Study analyzes the mechanisms of gut health benefits of sauerkraut

Image | adobe.stock/Madeleine Steinbach

In an April 14, 2025, news release¹, the University of California, Davis announced results from a study on the gut health benefits of fermented vegetables such as cabbage (sauerkraut). As noted in the study’s introduction, through microbial activity, fermentation of vegetables transforms the nutrients in the ingredients and enriches metabolome profiles with beneficial compounds also made by the human gut microbiome. The study², “The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers,” was published in April 2025 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

To analyze the protective potential against damage from inflammation, the researchers tested both store-bought and laboratory-fermented sauerkraut in a cell model, along with raw cabbage and the brine. Intestinal epithelial barrier protective bioactivity was seen from all the fermented cabbage samples, even though differences in metabolome were demonstrated. Raw cabbage and brine did not demonstrate the same effects. Additionally, it was suggested that fermented cabbage contained a protective core metabolome.

“Some of the metabolites we find in the sauerkraut are the same kind of metabolites we’re finding to be made by the gut microbiome, so that gives us a little more confidence that this connection we found between the metabolites in sauerkraut and good gut health makes sense,” stated study author and UC Davis professor Maria Marco, in the news release. “It doesn’t matter, in a way, if we make sauerkraut at home or we buy it from the store; both kinds of sauerkraut seemed to protect gut function.”

Based on this study’s results, the researchers suggested that human studies will help further clarify additional specifics of the protective activity and identify recommended daily intake.

“Along with eating more fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, even if we have just a regular serving of sauerkraut, maybe putting these things more into our diet, we'll find that can help us in the long run against inflammation, for example, and make our digestive tract more resilient when we have a disturbance,” Marco added. “A little bit of sauerkraut could go a long way. We should be thinking about including these fermented foods in our regular diets and not just as a side on our hot dogs.”

References

1. Dobbyn, T. The Gut Health Benefits of Sauerkraut. https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/gut-health-benefits-sauerkraut (accessed 2025-04-16).
2. Wei, L.; Marco, ML. The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2025. DOI: 10.1128/aem.02234-24