Sauerkraut is a very popular dish. She is loved for a pleasant, sour taste, for a refreshing effect. Many people notice how well it goes with meat dishes. It is nice to eat sauerkraut at any time of the year, but when it benefits and when it is harmful to the body, we will look at this article.
Calorie and nutritional value
Calorie content - only 19 kcal per 100 g.
- proteins - 0.9 g;
- fats - 0.1 g;
- carbohydrates - 4.3 g
The dish is rich in vitamins A, C, calcium and magnesium.Composition
The composition also includes: carrots, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt. Known variants with cranberries, beets, grapes, apples.
Its peculiarity is that it does not lose its useful properties. Moreover, it acquires a whole list of new useful substances. This is due to the fact that the product does not undergo heat treatment, but is obtained as a result of lactic fermentation. 
In addition to the already mentioned vitamins of groups A and C, such cabbage is rich in vitamins of group H, PP, D, and a number of other beneficial substances, including many essential trace elements. The dish is rich in fiber, it also contains lactic acid. It is thanks to lactic acid that the specific odor appears, something resembling apples.
Did you know? Various options for making sauerkraut are found almost throughout the world, so it’s hard to say in which country it was invented.
What is the use?
What is the usefulness of sauerkraut easy to understand - an extensive list of essential trace elements, vitamins, low calorie. That's exactly how it affects the body.
We advise you to read about the beneficial properties and harm of different types of cabbage: Brussels, Savoy, red, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, pak choi.
Cabbage
Systematic ingestion of such a product strengthens the immune system. It has a positive effect on the human nervous system, improves metabolism. Substances that are part of the food, affect the production of hemoglobin and contribute to the renewal of body cells. Medicine also found that some elements of its chemical composition inhibit the development of cancer cells.
The juice
The benefit of sauerkraut juice is that it contains almost the entire main dose of vitamin C, and the harm can be attributed to increased acidity. It also contains a lot of vitamin P, which strengthens the walls of capillaries. Juice helps to strengthen the immune system and has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.
Important! Juice and pickle are not the same. The juice is located inside the cabbage and has a much more concentrated set of useful substances.
Application
They consume the dish not only in its original form, but also process it additionally, getting new, tasty dishes. Thus, the food is stewed, dressed, served with side dishes, boiled soup, used for roasting poultry meat. The dish is used in folk medicine, is used to make masks useful for the skin.
Did you know? In cabbage, which was fermented whole or in halves, there are 2 times more nutrients than chopped.
Treatment and Prevention
This simple dish actually powerful tool in the fight against vitamin deficiency, because it is saturated with vitamins and microelements. The dish was even an excellent prevention of scurvy. We will understand whether sauerkraut is useful in the fight against other diseases.
Sauerkraut can bring both benefit and harm, if you build its healing properties in the absolute. It is always worth remembering that this is not a drug, but only an effective supplement. 
The dish is useful for asthma, well helps with hemorrhoids. The main cause of hemorrhoids is a violation of blood outflow. To alleviate the symptoms make gadgets from warm juice. It is also recommended to drink a glass of brine about 2 times a day.
It also helps with flatulence - the abundance of fiber stabilizes the gastrointestinal tract.
The active ingredients of the dish make it a bactericidal agent that can treat wounds.
Read also about how to harvest cauliflower, red cabbage, broccoli.
Slimming
The maximum low calorie content and saturation of all sorts of nutrients made it quite popular in the diet of various diets. With sauerkraut you can arrange a fasting day. By consuming such a product systematically several times a week, without strict food restrictions, you can lose a couple extra pounds. 
Beauty and cosmetology
Natural masks are very useful. Having tried to make such a mask at least once, you will almost immediately feel the effect.
Important! Try to relax as much as possible. - then the mask will pleasantly surprise you with its effectiveness.Several recipes:
- To prepare the mask chop cabbage. Squeeze the juice. The resulting slurry is applied to the face with a thick layer. Rinse with warm water after 20 minutes.
- Beat egg white into dense foam. Sauerkraut (4 tbsp. L.) Mince through a meat grinder. Squeeze the juice. The ingredients are mixed, gradually adding a tablespoon of flour. Wash off the mask in 10-15 minutes. Water should be cool. The mask can be made no more than 2 times a week.
- Beat egg yolk. Mix with cabbage juice. Add 1 tsp to the mixture. vegetable oil. Mix until smooth. Wash off after 20 minutes with warm water.
Can I get pregnant?
It is possible, but in moderation due to the high sodium content.
In the last months of pregnancy, women especially need to iron, which in sufficient quantities can be gleaned from sauerkraut. What else sauerkraut is useful for women in the situation is the fact that it stabilizes the work of the digestive system. By adding it to salads you can get rid of problems with flatulence and other unpleasant ailments.
The dish also contains folic acid, which is necessary for the development of the fetus and to avoid birth defects. 
The method of souring can also be prepared tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, pepper, onion-batun.
What is the harm?
Having understood what is useful for sauerkraut for the body, do not forget about how it can be harmful.
Contraindications to its use are increased acidity of the stomach, disorders of the pancreas, kidney failure, gallstones.
Contraindications are due to the high content of organic acids in the dish.
Also, an excess of salt in the product can trigger high blood pressure, so people with hypertension are not recommended to eat it.
Sauerkraut is very useful in moderation. It finds application both in cosmetology, and in medicine, and it is not at all in vain - it is practically a unique source of useful substances.
