The $2 food RFK Jr says is 'the best thing' to feed your kids for mental health as America’s children are more anxious than ever
- READ MORE: I ate like RFK Jr every night. Here's what happened to my body.
Parenting in 2025 means battling screens, soothing anxious kids and dodging ultra-processed foods at every turn. But Robert F Kennedy Jr says one ancient kitchen staple could be the secret parenting weapon: sauerkraut.
Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and yogurt are critical for protecting the microbiome, the vast community of trillions of bacteria, fungi and other microbes living in the digestive tract. And that gut ecosystem is ground zero for mood, mental health, immune strength and metabolic energy.
Clinical studies confirm that children and teens who regularly consume fermented foods enjoy better mood, lower stress hormone levels and fewer anxiety symptoms. Fermentation creates short-chain fatty acids that help produce GABA and serotonin, two neurotransmitters essential for mental well-being.
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr revealed this week that, as part of his highly restrictive carnivore diet, he also eats plenty of fermented foods, even bringing his own sauerkraut to restaurants. A simple jar of sauerkraut is an inexpensive topping at around $2 per can.
Research into the gut-brain connection continues to unfold in labs around the world. Among the most groundbreaking is the conclusion that gut microbes produce hundreds of compounds that travel directly to the brain via the vagus nerve, the superhighway connecting the gut and the brain.
Certain bacteria manufacture GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms racing thoughts and dials down anxiety. Others produce serotonin precursors, feeding the brain the raw materials it needs for mood stability and emotional resilience.
When gut bacteria are out of balance, they send inflammatory signals that trigger the stress response, raising cortisol, fueling anxiety and leaving kids on edge. Healthy, diverse microbiota do the opposite; they send anti-inflammatory signals that keep the stress system in check.
Robert F Kennedy Jr has claimed fermented foods like sauerkraut may improve mental health in children (stock image)
RFK Jr said on Fox News this week: 'It's hard being a parent today because the kids are surrounded not only by cell phones and social media, but there's all these assaults on their mental and physical health.
'It's a really good sign that you're giving your children sauerkraut because it keeps their microbiome intact and that affects your mood, it affects your mental health... it's one of the best things you can eat.'
Children in the US are drowning in a mental health crisis driven by toxic social media, constant comparison, sedentary lives, tech addiction and anxiety over a world on fire.
In 2023, about 40 percent of teens reported experiencing persistent sadness or hopelessness, a slight dip from 42 percent in 2021, but still well above the 30 percent reported a decade earlier in 2013.
Anxiety, behavior disorders, and depression top the list of mental health diagnoses in American children, according to 2022–2023 data from the CDC. Among kids ages three to 17, 11 percent currently have anxiety, affecting nine percent of boys and 12 percent of girls.
RFK Jr has long held that antidepressant drugs, specifically SSRIs, cause young people more harm than good, claiming they are as addictive as heroin and making unsubstantiated claims that the medications fuel violent behavior.
While research on SSRIs generally contradicts RFK Jr's claims, there are several studies to back up the Secretary's idea that fermented foods boost mental health.
In 2023, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered that Lactobacillus, the bacterium found in yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut, plays a critical role in managing stress and mood.
RFK Jr is so committed to fermented foods that he follows a strict meat-and-ferments-only carnivore diet, even bringing his own sauerkraut to restaurants
Lactobacillus maintains healthy levels of an immune mediator called interferon gamma, which helps regulate the body's stress response. When Lactobacillus is missing, interferon gamma drops and depression and anxiety worsen.
Researcher Andrea Merchak said at the time: ‘We can now explore how maintaining a healthy level of Lactobacillus and/or interferon gamma could prevent and treat anxiety and depression.’
And in 2019, a massive Korean study of 26,000 adults found that people who ate the most probiotic foods had dramatically lower rates of depression. Those in the top third for consumption were 52 percent less likely to have depression symptoms and 41 percent less likely to have a clinical diagnosis.
The effect was driven almost entirely by men. Men who ate the most probiotic foods showed a stunning 76 percent lower prevalence of clinical depression. For women, the link wasn't statistically significant.
Another, in 2015, involved 700 young adults at a Virginia college and found that people who ate more fermented foods had less social anxiety, especially those genetically prone to it.
Researchers measured fermented food intake, including yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut, and social anxiety symptoms.
Those who ate the most fermented foods reported significantly lower social anxiety. Participants high in neuroticism – a trait linked to genetic risk for anxiety – showed the biggest benefit. For them, high fermented food consumption predicted dramatically fewer social anxiety symptoms.
For the first time ever, the guidelines officially mention gut health and the microbiome, specifically calling out fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and miso as key players
There is some promising but limited evidence of the benefits for children.
A 2025 review of 10 randomized controlled trials in children and teens found that supplemental probiotics, the same compounds found in fermented foods, can help reduce depression and anxiety, but only in three of the 10 studies included.
The Trump administration recently fulfilled its goal of redesigning the decades-old food pyramid, inverting it and placing dairy, red meat and other forms of protein at the top.
For the first time, the US Dietary Guidelines are talking about gut health. The 2025–2030 edition explicitly encourages fermented foods, fiber and produce while reiterating warnings against highly processed options all with the goal of creating a thriving microbiome.
Experts suggest aiming for one to two servings of fermented foods daily. That could mean a cup of Greek yogurt at breakfast, a small scoop of sauerkraut with dinner or a kefir smoothie after school.
However, not all fermented foods are created equal. Those shelf-stable pickles sitting on the grocery aisle have likely been pasteurized, which is critical for killing harmful bacteria, but it also eliminates the good bacteria.
For real gut benefits, look for refrigerated brands that boast 'live active cultures' on the label. Better yet, ferment your own.
Done correctly, the health risks of at-home fermentation are low. But Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in improperly fermented foods, producing a toxin that attacks the nervous system and can be fatal. Pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli can also survive if fermentation goes wrong.
