Poppy seeds is nutty to taste, are oilseeds. It is used as condiments in many dishes. It is used to add flavor, color, and crunch to baked goods.
With a nutty taste, you will also get loads of nutrients that are beneficial for health. It is widely used to improve texture and taste of foods.
Poppy seeds are loaded with minerals like iron, zinc, calcium and other that makes it favorable to include in the diet.
These seeds are obtained from dried pods of opium poppy plant. Instead of its origin from opium plant, poppy seeds are free from opium effects.
Poppy seeds have been used from long time by Ancient Egyptians. further, it spread throughout the Arab, Persia, ancient Khorasan, and India. Soon it was well established as a commercial crop.
As the poppy seed is loaded with some vitamins and a good amount of minerals, it provides with multiple benefits.
1. Better Digestion
Having trouble with digestion? Digestion plays an important role in the proper absorption of vitamins and minerals. Poor digestion can also lead to constipation problems.
The poppy seeds outer layer is loaded with fiber. Fiber is important for better digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals.
Fiber increases the bulk of foods by absorbing the water down the digestive tract.
Apart from healthy digestion, high fiber can also help in losing or maintaining a healthy weight by keeping fuller for a long time. It reduces the craving for unhealthy processed foods.
Wrap up: Fiber boost digestion, helps to maintain a healthy weight and also protect from constipation.
To learn more about digestive health read: Top Superfood For Digestive System For Weight Loss
2. Heart Friendly
A healthy heart is a combination of the proper functioning of heart and blood vessels also known as arteries.
Poppy seeds are a good source of potassium. 100-gram seeds provide 719 mg which is 15% of recommended daily level (RDA).
Potassium is an important electrolyte that is responsible for maintaining cells and body fluid level. It helps to regulate optimum blood pressure level and nervous system relaxation. It helps to control heart rate and blood pressure avoiding strain on it. (1)
Poppy seeds also contain linoleum acid that plays a special role in supporting heart health. It protects from a heart attack and heart disease.
Poppy seeds is also a goods source of fatty acids. Fatty acids help to prevent coronary heart disease and also from stroke risk.
Wrap up: Presence of potassium, linoleum acid and fatty acids turn into beneficial for complete heart health.
3. Immunity Booster
Poppy seeds are a rich source of iron and zinc.
Iron is the most important for the formation of blood. With ample amount of blood, body immunity increase as it increases the body oxygen consumption. Oxygen is readily available, but iron absorbs that oxygen and provides to enhance body functions and also to boost immunity.
Another mineral that boosts immunity is zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral that is required for proper development and production of cells. It also plays an important role is a neurological development and healthy growth.
Zinc enhance production of body immunity increasing production of bacteria-fighting white cells in the blood. (2)
Wrap up: Iron increase blood production and zinc increase bacteria fighting white cells in blood.
4. Breast Cancer
Oleic acid makes poppy seed a better choice for health. Oleic acid is monosaturated fatty acid that is found all Mediterranean diet. It is also found that people eating this fatty acid have lower risk of cancer.
Lab test has found that Oleic acid from olive oil protects as well as kill breast cancer cells. (3, 4, 5)
You can take the benefit of oleic acid from poppy seeds.
Wrap up: Oleic acid from poppy seed kill breast cancer cells.
5. Healthy Nervous System
Poppy seed has a great combination of nutrients that soothes the nervous system and also enhances the healthy nervous system.
Potassium is important for hydration and relaxation of muscles and nervous system.
It also contains small amount opium alkaloids such as morphine, thebaine, codiene, papaverine etc. These compounds are in very low amount compared to opium. But these little amounts of compounds has minimal effects on the nervous system.
It soothes the nervous system and also acts a painkiller. So it keeps our nervous system healthy.
Wrap up: Potassium and opium alkaloids compounds promotes healthy nervous system.
6. Cell Renewal
Poppy seeds have wide use in Ayurvedic medicines.
It is used for healthy skin and cells renewal. It can be used as a paste on the skin as a moisturizer to improve skin cells development.
Along with zinc helps in synthesis of protein for healthy development of new cells
7. Eczema & Skin Inflammation
Linoleum acid isn’t just hearted friendly.
It can also be used as natural remedy for eczema.
Poppy seeds can also ease skin inflammation. Skin inflammation is due to free radicals. These free radicals damage skin cell and cause inflammation.
High antioxidants property of poppy seeds protects from these harmful free radicals that cause inflammation. If facts these antioxidants also provide protects from multiple cancers.
Wrap up: Linoleum acid and antioxidants provides protection from eczema and skin inflammation.
8. Kidney Stones
Calcium is required for proper developments of bone. Low calcium means an unhealthy bone. But excess amount can also lead to a health problem.
One of the problem that arises due to high calcium is kidney stone. Kidney stone is caused when the body absorbs the excess amount of calcium which leads to the formation of small stone in kidney. As the day passes, the size also increases and also the pain.
But poppy seeds contains oxalates that prevent over absorption of calcium, and thus it prevent kidney stone.
Precaution: Don’t cut calcium intake.
Wrap up: Calcium is healthy but not in excess quantity. Oxalates in poppy seeds reduce calcium absorption and protects from kidney stones.
9. Bone Health
Bone the most vital organ that provides safety to another vital organ. It protects from internal injury as well as many other functions.
For healthy bone, we need a good source of calcium. A healthy calcium intake keeps bone healthy protects from bone health issues like cramps, injury, osteoporosis, etc.
Along with calcium bone also need phosphorous for proper development of bone.
100 g Poppy seed contains 1438 mg of calcium which is 144% RDA and 870 mg of Phosphorus, which is 124% of RDA.
Wrap up: With a perfect blend of Phosphorus and calcium poppy seed improves our bone health and protect from osteoporosis.
10. Insomnia
Having trouble with sleep?
Many time that we find tough to sleep; it is due to stress or nervous irritability.
You can prefer poppy seeds as it contains opium alkaloids and potassium that helps to sooth nervous system and relax back muscles. Thus, it promotes deep sleep and improves the sleeping pattern.
Wrap up: Opium alkaloids and potassium soothes nervous system which promotes deep sleep.
11. Blood and Energy
Oxygen is required for maintains cell and organ healthy. An increase in oxygen level doubles our productivity and energy levels. Our body system functions at peak.
A small drop in oxygen level hinders our whole body system functioning. For this, we need a good amount of healthy blood.
Poppy seeds have a good combination of minerals that supports the formation of blood. Iron, zinc and copper are the most vital nutrients for formation blood which are available is a good amount of the seeds.
Copper promotes red blood cells formation that absorbs oxygen. More the oxygen level, more the energy production.
Wrap Up: Iron, Zinc and Copper increase blood production and boost energy level.
Plants Compounds That Make It Special
1. Oleic acid: Oleic acid possesses property to slow down and even kill breast cancer cells. It lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases the good cholesterol (HDL).
2. Opium alkaloids: It is a mixture of compounds like morphine, thebaine, codiene, papaverine etc. As it present at small quantity in poppy seeds it doesn’t harm. It has soothing effects on the nervous system. It is also used in cough mixtures, expectorant, etc. in traditional medicines.
3. Linoleum acid: Linoleum acid is healthy fat. It prevents coronary artery disease and strokes by maintaining healthy blood lipids.
Precautions with Poppy Seed
Poppy seeds are good for health. But eating anything in excess quantity doesn’t provide any benefits.
In many of countries, it is illegal to eat or even carry. So take care before preferring to go for it.
Sports person should avoid consuming poppy seeds as it can lead false test due to banned compounds like morphine, codeine, etc. that is present in small quantity in the seeds.
It is nonallergic seeds. Pregnant women and children can safely eat it.
Be sensible and eat this seeds in a small quantity to get the benefits and taste.
Be safe and be healthy.
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