Pickled cucumbers: benefits and harms for the human body

Pickled cucumbers belong to the popular winter harvests. The main feature of their preparation is the use of acetic acid for the marinade, which has a preservative effect and, together with spices, gives the cucumbers a piquant taste.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Pickled cucumbers contain a minimum of calories, but at the same time they have high nutritional value. The product contains the iodine and lactic acid necessary for the human body, which has a good effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.

In addition, the product contains calcium, phosphorus and iron. Below is a table of the nutritional value of pickled cucumbers (per 100 g).

Squirrels2.8 g
Fats0 g
Carbohydrates1.3 g
Alimentary fiber0.5 g
Water93.8 g
Mono- and disaccharides0.6 g
Organic acids0.7 g
Ash3.9 g
Calorie content16 kcal

The benefits and harms of the product

Canned cucumbers are not only a delicious addition to the winter diet, but also have a number of useful properties.

Important! Pickles contain vitamins A, E, C.

But are they not harmful to certain categories of people? Consider in more detail the beneficial and harmful properties of this product.

For women

For the fair sex, pickled cucumbers benefit if they are used properly. Consider the main beneficial properties of this product for women.

  1. They help to lose weight. Due to its high fiber content, canned cucumbers stimulate digestion.
  2. Prevent the development of cancer. The use of cucumbers in the marinade helps to eliminate free radicals from the body.
  3. Eliminate anemia and increase immunity, because they contain many trace elements that increase hemoglobin and the body's resistance to infections.
  4. Useful for pregnant women. At the beginning of pregnancy, girls often want salt and the use of pickled cucumbers during this period is allowed. They contain trace elements necessary not only for the mother, but also for the child. A low calorie product will not allow a woman to gain excess weight.
  5. They help prevent the occurrence of colds. Vinegar, added to the marinade during cooking, destroys pathogens.

The list of beneficial properties of pickled cucumbers for women is quite long. But do not forget that this product can also be harmful, especially if you use it in large quantities.

Did you know? The largest cucumber in the world was grown in Israel. The length of the giant was 118 cm!

The harmful properties of pickled cucumbers for women include:

  • high salt content, which prevents the elimination of fluid from the body, increases blood pressure and adversely affects tooth enamel;
  • the possibility of kidney problems due to the large amount of sodium in the composition of the product;
  • the risk of problems with the digestive system (belching, increased gas in the stomach).

For men

The effect of pickled cucumbers on the male body can also be positive and negative. If you adhere to the recommendations and do not exceed the rate of use of the product, then the benefits of pickled cucumbers for men are quite large.

  1. Prevention of baldness. The product contains trace elements that stimulate the production of testosterone. This prevents hair loss.
  2. Withdrawal of toxins from the body. In the body of men, harmful substances are formed in larger quantities than in women. Eating canned cucumbers helps get rid of toxins.
  3. Increased immunity. The product contains important trace elements that help the body fight viruses and harmful bacteria.
  4. Prevention of obesity. Cucumbers in marinade accelerate the metabolism and digestion in the body.
  5. Relieving symptoms of a hangover syndrome.

Pickles pickled in a marinade can harm the body of men who have problems with blood pressure or the digestive system.

The list of contraindications for the use of this product include:

  • increased acidity of the stomach;
  • disturbances in the work of the organs of the cardiovascular system;
  • urolithiasis disease;
  • stomach ulcer.

For children

Children’s bodies are more susceptible to negative factors than adults. Therefore, the frequent use of pickled cucumbers for children is undesirable. But if the child really likes this product, then you can include it in the diet of baby food.

Important! Pickled cucumbers are contraindicated in children under three years old!

Let’s figure out how pickled cucumbers are useful for the child’s body:

  • stimulate appetite due to the presence of vinegar and spices in the marinade;
  • gently relieve constipation due to the high fiber content.

The list of harmful to children properties of pickled cucumbers is much longer.

Their negative impact on the body of babies is as follows:

  • the high content of salt and vinegar in the marinade promotes dehydration, has a bad effect on tooth enamel and the gastric mucosa;
  • in the process of pickling, the bulk of vitamins is lost;
  • pickled cucumbers can cause an allergy in a child;
  • small children may choke on a slice of cucumber, which after pickling becomes slippery and smooth.

Prescription for pickled cucumbers

There are a lot of recipes for cooking delicious pickled cucumbers. Each housewife prepares them to their taste, choosing different spices and proportions of the main components.

Let's take a closer look at one of the simplest recipes for preserving pickled cucumbers.

Did you know? The birthplace of cucumber is India. In vivo, it still grows at the foot of the Himalayas.

Ingredients

The amount of ingredients is indicated per liter jar.

To prepare delicious and crispy pickled gherkins, we need:

  • fresh cucumbers (how much will fit in a jar);
  • dill umbrellas - 3 pcs.;
  • sprigs of parsley - 2-3 pcs.;
  • cherry leaves - 2 pcs.;
  • bay leaf - 1 pc.;
  • currant leaves - 1-2 pcs.;
  • sugar - 0.5 dessert spoon;
  • salt - 1 dessert spoon;
  • garlic - 3 cloves;
  • black pepper (peas) - 3 pcs.;
  • allspice (peas) - 4 pcs.;
  • red hot pepper - a small slice;
  • vinegar - 25-30 ml;
  • boiling water.

Step-by-step conservation instruction

Before starting cooking, greens and gherkins should be washed well, cut off the ends of cucumbers. Prepare boiling water and a sterilized jar with a lid in advance. Then you can proceed to conservation.

Crispy pickled cucumbers for the winter: video

  1. Fold dill stalks several times and lay tightly on the bottom of the jar.
  2. On the dill put the leaves of cherry and currant, peeled whole cloves of garlic, black and allspice.
  3. Add hot pepper (you can cut a small ring with scissors from the pod).
  4. Put gherkins on dill and spices, placing them tightly to each other. Fill the whole jar with cucumbers.
  5. Put parsley on the gherkins, pour jar of boiling water over it.
  6. Cover the gherkins with a lid and leave for 10-15 minutes.
  7. Drain the can and fill it with ordinary boiling water again. Cover and leave for another 5 minutes.
  8. To prepare the marinade, pour the liquid from the can with gherkins into a separate container.
  9. Add vinegar to the jar of cucumbers.
  10. Put the container with the marinade on the fire, add sugar and salt, boil.
  11. Pour hot pickle into a jar of cucumbers.
  12. Roll up the jar and turn it upside down, wrap it well.

Cucumbers cooked in marinade have become a favorite treat for many people. And the beneficial substances in the composition of this product have a beneficial effect on the human body.

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