What does pickle juice tea taste like? TikTok users are obsessed with drinking pickle juice, claiming it can relieve cramps, cure hangovers, and stop hiccups. (Not to mention the fact that Selena Gomez loves dipping her spicy popcorn in the green juice.)
While some of the pickle juice benefits are likely coincidence or a placebo effect, there are actual health benefits to chugging down the pale green, tart drink. “Pickle juice may offer certain health benefits, especially for serious athletes or anyone who needs a quick boost of electrolytes,” says Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN, nutrition and healthy lifestyle expert for NBC's TODAY show.
What is Pickle Juice?
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It's not something you get when you squeeze pickles, like you get lemon juice when you squeeze pickles. The brine that turns cucumbers into pickles is usually made of water, vinegar, seasonings and salt. Some companies that make bottled pickle juice add ingredients for flavor or function. “The brine doesn't taste exactly like a pickle, so we infuse it with natural essential oils to give it the same flavor as a pickle,” says Chase Coleman, vice president of marketing for Sucker Punch, which sells a variety of pickles and pickle-related products. The company also adds extra electrolytes, such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, to help with hydration, which occur naturally in pickle juice.
Health Benefits
Pickle juice isn't some magical health food that you can eat as much as you want like cucumbers, but we all know that. So what's so good about it? Here are the main reasons why pickle juice is good for you and how you can safely include it in your diet.
Pickle juice can help replenish electrolytes after exercise.
Can you swap out your sugary sports drink for pickle juice? Maybe you can. Pickles are rich in potassium, an important electrolyte. “If you want to use pickle juice as a sports drink during exercise to replace sodium lost through sweat, drink 20 to 50 ounces of water for every 2 ounces of pickle juice to get the right sodium levels,” says Blatner.
But even with all this dilution, you're still at risk for drinking too much: “If you don't know how much sodium is in your pickle juice, it's not the ideal choice for a sports drink,” she says. Instead, opt for mini pickle juice supplement bottles that have the sodium amount clearly stated on the label.
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Another good way to replenish electrolytes is to add pickle juice to your post-workout meal. “You can use 2 ounces or less in a salad dressing, or in a yogurt or oil marinade for meats, tofu, or vegetables,” suggests Blatner. “You can use pickle juice in a tuna or chicken salad. Try adding a little when making hummus or to flavor rice or quinoa.”
It may stop pain caused by muscle spasms.
TikTok may be onto something here: A study by researchers from the University of Michigan, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, and Harvard Medical School found that consuming a tablespoon of dill or kosher pickle juice reduced the severity of cramps in 69 percent of patients surveyed. While pickle juice won't prevent exercise-related muscle soreness, “the acetic acid in pickle juice may trigger a reflex that inhibits the nerves that cause cramps, providing immediate pain relief,” Bauer says.
Pickle juice may improve gut health.
Some pickles contain probiotics, made from live microorganisms that boost the “good” bacteria in your body. “Opt for pickle juice from fermented pickles for the probiotic and gut health benefits,” says Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, founder of Marisa Moore Nutrition in Atlanta, Georgia. You can find these pickles in the refrigerated cheese section of your grocery store, not the condiment aisle.
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Why are fermented pickles better than plain pickled cucumbers? According to Stanford University, fermented pickles aren't pasteurized, so the probiotics aren't destroyed during processing. “Look for pickles with simple ingredients: pickle seeds, water, salt, and seasonings to taste,” Moore adds.
It may stabilize blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes or insulin resistance, ask your doctor if pickle juice is right for you. “The vinegar in pickle juice may help stabilize blood sugar,” Bauer says. It's thought that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, may increase your body's insulin response, Bauer adds. But keep in mind that there are no evidence-based guidelines recommending how much you should drink or when.
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prevention
Bauer says pickle juice does have some potential downsides: “Pickle juice is very high in sodium and can cause digestive upset, so it's best consumed in very small amounts. For people with high blood pressure, kidney disease, reflux, or who are on a sodium-restricted diet, consuming pickle juice may be problematic and exacerbate those health issues,” she says.
That's because sodium is a big no-no for people with high blood pressure, and pickle juice is mostly vinegar and highly acidic, she says. (Reflux is when stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, so pouring acid down your throat isn't exactly helping.) “If you have any health issues or concerns, it's important to speak to your doctor or registered dietitian before adding pickles to your diet.”
The amount of salt in pickle juice is not an exact science, as it depends on the brand you choose, and also on the type of pickles floating in the juice. According to USDA data, one large dill stalk contains 1,630 mg of sodium. Comparing pickles to each other, 100 grams of sweet pickles contains 457 mg of sodium, while 100 grams of sour dill pickles contains 1,250 mg of sodium.
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To further complicate the situation, the nutrition facts label on a jar of pickles only lists information about the pickles, not the juice, so unless you buy pre-bottled pickle juice, it's hard to know how much salt is in them. “Choose whole pickles,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, author of The Superfood Swap. “Studies have found that pickle juice made from whole pickles has lower sodium content than bottled sliced pickles.”
Conclusion
Pickle juice may be good for you, but it should be drunk in moderation. “If you choose to incorporate pickle juice into your diet, make sure to avoid other high-sodium foods during the day to make up for it,” says Moore. And, once again, be sure to talk to your doctor and get their approval before trying this trend.
Lisa is an international health writer whose work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Men's Health, Oprah Daily, Woman's Day, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Esquire, Glamour, The Washington Post, WebMD, Medscape, The Los Angeles Times, Parade, Health, Self, Family Circle, Seventeen, and other publications. She is the author of eight best-selling books, including The Essentials of Theatre.
