Is Sauerkraut on the Front Lines Against COVID-19?
As we write this, our thoughts turn to Alsace—and more specifically, to “Choucroute,” our fermented cabbage.
All of this is happening in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, just as a study is beginning to show that the antioxidants found in abundance in certain vegetables could explain why countries where cabbage is a key part of the national diet—such as Germany and South Korea—have reportedly had lower mortality rates than other countries.
Among these foods: sauerkraut—or rather, the cabbage in it.
Hmm, hmm, we can already anticipate some comments: either this means we’re not eating enough sauerkraut in Alsace anymore, or—how should I put it—that fate has been mocking us for a while.
And above all, that we need to return to the virtues of sauerkraut (and in particular, prevention through diet).
It all begins, then, with a highly reputable study authored by renowned experts: “Association between consumption of vegetables and COVID-19 mortality at a country level in Europe.”
This was followed by various press, medical, and other articles.
On July 20, the NY Post picked up the story.
Among the study’s authors is the highly renowned Professor Jean Bousquet, who was included in the list of the world’s 400 most influential medical researchers published by the European Journal of Clinical Research.
Made in Alsace wanted to ask him a few questions on behalf of you, our readers.
Made in Alsace: A study showing that fermented foods—particularly cabbage, and thus sauerkraut—may have an effect on the severity of COVID-19 has caught the attention of this website, which is dedicated to lovers of Alsace, its products, and its cuisine. How did your research lead to this conclusion?
Professor Jean Bousquet:There are significant differences in mortality rates by country. Although the methods of analysis are imperfect, the differences are significant enough to warrant analysis. Countries in Southeast Asia (Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan), Africa, and Central Europe (Poland, the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, for example) have low mortality rates. We cannot attribute this to genetic differences. A notable difference in diet is the most likely cause. A common dietary feature among these countries is the consumption of fermented vegetables, including cabbage.
We then studied food consumption in Europe in relation to mortality. The study is not scientifically perfect, but no other feasible study currently exists. We found that the consumption of cabbage and fermented foods was correlated with a low mortality rate.
Sauerkraut is a prime candidate.
We then investigated the mechanisms underlying our hypotheses, and they are plausible.
Made in Alsace: There’s been a growing number of articles on this topic—and thus on the health benefits of these fermented vegetables. You and your colleagues have published five articles on the subject. It’s clear that this is a scientific and serious approach. Combating the severity of the disease is a major challenge. But you know that better than we do.
Professor Jean Bousquet: The fight against COVID will rely on social distancing measures and vaccination. The first measure is restrictive and easily forgotten. Vaccination is still a long way off. If we could confirm our hypotheses through simple measures (eating fermented cabbage) or more complex ones (but easier than vaccination: creating dietary supplements based on the components of fermented cabbage) in well-conducted clinical trials, there is hope that we can offer measures that are simple to implement, inexpensive, and well-tolerated (there aren’t many problems with sauerkraut).
Fermentation was the first process that enabled humans to survive.
Made in Alsace: So, among fermented vegetables, does sauerkraut have any health benefits?
Professor Jean Bousquet: Sauerkraut is a prime suspect, even though the COVID-19 cluster in Mulhouse might suggest that sauerkraut isn’t to blame—but you have to eat enough of it, and I think having a serving of sauerkraut a day is easier than following social distancing measures.
Made in Alsace: So here we are, right in the heart of the embodiment of that quote, “Let food be thy only medicine,” which is attributed to Hippocrates. Isn’t that a lesson for all of us?
Professor Jean Bousquet: It goes further than that. Fermentation was the first process that enabled humans to survive. In fact, it made it possible to eat food that wasn’t “too fresh.”
As was often the case in the Neolithic period, food fermentation took place in all civilizations as soon as agriculture began.
Today’s food often passes through long supply chains (supermarkets) where fermented plant-based foods have disappeared.
The COVID-19 pandemic could be a reflection of a “disease of civilization.”
Thank you…
"Made in Alsace," as we envision all of Alsace, will follow these publications and related research… Remembering, too, that our ancestors already spoke of the benefits of fermented cabbage.
Who is Professor Jean Bousquet:
Jean Bousquet, Honorary Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of Montpellier (France) and Professor of Allergology at Charité, Berlin (Germany), served as chair of GINA (Global Initiative for Asthma: 1999–2000), ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma), and the WHO Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD, 2006–2013). His research focuses on the mechanisms of allergy, the multimorbidity of allergic diseases, severe asthma, and the digital transformation of health and healthcare to support global health. He has published more than 1,000 articles, has a Hirsch index of 128 (Clarivate), and has been listed as the most influential author in the field of asthma, with 5 of the 22 most-cited articles out of the 190,000 published (Qu et al., Respir Med, 2018, 137: 206).