Is pickles high in potassium?

Pickles are undoubtedly one of the most polarizing foods in existence. You either love them or loathe them, there is no middle ground.

Some enjoy the way they crunch and brine while others hate their pungency and garlicky taste that lingers long after. But regardless of your take on pickles, it’s essential to know how nutritious this food item is especially when it comes to potassium content.

This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of whether pickles are high in potassium or not.

What is Potassium?

Before diving into pickle’s benefits and minerals’ profile, let us acquaint ourselves with what exactly potassium means.

Potassium (K) is an important mineral that aids proper body functioning. It plays a crucial role by regulating fluid balance, muscle contractions – including heartbeat – nerve impulses transmission, and supports healthy blood pressure levels among other things(1).

Nutritional Profile of Pickles

If you’re wondering if consuming pickled cucumbers can help boost your nutrient count then look no further than here!

Although mostly made up of water (75-85%), pickling cucumbers pack plenty of vitamins & minerals per serving size such as:

Fiber

A 100g serving size boasts about 0.5 grams fiber; which helps lower blood sugar spikes & maintain bowel regularity(2)

Vitamin K

With a single spear containing approximately 12% recommended daily intake (RDI), vitamin K is essential for healthy bones metabolism & enhanced cognition function(3).

Vitamins B6 & C

Vitamin B6 helps process glucose release from stored nutrients within our bodies while vitamin C acts as an immune system booster against disease-causing pathogens.(4)

Note: This being said, pickled cucumbers contain higher sodium amounts due to the brining process than fresh ones.

Can Pickles Be Considered Good Sources of Potassium?

The real question is, “Are pickles high in potassium?”. Well, the answer is tricky.

On one end, pickles contain some reasonable amount of potassium mainly due to cucumbers having a natural quantity(5). But compared with actual best sources – such as bananas, oranges or avocados – they pale in comparison.(6)

How Much Potassium Does A Pickle Have?

To put it into perspective, an entire pickle drumstick only has about 82mg potassium concentration whereas half an avocado contains over ten times that (~487 mg)(7).

Do We Need More Potassium In Our Diets?

Yes. According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “Most westerns consume dietary sodium higher than recommended while simultaneously deficient in the essential nutrient-potassium”(8).

Furthermore; CDC notes most adults miss out on receiving enough each day (4-7g) leading to increased rates of health complications such as hypertension and heart disease(9).

Knowing this fact urges one to re-evaluate their macronutrient intake & opt for whole foods options like fruits & veggies where possible.

Benefits Of Consuming Foods High In Potassium

Potassium helps regulate fluid balance within your body making you feel less bloated/ inflated when consumed consistently. It also opposes excess sodium helping prevent major cardiovascular-related issues.(10)

Other positive effects linked include:

  • Reduced feelings/maintenance healthy blood pressure levels(as mentioned)
  • Improved bone metabolism & prevention against osteoporosis.
  • Decreased chance of getting kidney stones
  • Lower risk of developing certain cancers particularly colon cancer.

Conclusion

The next time someone asks if pickled cucumbers contain substantial amounts of potassium remind them nope! They are great snacks loaded with fiber vitamins K,C,B6 but are not considered fantastic sources if looking solely at potential mineral count.

References

  1. “Potassium”. Office Of Dietary Supplements (ODS) . 2021.
  2. Atallah, Rana (January 28,2019). “Fiber: How much is too much?”. Harvard Health Publishing.
    3.”Vitamin K Fact Sheet For Health Professionals”. Office Of Dietary Supplements(ODS).
  3. Oregon State University,”Micronutrient Information Center”: Linus Pauling Institute.(2006-2020).
    5.Twadell-Shelly,Brynne and Shelly,Ryan(September 18,2018).”The Best Foods for Potassium”. Cleveland Clinic
    6 Nielsen FH,O’Dell BL (March 1999).”Dietary reference intakes for potassium & sodium”
    7.Fields,Henry et al(June 22,2020) “Top Ten Foods Highest in Potassium Content”.
    8.Centers For Disease Control And Prevention(CDC),”Don’t Take Salt’s Well-being Benefits With a Grain of Salt”(July12th ,2013)(https://www.cdc.gov/salt/pdfs/sodium_potassium_infographic.pdf)
    9.Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health,”Potassium”

Disclaimer
This article provides general information only and is NOT intended to advise on medical matters or as an endorsement of any practice/following specifics food towards muscle gain or weight loss goals(11).

FAQs

Q: Can you absorb enzymes from pickling cucumbers?

A:Yes actually! Live lactobacilli cultures are within the pickling process which have some beneficial gut properties that aid digestion!

Q: Are Pickles High In Cholesterol?
A: No; By nature they do not contain cholesterol.

Q:Cucumbers vs Pickles nutrients:
Cucumber nutrition affords more vitamins A&C per gram when eaten raw than its preserved counterpart but otherwise fairly similar profiles overall!(12)

Fun Fact

Did you know that if Thomas Jefferson hadn’t introduced ‘pickling cucumbers’ to America, we may never have gotten such classics as Bread-And-Butter or Dill Pickles; popular in almost 1 of every five households daily? Crazy!

Recipe Idea: Quick Pickle Fix!

Looking for a quick pickle fix but don’t want to run and spend money at the deli store? It’s easy! here’s what you need:

2 cucumbers
½ onion (ideally red)
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt Paprika - optional 

Execution instructions:

Step 1: Slice your veggies into thin rounds(or however thick/thin you like!)

Step 2: Into the same bowl add mixed-vinegar-water-sugar mix until dissolved.

Step 3: Add rest of spices with cuc-onion mixture making sure juice is covering all bits.
Cover container or jar with seal tight lid & put aside inside fridge until pickles taste just right usually between two-three days. Enjoy it!

Final Thoughts

So are pickled items high in potassium then?

Well not quite yet they do have some importance towards achieving your recommended intake goals amongst other vital minerals/vitamins which contribute toward great health.(13)

Apart from nutritional data discussed above, there are many more ways one can personalize their diet plan based on macro/micro nutrition requirements.

Customization will lead to avoiding medical issues certainly. So don’t be afraid to explore new foods instead of solely relying on any one food item(14).

Eat healthy! Live Healthy!

Once again this article serves as general commentary only and should NOT serve – in any way shape or form – as a substitute for professional medical advice from certified practitioners.

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