What Sauerkraut Has Probiotics?

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to look for — and why Superkraut is a smart, simple choice for your gut.

Let’s start with the basics.

Probiotics are live bacteria that help keep your gut healthy.

They’re often called “good” or “friendly” bacteria. When you eat enough of them, they can:

• Support healthy digestion

• Help your immune system

• Balance your gut microbiome (the tiny world of bacteria in your gut)

To count as a “real probiotic,” the bacteria must be:

1. Alive when you eat them

2. In big enough numbers to make a difference

3. Proven to help in studies

That’s why how sauerkraut is made and stored really matters.

Sauerkraut starts with cabbage and salt.
When the mix is left to ferment, natural bacteria grow. These are called lactic acid bacteria (LAB).

They eat the sugars in cabbage and make lactic acid.
That’s what gives sauerkraut its tangy flavour — and what helps it last naturally in the fridge.

Common “good bacteria” found in sauerkraut:

• Lactobacillus plantarum

• Leuconostoc mesenteroides

• Pediococcus pentosaceus

• Lactobacillus brevis

Scientists have found even more types, but those four are the main ones.
These tiny helpers are the same kinds you find in some probiotic yoghurts.

In other words — sauerkraut is like a plant-based probiotic food.

(Source: Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2023)

Yes — there’s now good research showing that sauerkraut can support gut health.
Scientists have studied how sauerkraut affects digestion, gut bacteria, and even the lining of your intestines.
Here’s what they’ve found so far:

1. Sauerkraut may ease digestion and balance gut bacteria

One of the best-known human studies looked at people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) — a condition that causes bloating, cramps, and discomfort.

• In this study (Nielsen et al., 2018), 34 people with IBS ate either raw or pasteurised sauerkraut every day for six weeks.

• Both groups felt better — their IBS symptoms went down.

• But only the raw sauerkraut group had more good bacteria like Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis show up in their stool samples.

• The researchers said this means live sauerkraut bacteria can reach the gut alive — something that heated (pasteurised) sauerkraut can’t do.

They also noticed that part of the benefit might come from the natural fibre and plant compounds in sauerkraut, which feed your own gut bacteria — not just from the live microbes themselves.
(Source: Nielsen et al., Food & Function Journal, 2018)

Another newer trial (2024) tested fresh vs pasteurised sauerkraut in 87 healthy adults over four weeks.
Even in people without gut problems, sauerkraut caused small but real changes in gut bacteria and metabolites — proof that fermented cabbage can nudge your microbiome in a positive direction.
(Source: ResearchGate Preprint, 2024)

In short: Raw sauerkraut may improve digestion and encourage good gut bacteria, especially when eaten regularly.

Sauerkraut isn’t only for people with stomach issues.
Healthy people can see changes too.

• In a 10-day study with athletes, those who ate sauerkraut showed an increase in bacteria linked to short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production — compounds known to keep the gut lining healthy.

• The researchers found that sauerkraut helped make the gut microbiome more stable from person to person, even if it didn’t always increase the total number of species.
  (Source: MDPI Nutrients Journal, 2024)

Another small test in six healthy men found that eating fermented vegetables, including sauerkraut, led to small shifts in their microbiome — more Bacteroides, fewer Prevotella — after just two weeks.
(Source: MDPI Fermentation Journal, 2023)

So even in healthy people, fermented foods like sauerkraut can gently shape gut bacteria and add variety.

One of the most interesting studies comes from UC Davis (2025).
Researchers there tested how different cabbage preparations — raw, fermented, and brine — affected gut cells in the lab.

• They grew human intestinal cells and exposed them to inflammation.

• When they added fermented cabbage (sauerkraut), the cells stayed healthier and the barrier stayed strong.

• Raw cabbage and plain brine didn’t help — only fermented cabbage did.

• The scientists found special plant-based compounds made during fermentation, such as D-phenyl-lactate and indole-3-lactate, which may help calm inflammation and protect the gut lining.

(Source: UC Davis Food Science Study, 2025; PubMed ID 40192297)

This means fermentation doesn’t just add good bacteria — it also creates new nutrients and protective molecules that raw cabbage doesn’t have.

Fermentation turns cabbage into a living, nutrient-rich food.
It produces:

• Lactic acid, which gives the tangy flavour and keeps out harmful microbes.

• Bioactive compounds, like antioxidants and plant acids, that reduce inflammation.

• Prebiotic fibre, which feeds your own healthy bacteria.

• Live LAB (lactic acid bacteria), which can survive stomach acid and reach your intestines alive.

These changes explain why fermented sauerkraut offers more digestive and immune support than raw or pasteurised cabbage.

Putting all the studies together:

Please follow us on social media where we share fermentation recipes, tips and info. We would love to hear from you on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook - Tag us @goodnudefooduk and use the hashtag #Superkraut