Sauerkraut: Nutrition, Salt, Live Cultures and Probiotics

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Updated 4 November 2026

Sauerkraut is white cabbage fermented with salt: lactic acid bacteria that live naturally on the cabbage turn its sugars into acid, which gives the sour taste and preserves it for months. It is very low in energy (19 kcal per 100 g) and a source of vitamin C, vitamin K and fibre, but it is also salty: canned sauerkraut has about 1.7 g of salt per 100 g, a third of the 5 g a day WHO recommends as a maximum. Unpasteurised sauerkraut contains live microbes; whether that brings specific health benefits has barely been tested in people.

Sauerkraut nutrition per 100 g and per portion

Nutrient	Canned sauerkraut, 100 g	Portion: 1/2 cup (71 g)
Energy	19 kcal	13 kcal
Protein	0.9 g	0.6 g
Fat	0.1 g	0.1 g
Carbohydrate	4.3 g	3.0 g
of which fibre	2.9 g	2.1 g
of which sugars	1.8 g	1.3 g
Sodium	661 mg	469 mg
Salt (sodium x 2.5)	1.7 g	1.2 g
Vitamin C	14.7 mg	10.4 mg
Vitamin K	13 µg	9.2 µg
Folate	24 µg	17 µg
Potassium	170 mg	121 mg
Iron	1.5 mg	1.0 mg
Calcium	30 mg	21 mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central, “Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids”, FDC ID 169279, checked 4 November 2026. The record gives 1 cup = 142 g; the 71 g column (half a cup) is calculated. Salt is calculated from sodium using the EU factor of 2.5. Homemade and refrigerated sauerkraut can differ, especially in salt. Values rounded.

Per 100 g, sauerkraut gives about 18% of the EU reference intake for vitamin C (80 mg) and 17% for vitamin K (75 µg), which makes it a source of both under EU labelling rules. The catch is sodium: the same 100 g carries 661 mg.

Glycemic index of sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is not listed in the international GI tables (Atkinson 2008). It has only about 4 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, of which 2.9 g is fibre, so it has very little effect on blood sugar.

Health benefits: what the evidence says

A fermented food, not automatically a probiotic. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) defines fermented foods as foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions. It stresses that “fermented food” and “probiotic” are not the same thing: a probiotic needs defined strains, proven safety and a demonstrated health benefit. Traditional sauerkraut likely contains several strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, but these are not characterised well enough to call it a probiotic.
Human evidence is thin. According to the same ISAPP consensus, apart from yogurt and other cultured dairy, few well-designed trials exist on fermented foods. Sauerkraut is among the foods tested in at least one randomised trial, but there is no established health benefit from those studies yet. Claims that sauerkraut “heals the gut” go beyond the evidence.
Live or not. Heat applied after fermentation kills the fermentation microbes, as ISAPP notes for baked bread, and pasteurised fermented foods may contain no live microorganisms at all. Shelf-stable canned and jarred sauerkraut is heat-processed, so do not count on it for live cultures. If live microbes matter to you, choose refrigerated sauerkraut labelled unpasteurised, or make your own.
Vegetables with few calories. Sauerkraut is still cabbage. It counts towards the at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day WHO recommends, and it brings fibre, vitamin C and vitamin K in winter, when fresh vegetables are more expensive.

Ayurveda: sauerkraut in the traditional system

Usha and Vasant Lad’s food guidelines do not list sauerkraut separately. The closest entry is pickles, which are favourable for Vata and on the list to avoid for Pitta and Kapha; vinegar is also to be avoided for Pitta and Kapha. By analogy, sour fermented vegetables would suit Vata best. This is an analogy from a traditional system, not a direct entry and not a clinical finding.

How to buy, prepare and use sauerkraut

Read the label. Look for cabbage, salt and perhaps spices. “Pasteurised” means heat-treated. Some products are pickled in vinegar rather than fermented; those are sour but are not fermented foods.
Less salt: a quick rinse under cold water removes part of the brine and its salt, though also some of the flavour. Do not add more salt to dishes made with sauerkraut until you have tasted them.
Raw: as a side salad with grated carrot, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper or caraway, or on a sandwich with cheese.
Cooked: braised with onion and paprika, in cabbage soups, in Polish bigos, or with white beans. Whole fermented cabbage leaves are used for cabbage rolls (sarma) in the Balkans.
To keep live cultures: add raw sauerkraut at the end, on the plate, rather than cooking it.
Making it at home: shredded cabbage is massaged or layered with salt and kept fully under its own brine at room temperature for a few weeks. Follow a tested recipe. The CDC advises not to eat food if you do not know whether it was safely preserved or fermented.
Storage: keep opened jars in the fridge, with the cabbage under the liquid.

Who should be careful

High blood pressure or a low-salt diet. WHO links high sodium intake mainly to raised blood pressure. With 661 mg of sodium per 100 g, a large bowl of sauerkraut can use up a big part of a day’s salt budget. Keep portions small and rinse it if your doctor has told you to limit salt.
MAO inhibitor medicines. People taking the antidepressant phenelzine are warned that foods high in tyramine, including fermented foods, can cause a serious reaction. If you take an MAOI, follow the food list your doctor or dietitian gives you (MedlinePlus).
Weakened immune system. NCCIH notes that the risk of harm from probiotics is greater in people with severe illness or compromised immunity. If this applies to you, ask your doctor about unpasteurised fermented foods.
Irritable bowel syndrome or a sensitive stomach. Start with a spoonful or two and see how your digestion responds before eating larger portions.

FAQ

Is sauerkraut a probiotic?

Not in the strict sense. Unpasteurised sauerkraut contains live lactic acid bacteria, but scientists use the word probiotic only for defined strains with a proven health benefit. Sauerkraut is a fermented food; its effects on health in people have hardly been studied.

Does canned sauerkraut have live cultures?

You should not expect it to. Canned and other shelf-stable sauerkraut is heat-processed, and heat after fermentation kills the fermentation microbes. For live cultures, look for refrigerated sauerkraut labelled unpasteurised or make it yourself.

How much sauerkraut can I eat a day?

There is no official amount. A side portion of 50-100 g is common. The main limit is salt: 100 g of canned sauerkraut has about 1.7 g of salt, and WHO recommends less than 5 g a day in total.

Sources

USDA FoodData Central: Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids (FDC ID 169279). fdc.nal.usda.gov
Marco ML, Sanders ME, Gänzle M et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021;18:196-208. nature.com
World Health Organization: Salt reduction, fact sheet. who.int
World Health Organization: Healthy diet, fact sheet. who.int
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII – nutrient reference values. EUR-Lex
MedlinePlus: Phenelzine. medlineplus.gov
NCCIH: Probiotics: usefulness and safety. nccih.nih.gov
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing botulism. cdc.gov
Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care 2008;31(12):2281-2283. PMC
Lad U, Lad V. Food Guidelines for Basic Constitutional Types, from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, 2nd ed. The Ayurvedic Institute. ayurveda.com

This page is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice.

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