Cha-Ching! - Who knew that wonderful fermented cabbage was a cure for the bird flu?
Well, not I.
Apparently the South Koreans did because they fed kimchi - similar to sauerkraut but spicy (mmm-mmm good!) - to thirteen chickens infected with the bird flu. Eleven of the KFC contestants survived and now scientists think that the bacteria which forms when the cabbage is fermented may have something to do with it.
Jasper Copping reports for the Telegraph:
Prof Kang's team claims that lactobacillus, the lactic acid bacteria created during the fermenting process, is the active ingredient that could combat bird flu.
Health experts have already agreed that there may be some truth to kimchi's curative properties, prompting an increase in the consumption of the dish in South Korea.
Sales of sauerkraut in the United States have also soared as a result of the research, and now Britain is starting to catch on. Last night, importers of the dish to Britain said that sales were rising and they were increasing stocks in the expectation that demand could escalate.
Some of the other great benefits of sauerkraut include helping against cancer, fighting infections, and giving you some much needed vitamins.
And let's not forget that it adds that extra shazam to a great chili and cheese dog.
