Pickled vegetables, it turns out, have great benefits for those in elderly care. Sherman Oaks, CA seniors can take advantage of these advantages rather easily.
One advantage is delaying the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s, and thereby the need help with seniors with dementia. Sherman Oaks, CA can rely on the CAREGivers of Home Instead should that need arise, but, it seems, with enough pickled vegetables that day can be delayed!
So, what are these amazing foods, and how can they help those who need home care assistance near Sherman Oaks, CA?
Well, the most obvious and well-known pickle is the pickled cucumber. Those in senior care in Sherman Oaks, CA likely have been eating these their whole life. They are delicious and, if made well, pleasantly crisp. They are a classic topping for hamburgers, and they are breaded and deep-fried in many places. But just straight up a good, pickled cucumber is hard to beat.
Other national cuisines rely on other sorts of pickled, or fermented, vegetables. Korean food features fermented cabbage, known as kimchi. Kimchi comes in many different varieties and can be very spicy.
German fermented cabbage, sauerkraut, can also be made with different spices and herbs included to give it a different flavor.
In Vietnamese cuisine, they pickle turnips, shaved cucumbers, and even carrots as toppings on dishes.
And in the American South, pickled okra will be served as a side.
Regardless of which version of pickled or fermented vegetable you opt for, the benefits will come — and we don’t just mean for your taste buds!
First, and most directly, foods like these help with gut health. Digestion and the proper absorption of nutrients relies on well-functioning intestines. The intestines, in turn, only work properly when they have the right probiotics flourishing. Pickled and fermented foods are powerhouses of natural probiotics.
Second, probiotics are great for heart health and managing high blood pressure.
Third, probiotics can improve oral health and reduce bad breath by improving the balance of good bacteria.
And fourth, yes, studies have shown that pickled and fermented vegetables delay and prevent conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s
So, the next time you’re reaching for a snack, ask your elderly services CAREGiver from Home Instead to get you something pickled or fermented. It’s good for you!