New superfood - basil seeds. How are they useful, why are they effective in losing weight? List of contraindications. Classic recipes with grains of spices and dietary dishes.
Basil seeds are a superfood that is actively used in alternative medicine for weight loss and treatment of certain diseases. They have many useful properties - antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, tonic, normalizing, antidiabetic. Recently, they have become more and more popular, they are used in dietary food along with another more famous superfood - chia seeds. It is noteworthy that in appearance these seeds are very similar - small in size, black, drop-shaped. Again, just like chia seeds, basil seeds have the property of a thickener, and therefore in culinary practice they can be used to create healthy desserts, thicken drinks. Plus, superfood is often added to salads to make them more nutritious and healthier.
The composition and calorie content of basil seeds
In the photo are basil seeds
The seed of fragrant spice, like any other grain, has a considerable calorie content, however, given that the product is not consumed in large quantities, it can easily be added to the diet.
The calorie content of basil seeds is 60 kcal per 1 tablespoon, of which:
- Proteins - 2 g;
- Fat - 2.5 g;
- Carbohydrates - 7 g;
- Fiber - 7 g.
Unfortunately, the detailed quantitative characteristics of the vitamin and mineral composition of the newfangled superfood have not yet been studied. However, it is known that, just like the spice itself, it is rich in vitamins A, K, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper.
Basil grains are especially valuable with vitamin K: in 1 tbsp. more than 100% of the daily intake of this vitamin.
According to some reports, in 1 tbsp. healthy seeds also contain 15% of the daily intake of calcium and 10% of the daily intake of magnesium and iron. For this reason, the product is especially valuable for the diet of vegans who refuse meat - the main source of iron, as well as milk and its derivatives - the main sources of calcium.
Also in the grains of the spice there is a large amount of fiber, including in the form of pectin. Again, one tablespoon contains 25% of your daily fiber intake. By the way, it is due to the presence of pectin in the composition of seeds that they can act as a thickener.
Superfood is also rich in such valuable specific plant components as polyphenols, flavonoids, phytoncides, which provide many beneficial effects.
In addition, the product contains essential omega-3 fatty acids. Approximately 50% of all its fats are just healthy Omega-3s, in 1 tbsp. there are about 1 g of them in the form of alpha-linoleic acid.
Benefits of basil seeds
The benefits of basil seeds are recognized as alternative medicine all over the world, moreover, their beneficial effects on the body are being actively studied today by science and many beneficial effects have already been proven.
So, what is the great power of small seeds:
- Strengthening immunity … The product has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, and therefore it has a general strengthening effect on the entire body. Its regular presence in the diet is a good prevention of not only colds, but also other inflammatory processes.
- Prevention of anemia … Because superfood is high in iron, it is a good prevention of anemia, which can lead to the development of serious diseases. Women of reproductive age are at risk of developing anemia.
- Prevention of osteoporosis … This effect is provided by the presence of calcium in the composition and, on the contrary, is important for women during menopause. It was at this time, as statistics show, that the risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease of fragility of bones, increases significantly. It is important to note that calcium helps to efficiently assimilate vitamin K, which is also present in large quantities in the product. With its lack, calcium is either simply excreted from the body, or, worse, settles on the vessels, leading to their hardening.
- Normalization of the digestive system … There is evidence that only 5% of people living in developed countries consume enough fiber, which leads to sluggish bowel syndrome, an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal diseases of one kind or another. Having eaten only a tablespoon of basil seeds, you will already receive a quarter of the prescribed daily dose. It is thanks to fiber that the intestines are regularly cleansed, and pectin, in particular, has a prebiotic effect and helps to increase the number of beneficial bacteria.
- Normalizing cholesterol levels … Again, the aforementioned pectin stabilizes blood cholesterol levels very well. There is a study according to which the consumption of 30 g of basil seeds per day can lower cholesterol by 8%. And this despite the fact that no other significant changes in the diet are made.
- Antioxidant effect … Antioxidants are special elements that can control and neutralize free radicals, which, in turn, can destroy cells in our body, provoke mutations and abnormal growth, which is fraught with the development of cancer. The content of a number of powerful antioxidants is one of the main beneficial properties of basil seeds.
- Anti-inflammatory effect … Due to the presence of flavonoids and phytoncides in the composition, superfood is able to fight any infections, both viral and bacterial, especially of the urinary system. There is a study in which the seed extract was placed in a test tube along with bacteria, and basil actively killed them. The same experiment was successfully carried out with cancer cells. However, it is important to note that these are only in vitro experiments, the effect has not yet been tested on humans and animals.
- Source of Omega-3 … One of the main problems of the modern diet is an excess of omega-6 fatty acids and a lack of omega-3. Both those and other acids can be useful for our body only in balance, otherwise Omega-6 can cause the development of various kinds of inflammatory processes. Basil grains are one of the few foods that can compensate for imbalances, but it is important to note that they contain Omega-3 in the form of ALA, although the other two acids EPA and DHA are more effective.
- Beneficial effect on the nervous system … Superfood helps in the treatment of disorders of the nervous system, psychocorrection. Among the main effects are mood improvement, relief of symptoms of depression, stress, mental fatigue. According to some reports, it helps to treat migraines.
As you can see, this superfood is a real gift for our body, and it is important to say that its research has just begun. We are sure that very soon we will find out what else is useful for basil seeds.
