The Science Behind Sauerkraut’s Surprising Gut-Defending Power

Scitech Daily ^ | April 16, 2025 | Tiffany Dobbyn, University of California - Davis

[Red Badger]

A new UC Davis study shows that having fermented food like sauerkraut could be good for gut health. Credit: Hector Amezcua / UC Davis

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Sauerkraut might be doing more than just adding zing to your hot dog — it could be actively defending your gut.

New research from UC Davis reveals that fermented cabbage helps protect intestinal cells from inflammation-related damage, unlike raw cabbage or brine alone. The researchers found no difference between homemade and store-bought sauerkraut, suggesting it’s an accessible option for better gut health. By identifying hundreds of fermentation-related metabolites, they’ve opened the door to understanding how these tangy foods may boost resilience in our digestive systems — with human trials up next.

Fermented Cabbage and Gut Health

Is sauerkraut more than just a tangy topping? A new study from the University of California, Davis, suggests it might be. Researchers found that this fermented cabbage could help protect the gut—a key part of overall health that supports digestion and helps defend against illness.

Led by food science professor Maria Marco and postdoctoral researcher Lei Wei, the study explored what happens during fermentation, focusing on how the chemical compounds (metabolites) in sauerkraut differ from those in raw cabbage.

Lab vs. Store Sauerkraut: Same Benefits

To test sauerkraut’s potential benefits, the researchers compared three things: raw cabbage, fermented sauerkraut, and the leftover brine from the fermentation process. They looked at whether each one could help protect intestinal cells from damage linked to inflammation. The sauerkraut samples included both store-bought products and batches fermented in the lab.

The results showed that sauerkraut helped preserve the integrity of intestinal cells, while raw cabbage and brine did not. Interestingly, there was no difference between the store-bought and lab-made versions—both were equally effective.

“Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding to be made by the gut microbiome, so that gives us a little more confidence that this connection we found between the metabolites in sauerkraut and good gut health makes sense,” Marco said. “It doesn’t matter, in a way, if we make sauerkraut at home or we buy it from the store; both kinds of sauerkraut seemed to protect gut function.”

The Power of Fermentation

Chemical analysis shows that fermentation changes cabbage’s nutritional profile, increasing beneficial metabolites such as lactic acid, amino acids and plant-based chemicals linked to gut health. These changes may explain why fermented foods are often associated with digestive benefits.

Marco said she and Wei identified hundreds of different metabolites produced during fermentation and are now working to determine which ones play the biggest role in supporting long-term gut health.

A Tangy Ally for Resilient Digestion

“Along with eating more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, even if we have just a regular serving of sauerkraut, maybe putting these things more into our diet, we’ll find that can help us in the long run against inflammation, for example, and make our digestive tract more resilient when we have a disturbance,” Marco said.

Fermented vegetables and foods are already a staple in many diets, but this research suggests they could be more than just a flavorful side dish. Marco said the next step is to conduct human trials to see if the gut-protective metabolites found in sauerkraut can have the same positive effects when included in everyday diets, as was shown in the lab.

A Bite of Prevention

“A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way,” she said. “We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.”

Reference: “The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers” by Lei Wei and Maria L. Marco, 7 April 2025, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

DOI: 10.1128/aem.02234-24

This research was funded by a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, as well as a Jastro Shields Graduate Research Award from the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

[Ancesthntr]

How does he make it? I have been wanting to do so, but it’s much to easy to just keep buying it in the store. FWIW, I have a bunch of the Libby’s jars sitting in a cabinet, ready to continue duty as sauerkraut containers.

[telescope115]

Uh, no thanks, lol! I don’t eat as much hot stuff anymore, but I do love it. What cracks me up is those fools on YouTube-“I will now eat a whole Ghost Chili Pepper”! 20 seconds later they’re crying their eyes out…..

[discostu]

I love sauerkraut, but I can’t even think about it when my stomach is off. My wife finds it a great cure for a bad stomach. Guess I’m an outlier. Again.

[KittyKares]

I believe kefir is fermented, too. I tried some today for the first time. I was worried it would taste bad, but it was delicious!

[Red Badger]

Don’t fear the kefir.......................

[Red Badger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

[Mr.Unique]

He just chops the cabbage finely and then kneads it for a bout five minutes. That brings out the moisture. He then adds salt, a cover leaf of cabbage, and a weight to a jar. It ferments for about 4 weeks. Something like this.

[Ancesthntr]

Thanks, seems simple enough. I will make a few jars and find out the best fermentation time for my taste. 2nd batch will be adding things like dill or carroway seeds, sweet onions, peppers, etc. This is going to be fun and healthy.

[KittyKares]

I no longer fear the kefir.