Contrary to popular belief that speaks otherwise, pickles are good for your health. Seemaa Tarneja and Priya Khanna make a case for them

Pickles on the diet page? Well... here's the good news - they have dietary benefits!

To begin with, pickling is nothing but preserving fruits and vegetables, meat or fish in salt alone or with or without the addition of oil and spices. So, what can possibly go wrong with it? Nothing, but you need to be cautious. Read on...

Firstly, there are numerous varieties. As many as you can imagine... or make! Apart from the traditional favourites, like hot lime or mango pickles, you have the exclusives like methi sprouts pickled in tamarind sauce or even the exotic varieties like stuffed lotus stem pickle. What's more, these days, we even have those for the diet conscious as well! Needless to say, they are oil free, and full of vitamins and minerals. There are also pickles made using the rind of certain citrus fruits tossed in chilli or ground aromatic spices. Sounds good?

Good For Health

Let's examine each of the most commonly-used ingredients in pickles. They have their own inherent properties that make them suitable for normal healthy women to relish.

Raw garlic: Who doesn't know the goodness of garlic? It's good for circulatory ailments and jangled nerves. Its stimulating effects aid in the secretion of digestive juices. It has a rejuvenating effect on all the tissues and body systems like the digestive, respiratory, nervous, reproductive and circulatory.

Mustard: A very important ingredient in pickles, mustard aids digestion and eases gastric distention. It acts as an irritant, encouraging blood flow toward the surface of the skin in cases of rheumatism, sciatica, peritonitis and neuralgia and for various muscle aches and pains. Mustard is also beneficial for backache, joint pain, digestive upsets, hiccups and as a laxative.

Cumin: It has a pungent, bitter effect with neutral to cooling properties. It acts as a blood cleanser, and a carminative aiding in the absorption of nutrients into the system.

Turmeric: Antiseptic, warming, pungent, bitter and astringent - that describes this important ingredient. It acts as a stimulant, and carminative with antibacterial properties. It benefits digestion and can help rid the body of intestinal parasites.

Cardamom: It is a stimulant. Its qualities are pungent and sweet with heating/ moisturising effects. It aids in the digestion of fats and starches, stimulates the spleen and calms stomach acidity and acid regurgitation.

Red chilli: When used in small amounts, it acts as an analgesic, is warming, and increases circualtion. It has an antiseptic effect.

Black pepper: It livens the appetite, and has a heating effect. It is beneficial for chronic indigestion, toxins in the colon, sinus congestion and can stimulate the circulation to help warm cold hands and feet.

Fenugreek: An antiseptic and is warming. Its soothing expectorant quality aid in digestion by encouraging blood flow in the body.

Ginger: This pungent sweet herb has warming and drying qualities. It stimulates all the tissues of the body and is considered as a digestive.

Lemon: It is a blood purifier, and improves the body's ability to expel toxins.

Vinegar: It helps to make more efficient use of calcium in the body. It is an antiseptic and astringent.

Fennel: It is warming, carminative and promotes milk flow in nursing mothers.

Mint: Acts as a digestive, kills germs and is also a mild stimulant.

Asafoetida: It is considered a good digestive and a nerve tonic.

There are a lot of health implications to the consumption of pickles. While there are no recommendations stating what is the desirable amount of pickles to be eaten daily, on an average, you can safely consume anything between 1 tsp to 3 tsps a day.

Of course, as with all foods, precaution/care has to be taken in certain medical conditions as the addition of oils, spices and salt makes pickles predominantly a concentrated product.

Be Careful...

• Due to the high amount of salt, pickles should be avoided by those suffering from hypertension. Morabbas'/ 'chutneys'/ 'chundas' have a high concentration of sugar and therefore, are an absolute no-no for people suffering from diabetes.

• Pickles can precipitate acidity and heartburn. Avoid eating them if you suffer from these conditions.

• Pickles are high-sodium foods, and individuals suffering from either a sodium or water retention problem, should limit its intake.

• Pickles do make delicious accompaniments to our meal! They can be consumed with almost every type of cuisine, especially of course, Indian - with plain chapatis, rotis, bhakris, puris or rice or sometimes, even with roasted papads!

Make the most of this lip-smacking food, but remember, moderation is the key.

Mothers-To-Be And Pickle Cravings

Although the tastes of mothers-to-be usually run along far more normal lines, the 'pickles and ice cream' image is accurate in characterising the food cravings - and aversions - that sometimes accompany pregnancy. Cravings often reflect changes in nutritional needs. Such changes are partly due to the nourishment demands of the foetus and partly due to other physiological variations that affect absorption and metabolism of nutrients. These help ensure normal development of the baby and fill the subsequent demands of lactation, or nursing.