The threat came from where it was not expected.
Most Russians have the most reverent feelings for pickled and pickled cucumbers. We have been eating them since childhood, adding them to salads, sandwiches and other dishes. What can we say, some pass on the salting recipe by inheritance! But few people realize that a favorite treat can harm your health.
The root of all evil was salt. According to nutritionist Jay Cowan, one pickled cucumber contains more than 66% of the daily sodium requirement for an adult. Of course, if you eat exactly one cucumber, nothing bad will happen. But everyone knows that after opening a can it is impossible to stop, and at best we limit ourselves to 3-4 pieces, exceeding the daily rate.
In the short term, there are no serious health threats. “Excessive salt intake increases the sodium content in our diet, which leads to unpleasant consequences – water retention and bloating,” says Dr. Wakas Ahmad Battar.
But in the long term, a greater love for cucumbers can have more serious health consequences: According to Battar, regular consumption of pickled cucumbers can lead to high blood pressure, as well as increase the burden on the kidneys. Dr. Rashmi Byakody added that hypertension and flatulence are also on the list of side effects.
Are you sure you can always stop? But scientists don’t think so. “Pickled cucumbers are a salty food that increases your appetite,” Rashmi noted in Eat This, Not That! Cucumbers do not contain many calories, but you start to overeat because of the false feeling of hunger. This, in turn, can lead to obesity.
The next time you feel like crunching, keep in mind that pickles cannot be substituted for fresh vegetables, no matter how much you want them. Earlier, we told why you cannot salt cucumbers in an aluminum bowl.