Your gut plays a critical role in many aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Maintaining a healthy gut can help your body fight off infectious diseases, process and digest nutrients, maintain a healthy weight, and even improve your mood by supporting the gut-brain axis.
Conversely, ignoring your gut health can bring a variety of unfortunate consequences: indigestion, unwanted weight gain, fatigue, and diminished mental and physical performance.
So, how can you responsibly and enjoyably support your gut?
By eating delicious servings of gut-boosting foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented veggies, as we’ll discuss in our Cleveland Kitchen Guide to The Best Natural Foods for Your Gut:
Sauerkraut
Even if you’re new to fermented foods, you have probably heard of sauerkraut.
But, do you know what it actually is?
Let’s break down the history and flavor of kraut, then get into the nitty-gritty of its gut-boosting superpowers:
The Basics
Sauerkraut is fresh-cut cabbage that is carefully fermented in its juices to infuse delicious flavors, beneficial nutrients, essential vitamins, and gut-boosting bacteria.
A multicultural staple with ancient Mongolian origins and cultural roots across Eastern Europe and Germany, sauerkraut is more than just a tasty condiment or side dish. It’s a cultural, culinary treasure that brings people together.
Perfect as a condiment, side dish, or snack unto itself, sauerkraut is also highly versatile and can comfortably fit your flavor and dietary needs.
Best of all, it’s easy to discover and create yummy pairings of sauerkraut and meats, veggies, fish, or any of your favorite foods.
For some inspiration, here are a few of our favorite Cleveland Kitchen Sauerkraut recipes:
The Health Benefits
Now that you understand the history, culture, and versatility of delicious sauerkraut, let’s break down how it aids your gut:
Nutrients
The first way krauts can benefit your gut is by infusing your diet with healthy servings of essential nutrients, such as:
Probiotics
The second way krauts benefit your gut is through healthy bacteria -- also known as “probiotics.”
If you’re new to the world of microbiota, probiotics are an essential kind of healthful bacteria that serve to protect our immune system and keep our bodily functions in tip-top shape.
They keep us safe by fighting off unwanted bacteria that disrupt our immune system and weaken our gut microbiome -- the collection of all living organisms inside our body.
A diet full of probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut supports the strength and longevity of your microbiome, bringing you potential benefits like:
- Improved Digestion
Kimchi
This spicy fermented delight packs centuries of history, delicious depth of flavor, and plenty of gut health benefits:
The Basics
A beloved staple of Korean cuisine, Kimchi is a fermented mix of vegetables and spices such as cabbage, ginger, mustard greens, garlic, green onion, gochugaru red pepper, and salt.
Originating nearly 1,500 years ago in Korea, when fermentation helped preserve food for winter, this famous dish stands the test of time with its umami flavors, satisfying crunch, and pairing versatility.
As a gluten-free/low-carb/plant-based condiment, side dish, and snack, few diets wouldn’t benefit from at least a small serving of this uber delicious fermented food.
If you’re looking to spice up your diet with some Cleveland Kitchen Kimchi, here are a few of our favorite gut-healthy recipes:
The Health Benefits
In addition to creating a unique umami experience, kimchi also packs excellent vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to improve your gut health:
Nutrients
In a single serving of kimchi, you’ll find a wide range of gut-boosting nutrients, including:
Probiotics
In addition to boosting your microbiome and immune system, the probiotics in kimchi can also provide gut-healthy benefits like:
Other Fermented Veggies
While there are a variety of other reliable probiotic sources, like yogurt, and kombucha, we at Cleveland Kitchen are all about fermented vegetables:
The Basics
If sauerkraut and kimchi aren’t your favorites, or you love them and are looking to supplement with more probiotics, the world of fermented veggies is delicious and diverse.
From pickles to carrots, beetroots, green beans, and many favorites in between, there are myriad veggies you can learn to ferment at home.
However, if you’re looking for a more straightforward and versatile way to enjoy these foods, it’s hard to beat fermented veggie-based dressings.
Loaded with the perfect balance of classic flavor and fermented goodness, these versatile condiments combine well with all kinds of snacks and meals.
On that note, here are a few of our favorite Cleveland Kitchen dressings recipes:
The Benefits
Just like we did for kraut and kimchi, let’s break down the ways other fermented veggies can boost your gut performance:
Nutrients
Among the range of Cleveland Kitchen fermented veggie dressings, you’ll find an assortment of beneficial nutrients, including:
- Fiber: benefits the digestive tract and aids bowel health
Gut-Health
Fermented veggies have many potential gut benefits — such as:
Cleveland Kitchen and Gut Health
Now that you know a few delicious ways to benefit your gut, it’s time to try Cleveland Kitchen’s diverse range of fermented foods:
From our six spectacular varieties of sauerkraut to our classic kimchi and five tasty dressings, we have no shortage of yummy, probiotic-rich options to spice up your diet, boost your nutrition, and help your gut health.
To learn more about Cleveland Kitchen’s mission to bring fermented foods to the American diet, keep up with our weekly blog and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with our world of kraut, kimchi, and dressings!
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.