About BEENA's HOME MADE Products in Beena's Home Made Products, Pathanamthitta

A wide variety of spices may be used during the Beena's Home Made pickling process, such as asafoetida, red chili powder, turmeric, fenugreek. Salt is generally used both for taste and for its preservative properties.

Beena's Home Made Pickles made by traditional methods contain Lactobacillus, produced by fermentation in brine (salt and water). Pickles made using vinegar do not contain Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus makes traditional pickles probiotic. Supermarket pickles which are not home-made are generally not fermented but preserved in vinegar, and thus don't have the probiotic, enzymatic value of home-made fermented pickles. Vinegar however can help lower blood sugar levels by reducing the breakdown of carbohydrates so the carbs are absorbed less and not all converted to sugar.

South Asian pickles are high in salt and preserved in oil or vinegar. Regular consumption of pickles can lead to high sodium levels in the body, which is not good for people with hypertension nor for calcium absorption. Pickle oils contain unsaturated fats, which should be consumed in moderation, or trans fats, which are bad for cardiovascular health.

The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables in pickles is low, as the process of drying pickles in sunlight causes nutrient loss.

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