Does Sauerkraut Kill Parasites?

Sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage, is good for more than just adding flavor to your hot dog. The food can also be beneficial in ridding the body of parasites, and is an affordable way to start restoring your health. It's important to know how much sauerkraut to eat, along with the additional benefits of the food, to understand how adding it to your diet can enhance your health.

The colon, which is highly acidic, contains acidophilus, which is a beneficial bacteria that helps to maintain the balance of the digestive system and flush impure substances from the body. The fermentation process of cabbage that results in sauerkraut fortifies the food with acidophilus, which is helpful to people whose colon health has been compromised by parasite infestation.

Lactic acid, which is formed when cabbage is fermented, also helps to flush parasites from the intestines. The microorganisms that make up lactic acid are also present in a healthy colon, so eating sauerkraut will help to add more of the substance back into a colon that has been damaged by parasites. The extremely acidic environment that lactic acid creates in sauerkraut has the same effect in the large intestine, in that parasites and toxins can't survive in it.

Sauerkraut is also helpful for getting rid of Candida albicans, which can affect the body like a parasite when too much is found in the intestines. According to the Alive website, taking excessive antibiotics and having a diet rich in processed food can cause Candida overgrowth. Symptoms of Candida include brain fog, gas and bloating, intense food cravings and indigestion. Eating sauerkraut, with its high amounts of lactic acid, acidophilus and Lactobacilli plantarum, help to take pathogenic organisms like Candida out of the body, along with other parasites such as E. coli and salmonella.

While vegetables already have the ability to rid the body of toxins, including parasites, the fermentation of cabbage that results in sauerkraut boosts the vitamin B-12 content of the food, which makes the immune system stronger, and can even boost mood. According to a study published in the October 2002 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, sauerkraut contains a substance called isothiocynates, which is also present in broccoli and brussels sprouts. In animal studies, isothiocynates have been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, particularly in the breast, colon, liver and lungs.