle juice.
11. Pickle Juice Is Rich In Antioxidants
There are lots of vitamins C and E in pickle juice. These are potent antioxidants, which protect your body from the damage caused by free radicals.
These vitamins also boost your immune system and serve other important roles in your body.
12. It's Easily Accessible
These days, you don't have to make your own pickle juice. You can buy the briny liquid in cans for greater convenience.
13. It Promotes Weight Loss
According to studies, people who take pickle juice lose more weight. That's because the beverage contains vinegar.
14. Pickle Juice Is Good For Gut Health
Pickle juice has vinegar which is a form of fermented food, which means it contains probiotics. Such food is good for the digestive system as it encourages the development of good bacteria.
15. Relieving Period Cramps
In addition to soothing cramps that happen after a grueling workout, pickle juice can also relieve period cramps. Furthermore, the juice can reduce salt cravings that happen as people experience their periods.
16. Dill Pickle Juice Is Much Healthier
As far as pickle juices go, dill pickle juice is the best option as it contains quercetin, which has the ability to lower cholesterol. Dill pickle juice also helps with indigestion, gas, stomach cramps, and other digestive issues.
17. Better Breath
Although pickle juice may not be the most delicious drink you will ever drink, it will leave you smelling great.
Pickle juice has antibacterial properties that help freshen your breath. The best pickle juice for this effect is dill pickle juice.
18. Killing Weeds
When you spray pickle juice on weeds, it can get destroy them because it contains salt and vinegar.
19. Treating Sore Throat
Salt and vinegar are very effective at fighting the germs that cause a sore throat. Even if you don't want to drink it, you can gargle your mouth with it and still enjoy this benefit.
20. Cleaning Copper
Pickle juice can be very effective at cleaning copper cookware. You just have to soak the cookware in the juice before scrubbing them.
21. Melting Ice
Pickle brine has calcium chloride that can melt ice. In fact, it is used in some states to get rid of ice in the streets during winter by some ice trucks.
22. Tenderizing Meat
Pickle juice can be very effective at marinating and tenderizing meats. For instance, you can marinate chicken overnight to give it a nice flavor before you put it on the grill.
How To Enjoy Your Pickle Juice
If the idea of taking pickle juice straight out of the jar is too much for you, you can mix it with water to create a more palatable beverage. You can also stir some pickle juice into any dip or even marinade fish, poultry, or meat with it.
You can also add it to salads or use it as a salad dressing, which will be quite tasty because it has vinegar and a salty taste. Another option is to add several tablespoons of pickle juice to yogurt, which can mask its taste without limiting its health benefits.
Pickle juice can also cause a few side effects, such as water retention due to high sodium content and indigestion when drunk excessively.
So, the next time you are done with your jar of pickles, don't pour the juice down the drain. It could be the best workout drink you have ever had.
