Tsukemono, Nutrition, and Wellness

In Asia, and particularly in Japan, Tsukemono are considered healthy foods because, apart from their content of macronutrients like proteins and carbohydrates, they are a source of important minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, as well as soluble and insoluble dietary fibres. Because these pickles, whether or not they have been fermented, are produced without heating, many of their nutrients, vitamins, and active enzymes are better preserved than those in vegetables that have been cooked. A possible drawback, however, may be that some of these same desirable components, such as proteins, are less bioavailable as they pass through the digestive tract than those in cooked vegetables.