Sauerkraut in Pregnancy

Sauerkraut in pregnancy is an excellent way to keep the future mother in good shape. Because, this dish has truly healing qualities!

It is noticed that in sauerkraut contains much more useful substances than in raw. It contains fiber, vitamins A, C, K, U, group B, folic and tartronic acids, a large number of macro- and microelements, for example, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, magnesium, iodine, calcium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur and so on. And, it is interesting that the amount of vitamin C in sour cabbage increases several times compared to fresh!

Sour cabbage is a storehouse of useful substances: it contains amino acids, flavonoids and probiotics, which is especially valuable for patients and weakened people. A pregnant woman, like no one, needs to strengthen the protective properties of the body. And instead of a handful of vitamin and dietary supplements it is better to eat a little sour cabbage and forget about beriberi or weakness. Successfully coping with this task, malic acid, choline and inositol, as well as vitamins, which were described above.

Such a habitual, long-known food product, like sauerkraut, is famous for its properties, which are worthy of attention of pregnant women. Anti-inflammatory, restorative, immunostimulating, bactericidal, analgesic and carcinogenic qualities of this dish - this is truly a pharmacy on the table, beyond which you do not have to walk long, but simply get it out of the refrigerator or cellar! Naturally, it is necessary to take care of the presence of acid cabbage in pantries, as will be described in more detail at the end of the article.

Sauerkraut is a national dish of many Slavic countries (and not only). And this is absolutely not accidental, because for a long time, the benefits of this product for human health have been noticed. If you eat two hundred grams of sauerkraut per day, you can provide the body with the necessary nutrients and forget about many diseases, for example, colds. No less significant influence of this dish on the preservation of vivacity and efficiency of a person, which is very important at the present time.

In view of the foregoing, it should be noted that sauerkraut is an exceptionally useful product that must be present in the diet of a pregnant woman. Especially, this recommendation concerns the winter period, as well as spring, when the body feels a lack of vitamins and minerals. If you follow simple rules in the use of sauerkraut, you can support the body of a pregnant woman in tone, strengthen immunity and prevent many diseases.

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Indications for the use of sauerkraut in pregnancy

Pregnancy is the normal and beautiful condition of a woman. And at the same time, future mothers are not immune from the appearance of some ailments or the intensification of symptoms of diseases that have troubled a woman before conception. Sour cabbage will help to cope with many of these disorders and return the woman a wonderful state of health and a good shape!

Indications for the use of sauerkraut during pregnancy are as follows:

• The state of toxicosis.

It is useful not just to eat a small amount of cabbage, but to drink brine from it. This can be done once or several times a day, during a break between meals and in small quantities.

• Excess weight.

Many future mothers feel that their need for food at this time has become simply catastrophic! And this is understandable, because the baby in the abdomen of the mother is constantly growing and requires a "material" for its incessant growth.

Some pregnant women decide not to worry about this and leave a correction of unnecessary kilograms before the baby's arrival. Other mummies may try to go on restrictive diets, hoping to lose weight, which is highly undesirable during this period. It seems that there is no way out, but this is an erroneous opinion, because sauerkraut is a natural regulator of fat deposits and digestion of carbohydrates by the body. Such substances are contained in brine, which is useful for drinking future mothers. In it there are components that prevent the conversion of carbohydrates into fats, and accordingly keep the waist and thighs of the pregnant woman.

Secondly, in sour cabbage contains a small number of calories: only twenty-seven kilocalories per hundred grams of salting. Therefore, the regular use of this product does not affect the weight gain, and even on the contrary, it helps to reduce the weight of the future mother.

• The state of vitamin deficiency and reduced immunity.

It has already been said that sauerkraut has a rich complex of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and probiotics. Therefore, it helps to cope with the problems of lack of useful substances and strengthens immunity. That positively affects the increase in the resistance of the pregnant woman to various respiratory and viral diseases of the respiratory tract. And also helps to cope with other types of infectious diseases.

• Diabetes.

Useful properties of sauerkraut help to cope with the high sugar content in the blood of a pregnant woman. Therefore, it is indispensable in the diet of expectant mothers who have this chronic disease.

• Thyroid dysfunction.

A thyroid gland of any person can function normally if it receives enough iodine to synthesize the hormones it produces. If this substance is deficient in the body, the thyroid gland can not function properly, which leads to health problems. With mild degrees of disruption of the thyroid gland, its condition is regulated by the use of the necessary dose of iodine. In two hundred grams of sauerkraut, just that dose of iodine, which must be consumed by a pregnant woman a day for good health, is contained.

• Dysbacteriosis.

Disease-creating microorganisms located in the gastrointestinal tract and causing symptoms of dysbiosis, are well neutralized by eating sour cabbage. Therefore, at the first signs of constipation, diarrhea, bloating, belching and discomfort, it is necessary to begin "treatment" with sauerkraut.

• Problems with skin.

If the skin of a pregnant woman has withered and suffers from a lack of vitamins, sauerkraut will help to get rid of these problems. The presence of pigment spots on the skin of a future mother can also be a weighty factor for taking any measures to improve their appearance. In what, certainly, the use of sour cabbage can help. It is useful not only to eat sauerkraut, but also to make masks with the help of this useful product. The action of this salting helps to tighten the skin of the face, whiten it a little, sate with vitamins and give the necessary tonus, freshness and softness.

Recipes from sauerkraut in pregnancy

To ensure their diet of sauerkraut, a pregnant woman and her relatives need to worry in advance about harvesting salted. Of course, you can hope for store stocks or grandmothers who sell this product on the market. But for the future mother it is very important to know that besides cabbage, salt and other useful additives in sour cabbage there is nothing else. For example, sugar, which is sometimes added for taste in this salting.

Sugar, it would seem, is a habitual product used by most people. But a pregnant woman should reduce such a sweet additive to her diet to a minimum. And it is better and at all to exclude for the period of bearing the baby.

If sauerkraut is cooked in the right way, then in useful substances and vitamins it will last from six months to eight months. And this, almost the entire winter-spring period, when future mothers may suffer from avitaminosis!

Therefore, nevertheless, it is recommended to the future mother to eat stocks of own manufacture which possess not only useful properties, but also house energy.

Classical preparation of sauerkraut takes place with the help of salt. Cabbage is shredded, rubbed with salt, mixed well, and then folded into a suitable dish and left in the heat under yoke for a couple of days. During this time in the cabbage, the processes of fermentation begin to occur, with the help of which milk, acetic and malic acids form in the salting. This is made possible by the action of bacteria that live in the cellulose, and the carbohydrates that make up the cabbage leaves. The complex of acids contributes to the preservation of the product for a long time, and also gives the sauerkraut the habitual and unique taste that attracts its admirers so much!

So, here are a few recipes of sauerkraut that will decorate the table of a pregnant woman and her loved ones:

1. The simplest recipe number 1.

Ingredients:

• cabbage - four kilograms;
• salt - twenty-five grams per one kilogram of cabbage - one hundred grams.

Preparation:

• White cabbage (less often, red cabbage) of late varieties is taken. The early varieties of cabbage are not suitable for this purpose, since they have loose heads and low glucose content. Therefore, it is difficult to ferment such cabbage (due to the slow rate of fermentation processes).
• Cabbage is washed and shredded as small as possible. Then the chopped cabbage rushes with hands, after which salt is added to it, the cabbage is rubbed with salt and mixed well.
• Cabbage is added to the fermentation tank, while it needs to be rammed with hands, so that the processed cabbage is covered with brine. The cabbage is put on top of oppression. After that, cabbage is left for a couple of days at room temperature, so that the fermentation begins. At the same time, it should be punctured several times a day with a wooden stick or a kitchen knife, so that gases can escape.
• When the cabbage is ready, it must be transferred to a glass container, closed with a lid and stored in a refrigerator.

2. Recipe № 2: sauerkraut with carrots.

Ingredients:

• white cabbage (always late varieties) - five kilograms (cabbage cabbage weight);
• carrots (large and hard) - four pieces, weighing one kilogram;
• salt - one hundred grams, and you need to use rock salt, not "Extra" and not iodized.

Preparation:

• cabbage heads are washed and dried;
• then each head is cut into four parts to make four large lobes;
• then you need to cut out a stump from each of the resulting lobes;
• after which the cabbage is chopped thinly with a knife or with the help of various devices that facilitate the work of the mistress;
• after which the carrots are washed, then cleaned with a knife from the top layer and washed again under running water;
• then washed carrots rubbed on a coarse grater;
• then you need to measure the right amount of salt, which is poured into a shallow dish (bowl or saucer);
• the next stage is actually the salting of cabbage: three or four handfuls of chopped cabbage are put in a pan or a metal basin, sprinkled with some salt, mixed well and rubbed with salt until the juice appears;
• after which a little carrots are added to this part of the cabbage, and everything is thoroughly mixed;
• then cabbage should be tamped with a wooden crush or rolling pin;
• for taste and to make sauerkraut even more useful product, spices are added to it, if desired: cumin and dill seeds;
• thus, all the chopped cabbage and carrots are processed: with small portions, with the addition of salt and spices (if desired), and also tamped with a wooden rolling pin until a sufficient amount of juice appears;
• after which the hostess should wash and dry her hands, and then with her hands or fists press the cabbage in a saucepan so that it is covered with juice completely;
• on top of crushed and covered with juice of cabbage it is necessary to put a clean plate and crush it with some kind of yoke (for example, fill a three-liter bottle with water and put it on a plate);
• in the saucepan on the side, it is necessary to insert a rolling pin or wooden sticks, so that the gases formed during fermentation come out;
• cabbage is left at ordinary temperature, in a room for three days;
• during this time cabbage must be pierced with a rolling pin (or a wooden stick, or a well-washed knitting needle or kitchen knife); At the same time, it is necessary to get to the bottom of the tank, since it is necessary to give an outlet to all the gases formed during souring; if this is not done, then the taste of sauerkraut will worsen - it will be bitter;
• on the cabbage there appears on the top foam, which should not disturb the landlady, as it shows that the fermentation process passes normally;
• when the third day (this may be earlier or later) came up, the cabbage brine begins to lighten and fall down, the foam also disappears; this means that sauerkraut is already ready, and it can be eaten;
• the readiness of salting can also be determined by simply tasting a pinch of cabbage; if the taste characteristics are arranged by the hostess, then you can safely serve the dish to the table;
• to successfully store the finished product, it needs to be shifted to clean glass jars, and do not over-compact the cabbage; then the product is poured with brine, closed with a polyethylene lid and stored in the refrigerator or in the cold.

3. Recipe № 3: sauerkraut in brine.

This recipe is very easy to prepare! Cabbage does not need to be crushed and grinded with salt - all the fermentation processes are started with brine. The only drawback for a pregnant woman is that there is some sugar in the recipe. You can try to cook a small amount of cabbage and without it, and if the result will suit the expectant mother, then altogether eliminate this controversial ingredient from the recipe for cooking sauerkraut in brine.

Ingredients (for a three-liter can of salting):

• cabbage of late varieties - two kilograms;
• carrots - two pieces of medium size;
• bay leaf - three (or four) pieces;
• fragrant (or black) pepper in peas - a few things.

For brine:

• water - one and a half liters;
• salt - two tablespoons (take the usual, not iodized);
• sugar - two tablespoons.

Preparation:

• First of all, a brine is prepared. It is necessary to bring the water to a boil, and then cool to a warm state. Then in warm water it is necessary to dissolve salt and sugar.
• Cabbage is washed, cleaned from the top leaves, and then cut into several pieces. After that, each part of the cabbage is finely chopped with a knife. Also for these purposes, you can use a special grater or combine harvester.
• Carrots are washed, cleaned and rubbed on a coarse grater.
• After that, cabbage is transferred to enameled dishes, in which it mixes with carrots.
• The resulting mixture is transferred to a clean and dry three-liter jar and tamped a little. Between the layers of cabbage and carrots you need to put laurel leaves and peas of pepper.
• Then comes the turn of the brine, which is poured into the jar to such an extent that it completely covers the cabbage. The amount of brine is approximately equal to 1,2 - one and a half liters: this depends on how finely the cabbage was chopped.
• After that, it is necessary to cover the jar tightly with a plastic lid. Although the best way is to cover the jar with a piece of bandage or gauze folded several times.
• The bank needs to be placed in a large and deep container, because the brine during fermentation will increase in volume and pour out of the jar.
• It is best to leave the can in the kitchen in a secluded place at room temperature. At the same time, all the time must be watched, so that the brine covers the top layer of cabbage. If the pickle went down, you just need to crush the cabbage with a spoon and it will all be in the brine again. All the time of fermentation cabbage must be pierced with a long wooden stick to the bottom (or a clean knitting needle, if there is no such stick). It is necessary to do this in order to produce gas, which is formed during fermentation, and cabbage does not bitter.
• The amount of time required for fermentation depends on the temperature in the kitchen. If the kitchen is warm enough, it will take two days for the sauerkraut to be ready. If the kitchen is cool, then it will take more time to wait for the preparedness of this delicious pickle.
• We want to warn housewives that the high temperature in the place where cabbage is leavened is also not suitable for the correct preparation of the product. In this case, cabbage can form mucus, and this is not included in the plans of the housewives. Therefore, a jar of pickles should be kept at a temperature of about twenty degrees of heat.
• When the sauerkraut is ready, it needs to be tightly covered with a plastic lid and put in the refrigerator for storage.

4. Recipe number 4: cabbage in a brine without sugar for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• cabbage - as much as necessary to prepare for a family;
• carrots - one hundred grams for each kilogram of cabbage;
• salt (ordinary, stone) - eight hundred grams;
• water - eight liters.

Also need to stock up three three-liter jars, the same number of plastic covers, bars of natural wood (three centimeters wide, five centimeters long, one centimeter thick) in the quantity of three pieces and an enameled bucket of ten liters.

Preparation:

• cabbage is washed and finely shredded;
• carrots are also washed and rubbed on a coarse grater;
• after which all the products are thoroughly mixed;
• water should be poured into a bucket, then pour salt into it and dissolve in water;
• a small amount of cabbage with carrots should be placed in a bucket and keep in brine for five minutes;
• after which cabbage and carrots are squeezed out and put in the first jar;
• in the jar on top of the cabbage you need to put a wooden block, and then it should be closed with a lid;
• then a can of cabbage should be placed in a cool place (on a balcony or in a cellar);
• The next batch of cabbage, which is placed in a bucket, should be kept in the brine for five minutes longer than the first; and then everything is prepared as well as with the first party;
• the third consignment of cabbage should be kept in a bucket for fifteen minutes, and then squeezed and put in a jar just as in the previous cases;
• if after using three cans, cabbage still remains, you need to pour a hundred grams of salt into the bucket, add more water and mix everything thoroughly;
• after which the leaven of cabbage is repeated in exactly the same way as with the previous three batches;
• after which the brine for sauerkraut is not suitable, it must be poured and, if necessary, prepared again.

I want to tell the housewives that sauerkraut can be eaten not only as an independent dish, but also added to various salads and vinaigrettes. Good sauerkraut and as a filling for pies and pies. Of course, the future mother should not often pamper herself with flour products, but sometimes, when you strongly want to eat something "such", it is better to cook homemade baked goods! Because it is definitely healthier than any store products.

And the simplest salad from sauerkraut, probably, is known to all the hostesses. It takes a onion, shredded half rings, is added to sauerkraut along with some sunflower oil. And everything: a useful and tasty dish is ready, a pleasant appetite!

We hope that our recipes of sauerkraut during pregnancy will help future mothers to maintain good health and well-being until the very birth!

Benefits of sauerkraut in pregnancy

The organism of a pregnant woman works "for two" in this wonderful and exciting period of bearing a baby. Therefore, the expectant mother should take care of her health condition, which directly influences the formation and development of her baby.

So, what vitamins and trace elements affect the health effect of sauerkraut? Here is a brief list of the main them:

• Vitamin C and selenium - contribute to the prevention of respiratory diseases (ARVI, ARI, and so on), and also strengthen immunity. At the same time, these substances are especially useful for pain sensations in the chest and increase in body temperature associated with the viral nature.
• Vitamin C and selenium promote better absorption in the body of a pregnant woman of other vitamins and trace elements, for example, iron. The optimal level of iron in the body is necessary in order to ensure the prevention of anemia in a pregnant woman, as well as help to form the fetus of its stocks of this substance with the purpose of full development of a small organism.
• Folic acid (or vitamin B9), contained in sauerkraut - is simply necessary for the future mother and her baby. This vitamin affects the formation of new fetal cells and its intrauterine development. Especially, it concerns early terms of pregnancy of women, when the organism from the future child starts to develop at an accelerated rate.
• Vitamin B6 helps to assimilate proteins in the best way, which is an important aspect of fetal development.
• Vitamin K - helps coagulability of blood, which is of great importance in childbirth. Also contributes to the preventive effect of peptic ulcer diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition to all of the above, sauerkraut has the following action:

• Pickle sauerkraut is useful in the fight against nausea, which happens in many expectant mothers, as a manifestation of the toxicosis of pregnancy. The same effect, but somewhat less, is also the sauerkraut itself.
• Regular consumption of this food helps a pregnant woman cope with heartburn - a constant companion of many expectant mothers (especially in recent months before giving birth). If you eat two to three tablespoons of sauerkraut before eating, you can permanently get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of heartburn - burning behind the sternum, which can go up the esophagus to the throat, sour eructations, bitter or sour taste in the mouth.
• Regular eating of this dish by a pregnant woman helps prevent the appearance of cancer cells in the fetus. This is a strong enough argument in favor of including sauerkraut in the diet of the future mother.
• The condition of the hair and nails of a pregnant woman depends on certain microelements and vitamins, which are responsible for the strength of nails and the beauty of hair. These include zinc, magnesium and nicotinic acid (vitamin PP). In sauerkraut, these nutrients are kept in sufficient quantities to maintain the appearance of the future mother at the proper level and please yourself with luxurious hair and well-groomed nails.
• Daily use of sauerkraut can activate the digestive processes of a pregnant woman, who may be in a depressed state. This is due to the fact that the fetus, uterus and placenta begin to constantly grow and squeeze the gastrointestinal tract of the future mother. Therefore, there may be a violation of certain digestive processes, which is subject to regulation.

One of the most effective ways to solve this problem is the regular intake of sauerkraut. This dish normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, and also removes constipation, which are constant companions of many pregnant women. Also, sour cabbage helps to cope with the symptoms of flatulence, which manifest in bloating, the presence of belching and the appearance of pain (or discomfort) sensations in the abdomen.

• Sour cabbage helps to cope with other problems of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, brine sour cabbage is considered one of the best alternative remedies for hemorrhoids. And regular consumption of this dish helps to eliminate microorganisms from the intestines, which cause various intestinal diseases.
• Good sauerkraut and in the regulation of the metabolism of a pregnant woman. Regulation of the level of sugar and cholesterol in the blood, as well as acid-alkaline balance in the body - these are some manifestations of the action of this dish on the human metabolic processes.
• In addition to the above qualities, sauerkraut can quickly quench the feeling of hunger, while not adding extra pounds. This is because cabbage is a low-calorie product. For example, in a hundred grams of a dish there are only twenty-five calories. And the tartronic acid contained in the cabbage helps to prevent the appearance of fat deposits, as well as the withdrawal of carbohydrates from the body. This is an undoubted advantage of this product, as many future mothers complain about a significant increase in weight.
• And the last important property of sauerkraut - it helps to improve the appetite of a pregnant woman, which is an important factor in strengthening her health.
• Specialists, nutritionists believe that pickle sauerkraut is much more useful than the product itself. And at the same time it has a milder, gentle effect on the body. If you use a pickle of acidic cabbage once a day, you can cope with the above problems and do not harm your body. This important fact should be taken into account by the pregnant woman and think about including this "drink" in your menu.

After reading the above information, you can see that the benefits of sauerkraut in pregnancy - no doubt! And this dish should be on the table of the future mother daily if she wants to support herself in the form during the entire period of bearing the baby.

In this case, a pregnant woman needs to know that cabbage before serving is best rinsed to get rid of excess amounts of salt and acid. Such a warning will not be superfluous, because very salty and very acidic foods can lead the human body to imbalance, and this is not included in the plans of the future mother!

When you can not eat sauerkraut during pregnancy?

Many pregnant women reasonably want to know, in all cases, the use of sauerkraut is indicated? Or there are cases when you can not eat sauerkraut when you are pregnant?

The list of contraindications for using this dish is as follows:

• With peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, sauerkraut should be excluded from the menu of the pregnant woman.
• It is not necessary to eat sauerkraut in renal and hepatic diseases, as well as in dysfunctions and problems with the pancreas (for example, in pancreatitis - inflammation of the pancreas). At stones in kidneys and a cholic bubble also it is counter-indicative to use acid cabbage.
• Contraindicated to eat sauerkraut with hypertension.
• Gastritis, especially with high acidity, is an absolute contraindication to the use of this product. Therefore, with similar problems with the stomach, sauerkraut should be excluded from the diet of a pregnant woman.

Such contraindications are caused by the fact that the sour cabbage contains a large amount of salt, as well as various acids, which adversely affect the health of people with the above list of problems.

Future moms need to remember that a large amount of sauerkraut can also harm their health and well-being. For example, uncontrolled use of this product can provoke the appearance of flatulence. It is also possible the occurrence of swelling, which is caused by an increased content of salt in the product. In any case, before regular consumption of this dish is recommended to consult with a doctor about the possible consequences of eating sour cabbage.

Reviews of sauerkraut in pregnancy

Basically, reviews about sauerkraut when pregnancy is positive. And if you do not abuse the amount of this pickle and follow the recommendations in its use, then negative feedback from future mothers is not expected at all!

Naturally, to use any product during pregnancy, you should carefully read the list of contraindications. And if there is any disease that afflicts the future mother, sauerkraut should be excluded from the diet or not at all enter it into the menu.

It is not superfluous to recall that the future mother should consult her doctor about whether it is useful for her to eat sauerkraut regularly or from this delicacy it is necessary to abstain temporarily. The pregnancy observing specialist knows all the features of the future mother's organism and can give her the right advice.

In any case, whether sauerkraut is useful when pregnant to a particular woman or not, we wish future moms health, well-being and a great mood!