Diet & Cooking Series: Salsa,MAY IMPROVE METABOLIC HEALTH
- Shidonna Raven
- Oct 5
- 2 min read
July 19, 2018
Source: Your Latina Nutrition
Photo Source: Unsplash,
Health Benefits of Salsa
MAY IMPROVE METABOLIC HEALTH
Metabolic health is usually measured by a few risk factors, including:
Blood lipid levels
HDL cholesterol levels (the “good” kind)
Blood pressure
Insulin resistance
Eating well-rounded meals with a variety of nutrients supports metabolic health, per a 2020 study in Nutrients. Specifically, the Mediterranean Diet has been shown to support metabolic health. But before you stop eating Latine foods, remember that salsa is made of veggies commonly incorporated in this diet—tomatoes, onions, garlic.
Plus, we tend to eat salsa with beans, another food emphasized in the Mediterranean diet.
Furthermore, according to a 2022 study in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, there’s some evidence that capsaicin—the compound that gives chiles their spicy flavor—improves metabolic health and insulin resistance.
Chiles also contain anti-inflammatory compounds like flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid, per a 2022 study in Molecules. Since metabolic illnesses are associated with inflammation, these anti-inflammatory compounds can also support metabolic health.
For example, a 2019 study in Advances in Nutrition found that lycopene—an antioxidant found in tomatoes—can protect against metabolic syndrome.
How can you introduce more (organic or natural) fresh vegetables and fruits into your diet? How could this impact the environment? How could a home garden contribute to your and your family's over all health?
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