AYURVEDIC FOODS

Sauerkraut Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sauerkraut is the perfect remedy for a hot dog. Often you can find wisdom in the food combinations of cultural cuisine. The ballpark, as it turns out, is no exception. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage. Its name literally means 'sour-cabbage'. It becomes sour during the fermentation process. As sour taste encourages your mouth to salivate, it encourages juicy enzyme production throughout the GI tract, aiding your digestion. The digestive aid of sauerkraut, like many condiments, helps you draw nutrients from your otherwise un-digestible hot dog.

Sauerkraut may be an ideal treat in January and February when cold air constricts blood vessels in your skin. The stagnant blood makes skin appear lifeless, dry, dull and gray. The sour taste of sauerkraut, since it is a diaphoretic, helps restore blood flow to the skin and reduce lymphatic congestion. That's why sauerkraut is a natural food for late winter.

Due to the gassy nature of live cultures in sauerkraut, Vata people should cook sauerkraut to avoid suffering from excess gas. Kapha should eat sauerkraut raw, to benefit from its probiotic qualities.

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Is Sauerkraut Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Sauerkraut' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.
SERVING SIZE: 1/2 c

Metabolic Nature of Sauerkraut

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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LIGHT

ABOUT LIGHT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Lightness is identified by reduced weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHT

EASY

ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

LIQUEFIED

ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED

TASTES
Taste Help

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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SOUR

ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Sauerkraut
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

Sialogogue

SIALOGOGUE

A sialogogue increases saliva. Sour foods are often great sialogogues, and increase output of all exocrine glands. Salty taste is very moistening as well. Bitter, pungent and sweettastes also increase salivary output but to a lesser degree. Astringents.

SEE ALL 'SIALOGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS

Improves Focus

IMPROVES-FOCUS

Reduces scattered thoughts. Creates a steady mind. Includes herbs that relax (for Vata) and herbs that stimulate (for Kapha).

SEE ALL 'IMPROVES-FOCUS' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Sauerkraut

Tamarind

Tamarind has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

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Red Wine Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

White Vinegar

White Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Lime

Lime has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Strawberries

Strawberries has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue, Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Lemon

Lemon has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Green Mango

Green Mango has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Umeboshi Plums

Umeboshi Plums has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Pickle (Cucumber)

Pickle (Cucumber) has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Sauerkraut

Garcinia Cambogia Fruit

Garcinia Cambogia Fruit has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Triphala

Triphala has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Schisandra

Schisandra has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue, Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Amalaki

Amalaki has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus, Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Reduced lemon juice

Reduced lemon juice has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Vomit Therapy (Vamana)

Vomit Therapy (Vamana) has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Vacha (Calamus, Sweet Flag)

Vacha (Calamus, Sweet Flag) has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Lobelia

Lobelia has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Brahmi - Gotu Kola

Brahmi - Gotu Kola has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger has these Actions in Common

Sialogogue

LEARN MORE

Hyssop Powder

Hyssop Powder has these Actions in Common

Improves-focus

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Sauerkraut may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.

Clinical Tools & Resources

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About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Sauerkraut'

Do you like 'sauerkraut'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'sauerkraut'?

full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 132 likes
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I thought that ferments were beneficial for pitta... not so?
- cardamama , 06-26-13 (Reply)
Fermented foods are generally contraindicated for Pitta.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ
full start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start reviewfull start review
, 09-08-16 (Reply)

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