Mustard - A Curious Story And Incredible Health Benefits

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Mustard may have come to life for Americans in the early 20th century when it was presented on a hot dog, but its history is even longer and more spicy than you might think. For starters, "mustard" is a plant, and "cooked mustard" is a spice. Although it is rarely necessary to indicate "cooked" mustard, it seems fair to acknowledge the true roots of mustard.

Mustard plants are close relatives of a surprising variety of common vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, turnips and cabbage. According to some studies, mustard was the first spice that people ever put in their food. The Egyptian pharaohs filled their graves with mustard to accompany them to the afterlife, but the Romans were the first to grind the spicy seeds into a paste and mix them with an aromatic liquid - usually wine or vinegar.

French monks who mixed soil seeds with unfermented wine inspired the word "mustard", which comes from the Latin mustum ardens (roughly meaning "burning wine"). Hippocrates respected mustard paste as a miraculous medicine capable of relieving pain. Ancient Roman physicians used it to relieve toothache. Over the years, mustard has been used to stimulate appetite, cleanse the sinuses and prevent frostbite.

It is currently available as a weight loss supplement, asthma suppressant, hair growth stimulant, immune booster, cholesterol regulator, dermatitis healer and even as an effective method of preventing gastrointestinal cancer. When the Romans conquered the Gauls, they brought mustard with them, and these seeds took root in the fertile soil of the French region of Burgundy.

By the thirteenth century, Dijon had become a mustard production center, laying the foundation for the invention of the Dijon mustard region's signature in 1856. A simple mustard component added a new tone to old mustard recipes.

Dijon is not the only place with a favorite local mustard. Other common regional varieties of mustard are American (the familiar yellow color), English - the so-called. "French mustard", which was actually invented in England, as a less spicy alternative to English mustard, Bavarian sweet mustard, etc. The special shade of yellow owes its hue not to the mustard seeds, but to the brightly colored turmeric, added for extra rhythm and brightness of the spice.

The bitter plant brings a whole range of health benefits through its various edible parts. The seeds of the plant are a rich source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Along with this, it is a good source of folate and vitamin A. The leaves are an excellent source of essential minerals, including potassium, calcium and phosphorus. It is also a good source of magnesium and dietary fiber.

Incredibly rich in vitamins, it is rich in vitamin A and vitamin K, folic acid and vitamin C. The seeds of the bitter plant contain a large amount of healthy phytonutrients called glucosinolates, which can be valuable against various types of cancer such as bladder cancer, cancer colon and cervical cancer.

Glucosinates are broken down to form isothiocyanates using the myrosinase enzymes present in mustard. Various studies have been presented on the anti-cancer effects of these components present in its seeds, which inhibit the growth of cancer cells and even prevent their formation.

Small mustard seeds are effective against psoriasis, which is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. Studies have confirmed their effectiveness in treating inflammation and psoriasis-related lesions.

According to the study, seed treatment also stimulates the activity of good enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, which promote protective and healing effects in such diseases.

Mustard seeds have protective properties that withstand the effects of poison on the body. Decoction made with the seeds helps to purify the body, especially in poisoning caused by drugs and excessive alcohol intake.

The antibacterial properties of mustard seeds have proven effective in treating lesions caused by ringworm. Mustard can be valuable for women during menopause. Magnesium, along with the calcium present in it, prevents bone loss associated with menopause.

Helps restore low bone magnesium and other magnesium deficiencies and can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis in menopausal women.