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Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut as a functional food: an 87-person crossover trial of fresh and pasteurized sauerkraut, why pasteurized worked as well, and sodium and tyramine cautions.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

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Overview

Sauerkraut is salted, fermented cabbage. The most useful recent human data is a crossover trial in healthy adults.

What the research shows

In a 2025 crossover trial with 87 healthy participants, daily fresh or pasteurized sauerkraut for 4 weeks changed some single bacterial species in the gut. The changes were more pronounced with pasteurized sauerkraut, and only pasteurized sauerkraut increased serum short-chain fatty acids. The authors concluded that the gut microbiome of healthy people is "rather resilient" to short-term dietary change. [1]

What this means: live cultures were not needed for the effects seen, and one month of sauerkraut did not reshape the gut overall. Proper evidence for effects on disease or symptoms was not found.

Live cultures

Only unpasteurized sauerkraut contains live microbes, but the trial above found pasteurized sauerkraut did at least as much on the measures studied. [1] A fermented food is not a probiotic unless a strain is shown to give a benefit. [2]

Safety and individual considerations

  • Salt: check the label for sodium; the Dietary Guidelines advise adults to keep sodium below 2,300 mg a day. [3]
  • If you take an MAOI antidepressant, Mayo Clinic lists sauerkraut among foods to ask about because of tyramine. [4]
  • We do not give home-fermentation instructions. See Preparation.

Related

Kimchi · Kimchi vs sauerkraut

Frequently asked questions

Is pasteurized sauerkraut worse for you?

In the 87-person trial, pasteurized sauerkraut produced more pronounced changes than fresh. [1]

Does sauerkraut improve gut health?

The trial found changes in single species but concluded the healthy gut microbiome is resilient to short-term change. [1]

References

  1. Schropp N et al. The impact of regular sauerkraut consumption on the human gut microbiota: a crossover intervention trial. Microbiome 2025. PMID 39940045.
  2. Marco ML et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021. PMID 33398112.
  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. Check the site for the current edition.
  4. Mayo Clinic. MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.