Germans invented sauerkraut, right? False.

It turns out it was invented in ancient China over 2,000 years ago.

You see, when the slaves were building the Great Wall of China, they lived off rice and cabbage in the summer.

And in the winter, they pickled the cabbage with rice wine.

Rice wine soured the cabbage and made it edible.

Now, you might be wondering why I’m telling you this.

Turns out preserving cabbage doesn’t only make it edible for months at a time,

It can also help soothe inflamed, painful joints.

A study published in 2016 by Genome Medicine found patients with severe bouts of joint inflammation had an excess of certain bad gut bacteria,

And those without any joint issues had none.

But what does sauerkraut have to do this?

Well, you might know you have good and bad bacteria in your gut.

Over the years, researchers discovered that when these bacteria are balanced, your body stays healthy.

But the second that balance is thrown off, all sorts of health issues arise.

According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, this disbalance can result in:

• Severe joint pain
• Heart problems
• Low functioning immune system
• Overgrowth of cancerous cells

The worst part is as you age, your gut bacteria changes and weakens.

Plus, a poor diet low in fibre, high in sweets, and full of deep-fried food and some medications can disrupt this healthy balance.

And this is where the sauerkraut comes in.

So what’s so special about this fermented cabbage?

The keyword here is “fermented.”

Turns out, fermented foods have special gut-healing properties because they’re filled with good bacteria.

And it can easily help to restore a good gut balance.

However, not everyone likes sauerkraut.

And to get the full benefits, you’d have to eat it by the spoonful every day.

Luckily, there are other foods you can include in your diet to keep your gut healthy:

• Yoghurt
• Kefir
• Apple cider
• Kombucha
• Kimchi

We hope this article helps you to improve your gut health!