Due to the fermentation it undergoe, sauerkraut offers nutrition and many health benefits far from those fresh cabbage.

Here are some of health benefits of sauerkraut.

• It improved your digestion

Sauerkraut contains probiotics which can help improve your digestion and overall health. Probiotics in sauerkraut can help improve the bacterial balance in your gut after it has been disturbed by the use of antibiotics. This will help reduce and prevent antibiotics- provoked diarrhea. A study has also shown that probiotics can help reduce gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and symptoms linked to crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. It also have some enzymes that help your body absorb nutrients more easily.

• May help you lose weight

Regular consuming of sauerkraut may help you lose weight and keep it off. Various studies report that participants given probiotic- rich foods or supplements lost more weight than those given a placebo. Sauerkraut's low calorie , high fiber and high probiotic content helps prevent weight gain and promote the loss of unwanted body fats.

• Helps reduce stress and maintain brain health.

While your mood can affect what you eat even the reverse is also true that what you eat can also affect your mood. A studystudy has shown that probiotics improves and reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, and even obsessive compulsive disorder. Sauerkraut also maintains brain health by increasing your gut's absorption of mood- regulating minerals, including magnesium and zinc. Sauerkraut promotes healthy gut flora and may increase the absorption of mood regulating minerals from your diet.

How to make Sauerkraut

Ingredients

1. 1 medium green cabbage
2. 1 tablespoon (15ml) of non iodized salt
3. 2-3 carrots, shredded( optional)
4. 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. If you wish to add carrots and garlic , start by placing them in a large bowl.
2. Discard the outer leaves of your cabbage, setting one nicer leaf aside. Then slice the cabbage into quarters, leaving the core in. This makes shredding easier.
3. Shred the cabbage quarters into the large bowl with the carrot and garlic mix. 
4. Add salt and massage it into the cabbage mixture for a few minutes until brine starts accumulating at the bottom of your bowl.
5. Pack the cabbage mixture into a clean, 1 quarter ( literally) jar, pressing down to get rid of air pockets. Pour the remaining brine into the jar. 
6. Trim the cabbage leaf you set aside earlier to the size of your jar opening. Place it in the jar on top of the mixture to prevent veggies from floating to the surface.
7. Place a 4 - ounce (120ml) jelly jar with no lid inside the larger jar, on top of the mixture. 
8. Screw the lid onto your 1 - quarter ( 1- litre) jar. It will press the jelly jar down, keeping your cabbage mixture below the brine. Leave the lid slightly loose , which will allow gases to escape during the fermentation process.
9. Keep it at room temperature and out of direct sunlight for 1-4 weeks 

Follow the above steps to make your own inexpensive, tasty Sauerkraut at home