Article
A great article~ Sauerkraut could fight bird flu, say scientists
By Jasper Copping
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/13/nsauer13.xml
(Filed: 13 November 2005)
Sauerkraut, the dish adored in Germany but much maligned in Britain,
could prove to be a secret weapon against the threat of bird flu,
experts revealed yesterday.
Scientists believe that the traditional recipe, which is made from
chopped cabbage that is fermented for at least a month, contains a
bacteria that may combat the potentially fatal disease.
Their findings follow a study in which kimchi - a spicy cabbage dish
popular in South Korea and similar to sauerkraut - was fed to 13
chickens infected with bird flu. Just one week later, 11 of the birds
showed signs of recovery from the virus.
"The feed has been shown to help improve the fight against bird flu or
other types of flu viruses," said Prof Kang Sa-ouk, who led the
research at Seoul National University, yesterday.
Prof Kang's team claims that lactobacillus, the lactic acid bacteria
created during the fermenting process, is the active ingredient that
could combat bird flu.
Health experts have already agreed that there may be some truth to
kimchi's curative properties, prompting an increase in the consumption
of the dish in South Korea.
Sales of sauerkraut in the United States have also soared as a result
of the research, and now Britain is starting to catch on. Last night,
importers of the dish to Britain said that sales were rising and they
were increasing stocks in the expectation that demand could escalate.
Geoff Hale, the commercial manager for Euro Food Brands, said: "Sales
are very buoyant at the moment. We bring in about half-a-million jars of
sauerkraut to Britain from Germany every year and that number is definitely
going up."
Sales of sauerkraut were up 20 per cent on this time last year at
Sainsbury's, according to a spokesman for the supermarket.
Whether or not sauerkraut does cure bird flu, the dish is said to have
a number of other health benefits, among them cancer-fighting and
detoxifying properties.
It is also a rich source of vitamins.
One serving, which contains only 32 calories and has four grams of
fibre, provides 102 per cent of the recommended daily intake of
vitamin K, 12 per cent of iron and 35 per cent of vitamin C.
Prof Richard Mithen, from the Institute of Food Research, in Norwich,
said: "Eating kimchi or sauerkraut may be good for your health and
help fight off infections.
"I wouldn't recommend anyone rushing out to stock up on sauerkraut
specifically to fight off bird flu, but it may help your immune
system."
A further study on sauerkraut, carried out recently by Polish and
American scientists, concluded that the meal might be the reason for
the lower breast cancer rate observed among Polish immigrants in
America.
By Jasper Copping
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/13/nsauer13.xml
(Filed: 13 November 2005)
Sauerkraut, the dish adored in Germany but much maligned in Britain,
could prove to be a secret weapon against the threat of bird flu,
experts revealed yesterday.
Scientists believe that the traditional recipe, which is made from
chopped cabbage that is fermented for at least a month, contains a
bacteria that may combat the potentially fatal disease.
Their findings follow a study in which kimchi - a spicy cabbage dish
popular in South Korea and similar to sauerkraut - was fed to 13
chickens infected with bird flu. Just one week later, 11 of the birds
showed signs of recovery from the virus.
"The feed has been shown to help improve the fight against bird flu or
other types of flu viruses," said Prof Kang Sa-ouk, who led the
research at Seoul National University, yesterday.
Prof Kang's team claims that lactobacillus, the lactic acid bacteria
created during the fermenting process, is the active ingredient that
could combat bird flu.
Health experts have already agreed that there may be some truth to
kimchi's curative properties, prompting an increase in the consumption
of the dish in South Korea.
Sales of sauerkraut in the United States have also soared as a result
of the research, and now Britain is starting to catch on. Last night,
importers of the dish to Britain said that sales were rising and they
were increasing stocks in the expectation that demand could escalate.
Geoff Hale, the commercial manager for Euro Food Brands, said: "Sales
are very buoyant at the moment. We bring in about half-a-million jars of
sauerkraut to Britain from Germany every year and that number is definitely
going up."
Sales of sauerkraut were up 20 per cent on this time last year at
Sainsbury's, according to a spokesman for the supermarket.
Whether or not sauerkraut does cure bird flu, the dish is said to have
a number of other health benefits, among them cancer-fighting and
detoxifying properties.
It is also a rich source of vitamins.
One serving, which contains only 32 calories and has four grams of
fibre, provides 102 per cent of the recommended daily intake of
vitamin K, 12 per cent of iron and 35 per cent of vitamin C.
Prof Richard Mithen, from the Institute of Food Research, in Norwich,
said: "Eating kimchi or sauerkraut may be good for your health and
help fight off infections.
"I wouldn't recommend anyone rushing out to stock up on sauerkraut
specifically to fight off bird flu, but it may help your immune
system."
A further study on sauerkraut, carried out recently by Polish and
American scientists, concluded that the meal might be the reason for
the lower breast cancer rate observed among Polish immigrants in
America.