People who have night cramps have two goals: To prevent the cramps, and to treat them if they happen. Pickle juice is a surprising natural remedy for night cramps. It is not a good way to prevent cramps. But if you develop a cramp, pickle juice can often stop it.
Pickle Juice Works for Night Cramps
If you are just looking for the bottom line, then here it is: Pickle juice stops night cramps. Also, this happens quickly. Probably within a few seconds. In fact, there are scientific studies that have looked into this and have shown this to be correct. Even more so, there are products out there that you can buy that are basically brine in a fancy bottle.
One study called the PICCLES study (clever…) examined how pickle juice might help cramps in people who have liver failure. A total of 82 people who suffered from frequent cramps were divided into two groups. One group sipped brine once the cramp started. The other group of people just sipped some tap water. Then, the scientists followed the patients over a month. Patients had quite a few cramps over this time, so they got a fair amount of data. In the end, the people who sipped the brine experienced reduced cramp severity and did not identify any meaningful side-effects.
How does it Work?
Science has not figured this one out yet. There are several theories out there.
One theory, is that drinking pickle juice changes the electrolyte composition of your blood. But when a group of athletes drank two doses, blood tests could not detect any meaningful change in electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Another group of scientists checked the blood levels of various salts in athletes after dehydration. They gave the athletes either large amount of mustard (yup…) or they drank pickle juice. In both instances, they could not detect meaningful changes in their blood work.
Another theory is that the cramps stop because of a neurological reflex. No one has ever proven this theory. But the idea is that if you can’t detect changes in the composition of the blood, then maybe there is another explanation. The theory is that something about the pickle juice triggers a reflex that originates in the back of our throat and signals to the muscles to stop cramping.
A final theory has to do with the chemical properties of the brine. One reason the brine is sour, is an acid called acetic acid. This acid is similar to a chemical in the body called acetylcholine. Now, acetylcholine is important in triggering muscle contractions. So maybe there is something about these two molecules that helps break the cramp cycle. While this makes sense, no on has really looked into this theory properly.
Is Pickle Juice Safe in Pregnancy?
Some pregnant women crave pickles. But what about the pickle juice? Is it safe for women who suffer from pregnancy leg cramps? The short answer is that we don’t know. No one has specifically looked into this. Here is what we do know. Food cravings during pregnancy are common. Perhaps the most famous cravings are for ice-cream and pickles. But in fact, when you look at the data, pregnant women seem to crave a variety of foods. The explanation for these cravings is not entirely understood. It could be psychological or physiological or a combination. Also, the cravings can have negative effects like weight gain. But they may be supplementing something in the pregnant woman’s body. The bottom line is that it is probably safe to try brine to treat a cramp during pregnancy, but the facts are not really there.
Pickle Juice for Restless Leg Syndrome
Because pickle juice has advantages for muscle cramps, people try to use it for other purposes. A common question is if pickle juice works for restless leg syndrome. Unfortunately, the answer is that it does not. Restless leg syndrome is a different condition than muscle cramps. The causes and treatments are different. Unfortunately, a simple solution such as pickles juice is not appropriate for restless leg syndrome.
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