Five humble foods we need to respect more

Nutrition is a science that throws up new information more rapidly than most other streams. New studies come up, old findings get torched, and facts get either strengthened or binned, almost on a daily basis. It is difficult to keep pace, and filter out information that really matters. And what also happens as a result of this fast churn is that while newer, strange sounding foods gain eminence, piggybacking on their exotic appeal… the regular, mundane stuff unfortunately tends to drop out of recall.

Here’s a list of some fairly new findings about some common foods we eat without much thought. Make a note and begin appreciating these unassuming foods a bit more, and begin plating them more often too.

Green sugar buster anyone!

Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods we have. Popeye was right to chow down plenty of this powerhouse. The latest the research has unearthed is that it contains plant based steroids called phytoecdysteroids, which dramatically increase glucose metabolism in the body to help keep blood sugar levels stable. Plus this leafy vegetable has loads of magnesium too, which helps strengthen the blood-brain barrier and protects the neurological system from environmental toxins. A green filter of sorts if you may!

Another important piece of news that has come in recently is that combining unsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil) with nitrite-rich spinach can help protect us from hypertension too (study published by researchers from King College London in the journal PNAS). Wow!

Another green delight!

Broccoli is loaded with diindolylmethane (DIM), a powerful functional nutrient (also found in other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, kale, cabbage) that has a direct effect on our hormonal balance. It helps rid the body of excess estrogen, and thus helps prevent depression, weight gain and symptoms like chronic fatigue, decreased muscle mass and lowered sex drive.

Some reports suggest that it can help keep prostate and other cancers away too.

White magic

We all know that yoghurt is great for our bones, and a couple of years ago it was established that dairy helps keep us thin. Now scientists say that it can help keep diabetes away too. A study published last year in February in the journal Diabetologia reported that high yoghurt consumption as compared to nil consumption can help prevent diabetes by 28 per cent.

Summer time is perfect to have a glass full of chaach or a chilled raita with every meal!

Yellow wonder

Lets talk turmeric now. This spice contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds that help spice up our memory, and keep Alzheimer's away. But this you probably already know. Now reports suggest that turmeric may even aid in fat metabolism and weight management.

Turmeric for trimming… sounds good!

A mushroom a day…

An apple a day… we have all heard about. But now it seems that a mushroom a day can help keep the doc away too. A new University of Florida study published online in the April 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has reported increased immunity in people who ate a cooked shiitake mushroom every day for four weeks. If plating them everyday sounds daunting, at least target twice weekly consumption.

Surely after this research this sounds like a very-good idea… and a doable one too!