Friends of Changanacherry(FOC) International Council

Sauerkraut -pickled sour cabbage 

Sauerkraut is produced by the fermentation of cabbage using lactic acid bacteria. Sauerkraut has a high probiotic effect and is internationally known as the German national dish.

Sauerkraut is probiotic foods and supplements in one. It is full of highly potent and vital micro organisms. These micro organisms form a large part of the human immune system and protect the body against chronic diseases, parasites, viruses, and harmful bacteria.

Sauerkraut is a rather old-fashioned and therefore become rare foodstuff consumed. Unfortunately, we ate earlier forced through the winter cabbage, and thus generally fit and healthy to survive the cold season, have modern humans throughout the year are free to choose what they want to eat.
Mostly it will be industrially processed convenience foods are preferred. They are quick to prepare and satisfy the desire for a palate, the food industry from an early age a taste for sugar , fat , synthetic flavors and flavor enhancers has another To Basket. Sauerkraut with his peculiar sour taste in all these artificial competition hardly more opportunities.

Sauerkraut - an accidental discovery?

Sauerkraut is produced by fermentation of cabbage using lactic acid bacteria. The lactic acid bacteria are already present on the fresh carbon and begin when the conditions allow it (warm temperatures, anaerobic conditions, liquid medium) with the processing of cabbage into sauerkraut.
It is easy to imagine how our ancestors might have discovered this tasty dish. Probably someone has forgotten weeks later, a bowl of cabbage rediscovered his enthusiasm and found that although the carbon somehow different, but not necessarily a bad taste.
Sounds more appealing, the method does not necessarily get you fresh food that is so pernicious, is to leave for weeks just stand in a corner. But was the discovery of yoghurt and cheese - both are now extremely popular and mass-consumed products - certainly not much different. Even with these products are foods that are refined with the help of micro organisms.
Of course it can also happen that the wrong bacteria, yeasts or molds colonize unwanted and spoil the milk or the cabbage. When the cabbage is cooked properly, however, so no oxygen can penetrate into the Gärtopf, yeasts and molds are then no livelihood.

Sauerkraut produces vivid probiotic lactic acid bacteria

Sauerkraut is created to handle when in the course of the fermentation process, the micro organisms of the sugar of fresh cabbage. They also digest the cellulose and make the coal in this way easier to digest than it was in its original form.
Than optimal - The micro organisms themselves here en masse, so sauerkraut - eaten raw probiotic foods may be considered. The probiotic lactic acid bacteria were - in contrast to probiotic supplements - not processed and not filled in capsules or bottles. They are in completely undamaged, fresh and lively and can therefore form the human body to be directly and powerfully useful.

Sauerkraut contains vitamin B 12

Sauerkraut contains more B vitamins than the fresh cabbage - including vitamin B12 , which makes it a perfect sauerkraut food for vegans. Vitamin B12 is produced exclusively by micro organisms and is therefore not a purely vegetable diet before - unless you take too regularly unwashed fruits and vegetables you have (of course only those who grew up in safe places).
Vitamin B-12-producing micro organisms are in fact originally on all plants and fruits. Only through an overly hygienic preparation, they are removed. In meat and other animal products is therefore the only reason why vitamin B 12 is present, because the animals ate plants earlier on which lived the corresponding micro organisms.
By the way, suffering flesh -eating people far more often on a vitamin B-12 deficiency as a health-conscious vegans, since the former - among other things, precisely because of their meat-eating - often a disturbed gastric and intestinal flora are suffering and therefore that in their animal foods existing vitamin B 12 can not use properly.
Sauerkraut is so useful with security not only for vegans, but especially for all people with ailing gut flora , the number of times in the often unthinking use of antibiotics is not exactly small.

Sauerkraut after antibiotic therapy

Each antibiotic treatment destroys the sensitive flora and complete, if we do not mind, even irreversible. The majority of micro organisms that are permanently protected from attack by harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi die, by antibiotics.
Are they just disappeared again, their free seats in the intestinal mucosa by pathogens and parasites are occupied and the man is getting sicker. Although doctors prescribe antibiotics like wildfire, but also forget to remind the patient to a reconstruction of the intestinal flora. We are therefore responsible for the regeneration of our own vital intestinal inhabitants. Raw sauerkraut is an excellent helper.

Sauerkraut - ancient super food

Sauerkraut and many other lactic acid fermented foods are - some old - so-called super-foods, ie foods that can give the body an incredible energy, strength and health, and were made many centuries ago by our ancestors.
Since we are today - a good 100 years after the discovery of effective probiotic micro organisms - in the first place to appreciate their vital work in our bodies seem to be directly fermented foods are just making a comeback.
In olden days, people may well have known of the existence of probiotic micro organisms nothing, its positive effect on the body, the people at that time but felt as well. And so our ancestors developed in many countries all over the fermented foods such as yoghurt, sour milk, kefir, and many more.

Especially in times when fresh foods were not available, so for a long winter, or on long voyages, fermented foods saved many lives. Sailors possessed in this way over food that was stored for months and they still live with essential vitamins, including lower supplied with vitamin C, to protect them from scurvy - were protected - a painful and ultimately fatal vitamin C deficiency disease.
At the same time preserving the sauerkraut with its valuable lactic acid bacteria, the sailors from digestive problems that were then in a months or even years of life in overcrowded and unsanitary below-decks certainly not uncommon.

Sauerkraut - preferably homemade

It absolutely is worthwhile, more cabbage in your garden - if any - to grow. Freshly harvested it is subtle and can be used for fine Krautsalate wonderful. On the leaf surface of cabbage already living those micro organisms, which then during the fermentation of cabbage grow billions of sauerkraut.
Consequently, supplies of fresh cabbage already - when eaten raw - with valuable lactic acid bacteria, strengthens the body, makes it resistant to diseases of all types and save to buy probiotic dietary supplements. Before the winter comes, you reap all the remaining cabbage and processes them in jars or - even better - in particular Gärtöpfen sauerkraut. If you do not have a garden, get organically grown cabbage from the nearest organic farmer.

Pasteurised Sauerkraut is useless

Canned and jarred Sauerkraut is made however by no means as healthy food. Although most of it tastes just as many people to love: sweet and beautiful little sour, but also has no more health benefits.
Preserved sauerkraut in cans or jars were pasteurised because of its mild taste and shelf life. While raw, unheated sauerkraut is full of living micro organisms, pasteurised sauerkraut still contains lactic acid - the metabolic product of lactic acid bacteria - but no longer living lactic acid bacteria. Sauerkraut is, however, provide us with just yes and no lactic acid bacteria with lactic acid.

Take advantage of the valuable bacteria of the cabbage

If you do not even want to - - What we need is the good and beneficial bacteria, and these are only in fresh, unheated sauerkraut that you have all winter to buy your farm shop or health food store. There is usually bottled or in small open buckets sold. Often there are also wonderfully spiced with variations such as apples, fennel and herbs that enhance the health value of sauerkraut still can.
However, there are also packaged in bags in the health food store pasteurised sauerkraut. Although these are cabbage in organic quality, but just to heated sauerkraut, but not what we want. Please consult the safe side ALWAYS to see if the offer truly raw sauerkraut, is natural and unheated. If necessary, ask for the address or telephone number of the producer and ask directly there after.

Our tip

Raw cabbage tastes great with a little linseed oil sprinkled in salads or as an accompaniment to many dishes. If you want to eat sauerkraut necessarily warm, so warm it gently, but not cook it. You will see that basically tastes fresh, raw sauerkraut much more aromatic and more comfortable than these soft-boiled acidic mud, the date has been set before you as sauerkraut. 
(In olden times, in Germany diabetic patients also used to eat home made & fresh sauerkraut)  
For details: http://www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de/sauerkraut.html#ixzz1zmXCruXu