{"id":18510,"date":"2024-05-31T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=18510"},"modified":"2024-05-29T12:08:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T17:08:38","slug":"is-pickle-juice-good-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/is-pickle-juice-good-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Is pickle juice good for you?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pickles<\/a> are beloved worldwide.<\/p>\n

But some diehard pickle fans love more than just those crunchy, salty and sweet little cucumbers. They also love pickle juice \u2013 the brine in which pickles are made and packaged.<\/p>\n

Many folks swear the juice has various health benefits. But is that true? Is pickle juice good for you, or is it bad for you?<\/p>\n

The downside of pickle juice<\/h2>\n

Pickle juice is not fattening. In fact, it\u2019s fat free and contains little to no calories \u2013 depending on the brand. But that doesn\u2019t make it a healthy choice. In fact, it has a significant downside: sodium.<\/p>\n

Pickles<\/a> are either made in a brine of saltwater or vinegar. They also contain various seasonings, including salt \u2013 a lot of salt.<\/p>\n

\u201cA quarter cup of pickle juice may contain between 500 and 1,000 milligrams of sodium,\u201d said Ashley Simper, a registered dietitian at OSF HealthCare. \u201cThe recommended daily limit of sodium for adults is 2,300 mg, so it\u2019s easy to see how you could reach that daily allowance very quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis high sodium content is an even bigger problem for people with kidney disease, heart disease and high blood pressure. People with these conditions need to strictly limit their daily salt intake, which can make drinking pickle juice a bad choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are there pickle juice benefits?<\/h2>\n
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Let\u2019s examine how well the following pickle juice health claims hold up to scrutiny.<\/p>\n

Probiotics
\n<\/strong>Probiotics are live bacteria that are beneficial for keeping your digestive system<\/a>, brain and immune system healthy. They can be found in pickle juice that\u2019s made from saltwater brine. The saltwater ferments, which results in the growth of probiotics.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a problem. Most commercially produced pickles are made with vinegar brine instead of saltwater, so they don\u2019t contain probiotics.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don\u2019t recommend drinking pickle juice for the probiotics anyway,\u201d Ashley said. \u201cInstead, there are healthier options that are much lower in sodium.\u201d<\/p>\n

These options include foods like:<\/p>\n