How Drinking Pickle Juice Benefits Health

There are two types of individuals in the world, individuals who cannot stand the taste of pickles, and those who may just enter a pickle eating contest given the opportunity. The whole idea of pickles came about when travelers taking long journeys from India decided to put their cucumbers in water and salt to keep them good for the trip. This idea worked well and has evolved into our modern day salty vinegary jarred pickles from the grocery store. While the brine that remains in the jar once the pickles are gone can be extremely acidic and sour, some individuals actually think it provides a unique taste when added to different drinks and recipes. While using pickle juice in that way is nothing new, drinking pickle juice by itself for its health benefits is new.

Helps Manage Blood Sugar

Believe it or not, there is a way pickle juice helps manage blood sugar after eating a meal. When an individual consumes a meal, glucose is used by the body to produce energy. After the food is eaten and blood sugar increases, beta cells in the pancreas are told to excrete insulin into the bloodstream. Once insulin is in the bloodstream, it is able to bond with the glucose and be absorbed by the cells. When there is an excess of sugar in the body, insulin stores the extra sugar in the liver for later use when blood sugar becomes low again. The pickle juice we have today contains a good concentration of vinegar, and vinegar contains a compound called acetic acid. Acetic acid has been proven in research to decrease the levels of glucose in the blood by slowing down the process of digestion, facilitating the glucose absorption of muscles, and preventing the complete starch breakdown. When it comes to raw vinegar it only takes about two tablespoons before consuming a meal to have this effect on blood sugar. A small cup of pickle juice will have about that quantity of vinegar content, which results in the same blood sugar lowering effects.

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Reduces Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps often occur during or after exercise as a result muscle straining and overuse. While fluid and hydration have an effect on the ability of the muscle to contract and relax, the nervous system plays an even stronger role in it. Alpha motor neurons present in the spinal cord and brain stem are responsible for communicating the messages of when to contract and relax to the muscle. Muscle fatigue during or after exercise causes the activity levels of the alpha motor neurons, resulting in a sustained state of contraction, otherwise known as muscle cramping. Pickle juice reduces muscle cramps because it contains a good concentration of vinegar, which contains acetic acid and pickle juice its noxious taste. This is important because this taste has shown in research to stimulate a specific type of reflex that happens in the back of the throat. This certain type of reflex is effective at reducing the activity in the hyperactive alpha motor neurons. Because the cramping occurs from the alpha motor neurons being too active, the relaxation of the muscles will occur with a decrease in activity of the alpha motor neurons.

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