DO YOU KNOW THAT BITTER FOODS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH??? Here are a few of the health benefits of bitter foods. 1. Helps to absorb nutrients While bitterness is often perceived as unpleasant, the interaction between bitter constituents in foods and our bitter taste receptors stimulate the production of gastric acid in the stomach. This helps prime the stomach for the food it is about to encounter. Bitter foods and herbs help to stimulate digestive juices and support food digestion, Bitter foods help stimulate our taste receptors on the tongue, which subsequently stimulates enzyme production and bile flow. The better your food is digested, the more nutrients you will absorb from your food. It doesnt matter what you eat, if you cant absorb it, it wont be of much benefit to you. We often recommend eating a dandelion salad for people with digestive problems. 2. Balances taste buds and controls that sweet tooth The more bitter greens we eat, the more bitter greens we want. Bitter foods are thought to reduce food cravings and aid in weight loss. 3. Cleanses the body Bitter roots and veggies contain fiber to help sweep wastes through the digestive tract. Bitter foods also contain sulfur-based compounds which support the natural detoxification pathways in the liver; helping it to do what it is meant to do – keep your body clean and clear. 4. Stimulates metabolism Bitter foods and herbs like green tea have been shown to boost metabolism. Drinking green tea is one of the easiest ways to rev up your metabolism. A study shows that green tea-extract increases the metabolism by 4% over a 24-hour period. Green tea has also been shown to inhibit fat absorption—the movement of glucose into fat cells, [support healthy] glucose levels after eating a meal, prevent insulin spikes which prevents fat storage, and reduce appetite. People that choose sweet foods over bitter foods are also at risk for metabolic syndrome. 5. Fights free radicals and stimulates immune function Recent studies have shown that bitter foods, including dark chocolate, can help fight free radicals in the body. Of course, Bitter foods pack plenty of nutrition into each bite. For instance, beta- carotene for healthy skin; folate for a healthy nervous system; vitamin K for healthy blood clotting and phyto-chemicals for healthy inflammation response, managing cholesterol, balance hormones, detoxify the blood and metabolizes fats. Many greens are also mineral rich; gentle cooking will help make those minerals more available to the human body. There are a wide variety of bitter foods and herbs. Some of them are best taken as a tea to help your body register the bitter taste to get the digestive juices flowing. Some bitter foods and herbs include: Bitter leaf Dark chocolate Coffee Nettles Dill Dandelion Watercress Bitter melon and gourd Leafy greens Barley Basil Lettuce e.t.c DO NOT FORGET TO SHARE
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 20:30:25 +0000
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