Is mustard a healthy sauce?

Aside from its culinary uses, mustard has been a natural remedy in traditional medicine dating back to ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Modern science is beginning to link mustard with health benefits ranging from lower blood sugar levels to increased protection against infection and disease.

What is?

Mustard is a versatile cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family, similar to broccoli and cabbage. Originally from the temperate zones of Europe, it was one of the first crops in the region. For thousands of years, this plant has been quite popularly cultivated in North Africa, Asia, and Europe more as an herb; It was even popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Today, mustard is grown in more than 21 countries with significant production in Europe, Nepal, Canada, Ukraine and India. Its use is quite popular throughout the world, with an annual consumption of approximately 350 kilos.

Types

Mustard is a multifaceted botanical with several different varieties. There are three variants known as white (Brassica alba), black (Brassica nigra) and brown (Brassica juncea):

• White (sometimes called yellow) mustard has a milder flavor and is often used in the preparation of the famous American yellow mustard.
• Black mustard is popular for its strong aroma and flavor.
• Brown mustard, which is also used to make Dijon mustard, offers a tangy flavor.

Properties

Mustard plants are rich in nutrients. Its leaves contain significant amounts of calcium, copper, and vitamins C, A, and K, while its seeds are particularly rich in fiber, selenium, magnesium, and manganese.

Mustard greens can be eaten raw or cooked, making them a versatile addition to salads, soups, and stews. They can be prepared in the same way as spinach, but will add a stronger radish flavor to meals. Mustard seeds can be soaked in warm milk, whipped into salad dressings, ground, sprinkled on hot foods, or soaked and used to make mustard paste.

Pasta or sauce is possibly the most popular way to consume it. This low-calorie condiment is an easy way to add a pinch of iron, calcium, selenium, and phosphorous to your meals. In 100 grams of mustard we find the following properties:

• Energy: 508 calories
• Protein: 26.1 grams
• Fat: 36.2 grams
• Water: 5.27 grams
• Carbohydrates: 28.1 grams
  • Fiber: 12.2 grams
  • Sugar: 6.79 grams
• Calcium, Ca: 266mg
• Iron, Fe: 9.21 mg
• Magnesium, Mg: 370mg
• Phosphorus, P: 828 mg
• Potassium, K: 738 mg
• Vitamin A: 31 IU

Benefits

There are several advantages to taking mustard regularly with meals.

source of antioxidants

Mustard contains antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds that are believed to help protect the body against damage and disease. For example, it’s a great source of glucosinolates, a group of sulfur-containing compounds found in all cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and mustard.

Glucosinolates are activated when the leaves or seeds of the plant are damaged, either by chewing or cutting, and are thought to stimulate the body’s antioxidant defenses to protect against disease. Mustard seeds and greens are particularly rich in:

• Isothiocyanates . This compound is derived from glucosinolates, which can help prevent cancer cells from growing or spreading.
• Sinigrin . This glucosinolate-derived compound is responsible for mustard’s pungent taste and is believed to possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and healing properties.
• Carotenoids, isorhamnetin and kaempferol . Research links these flavonoid antioxidants to protection against conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and perhaps even some types of cancer.

Protection against certain diseases

The mustard plant has been used as a traditional remedy against various ailments for centuries. Recently, scientific evidence has emerged to support some of the proposed benefits of mustard:

• Protect against certain types of cancer . Science suggests that the glucosinolates in mustard may help kill cancer cells or prevent them from spreading. However, more research in humans is needed.
• Lower blood sugar levels . A small human study suggests that taking blood sugar-lowering medication along with mustard green decoction may lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes more effectively than medication alone.
• Protect against psoriasis . Animal studies suggest that a diet rich in mustard seeds may help reduce inflammation and promote healing of lesions caused by psoriasis.
• Reduce the symptoms of contact dermatitis . Animal research suggests that mustard seeds may speed healing and reduce symptoms of contact dermatitis, a condition in which the skin develops an itchy rash after contact with an allergen.
• Protection against infections . The antioxidants in mustard seeds may offer some protection against bacteria and fungi, including E. coli, B. subtilis, and S. aureus. However, some studies report no protective effects.

Possible Side Effects

Eating mustard seeds, leaves, or sauce is generally considered safe for most people, especially when consumed in amounts normally found in the average person’s diet. However, consuming large amounts, such as those typically found in mustard extracts, can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and intestinal inflammation .

There is also a report of a woman who developed contact dermatitis after applying a Chinese medicine patch containing mustard seeds directly to her skin. Raw mustard seeds and greens contain a significant amount of goitrogens. These are compounds that can interfere with the normal function of the thyroid, which is the gland responsible for regulating metabolism.

This is unlikely to cause a problem in people with normal thyroid function. However, people with impaired thyroid function may want to soak, boil, or cook mustard greens and seeds before eating them, or generally limit their intake.