Can You Eat Too Many Pickles? A Nutritionist Explains
When you need a bright and briny addition to virtually any dish, pickles are there for you. They’re a nonnegotiable addition to a cheeseburger (any self-respecting diner will serve their dishes with a Kosher dill spear). And there’s a reason why they’re a common pregnancy craving—they’re just that good.
If you love pickles as much as we do, there’s a good chance you’ve eaten more than a few straight out of the jar. But have you ever wondered if there’s such a thing as eating too many pickles? What happens to our bodies if we eat large amounts of them?
We consulted nutritionists and health coaches to discuss all things pickles. Here’s what you need to know about their nutritional value and what role they can play in your diet.
What Is The Nutritional Profile Of A Pickle?
What a pickle can contribute to your overall diet depends on the brand you're buying. "Reading the label on your pickle jar is the place to start when navigating the nutritional benefits," says Elisa Kosonen, a holistic nutritionist and health coach. She says that you should try to steer clear of brine that contains sugar.
There are also different methods for making pickles, which can ultimately affect the nutritional value. Vinegar-based brines, like the ones used in homemade quick pickles, bring more than just a boost of acid. "The sour taste is also a great way to naturally encourage the secretion of saliva and digestive enzymes, which are key for our digestive and gut health," Kosonen adds.
The other method of making pickles is called lacto-fermentation, and is best described as the sourdough of the pickle world. Raw cucumbers are soaked in a salt solution so that osmosis draws out the cucumbers' natural moisture. From there, they sit at an ambient temperature and develop a colony of live lactobacilli bacteria. This probiotic is found in many fermented foods (including sourdough) and lends that tangy flavor without the use of vinegar.
When you eat lacto-fermented pickles, you can take advantage of the naturally present probiotics and enzymes, which can help aid digestion.
Can You Eat Too Many Pickles?
Just like with most foods, you should consume pickles in moderation. One of the main reasons you should steer clear of eating too many is the sodium content.
For healthy individuals, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (a comprehensive set of nutrition recommendations published jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services) recommends limiting sodium intake to 2300 mg per day, notes Kristine Dilley, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. "For people with medical conditions that affect their dietary needs, it may be recommended to consume as low as 1500 mg per day," she says, adding that "this can make it challenging to include higher sodium foods like pickles regularly."
Because salt is used as both a seasoning and a preservative for pickles, you can expect high sodium levels in each serving. Kosonen says that "just one half of a large pickle" could be about 12% of your total recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The FDA estimates that the average American consumes approximately 1000 mg more than the daily recommended amount—and adding extra pickles to your diet is one way to raise those levels even higher.
Eating pickles can offer a boost of electrolytes, Kosonen and Dilley both point out, which is good—to a certain extent. "Because they are high in sodium, pickles might aide in reducing or recovering from muscle cramps if you are mildly dehydrated," Dilley says. But eating large amounts of pickles for prolonged periods of time can contribute to larger health issues, like high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.
Health experts broadly advise eating pickles in moderation. Dilley adds that it's also worth making pickles at home to limit your sodium intake. "You may have to search for a while to find low-salt pickle recipes that include other ingredients to enhance the flavor while using a fraction of the salt used in commercially produced pickles," she says.
Bottom line: while pickles can add a delicious crunch to your meals and make a tasty snack, it's best to enjoy them in moderation. After all, you don't want to get yourself into... a pickle with your health!
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