Pickled cucumbers, apart from being a tasty culinary function, have been shown by numerous studies to have health benefits in aiding digestion, assisting with weight loss due to their abundance of powerful antioxidants, and potentially fighting certain types of cancer.
Eating pickles in a meal can boost beneficial probiotic levels for good health. Pickled cucumbers provide a variety of beneficial microorganisms for the digestive system, stimulating digestion and enhancing immunity and immune function for the body.
However, other studies mention health drawbacks because of their high sodium (salt) content, which negatively affects the kidneys, cardiovascular system, and increases the risk of stomach cancer…
Those who should not eat pickled cucumbers:
1. Individuals with kidney conditions
When the kidneys are weak, the toxin elimination function in the body is also compromised. Consuming excessive salt will cause patients to have high blood pressure, water retention resulting in edema, artificial weight gain, and interfere with medication. Therefore, kidney patients should avoid salty foods in general, and pickles in particular.
2. Individuals with gastrointestinal diseases
Individuals with weak stomachs who consume pickled, fermented foods are more prone to gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, bacterial dysentery, and dyspepsia… Patients with stomach pain should also exercise caution in consuming this food when there is irritation in the upper stomach region. This is because the high acid concentration in pickled, fermented foods can damage the gastric mucosa, causing gastric inflammation and ulcers.
3. Individuals with high blood pressure
This is a type of food that has a high sodium content. When ingested, salt increases the permeability of cell membranes to sodium, causing increased water retention in cells, constricting blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure and potential complications for patients.
4. Individuals recovering from illness, with weakened bodies
In traditional medicine, pickles are believed to have cooling properties, so they should not be used for individuals with cold bodies. Caution is also advised when combining them with cold foods and should be paired with spices that have warming properties (garlic, chili, lemongrass, etc.). Especially for those recovering from illness, it is not advisable to eat pickled cucumbers.
5. Pregnant women