AYURVEDIC FOODS

Sauerkraut Benefits (According to Ayurveda)


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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.

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.

Metabolic Nature of Sauerkraut

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

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

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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

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

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry metabolic nature. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritate and heat up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot & moist. Full-blooded, vigorous. Vivacious, social, and epicurean. Bullish.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Sauerkraut
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.

(see all)
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

    Sialogogue, Improves-focus

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  • Red Wine Vinegar

    Red Wine Vinegar has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

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  • White Vinegar

    White Vinegar has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

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  • Apple Cider Vinegar

    Apple Cider Vinegar has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

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  • Lime

    Lime has these Actions in Common

    Sialogogue, Improves-focus

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  • Strawberries

    Strawberries has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

    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

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  • Umeboshi Plums

    Umeboshi Plums has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus

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  • Pickle (Cucumber)

    Pickle (Cucumber) has these Actions in Common

    Sialogogue

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Sauerkraut

  • Garcinia Cambogia Fruit

    Garcinia Cambogia Fruit has these Actions in Common

    Sialogogue, Improves-focus

    LEARN MORE

  • Triphala

    Triphala has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

    LEARN MORE

  • Schisandra

    Schisandra has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Sialogogue

    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 college 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.

View other ingredients
for Autumn-Winter

Sauerkraut is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR VATA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

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.
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About the Author

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

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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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'?

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 141 likes
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cardamama
2013-06-26
“I thought that ferments were beneficial for pitta... not so? "
Kimberly Kubicke Asbury park, NJ
2016-09-08
“Fermented foods are generally contraindicated for Pitta."
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