This article will help you to get a hold of the Alpiste Canary seed health benefits and why you should include them in your diet.
Introduction
The constant search for good, affordable, and sustainable nutrition to feed the world population has yielded various and interesting plant-based options. Alpiste or canary seed in English is one such recent find. It was initially famous exclusively as a bird seed for caged and wild birds. But now it’s also available for human consumption in recent times and has received GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Canary seeds trace their origin to the Canary Islands, hence the name. They are produced by canary grass, a herbaceous plant. The seed is elliptical and around 4mm in length and has a hard hull. It is a gluten-free brown or yellow grain, with 61% starch, 20% protein, 8% fat, and 7% dietary fiber content. In comparison to other cereal grains, a canary seed has higher protein and higher amounts of beneficial amino acids. It is abundant in unsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals, vitamins, fiber, folate, and iron.
Alpiste Canary Seed Health Benefits
1. Benefits Blood Sugar Levels
Canary seed helps regulate your blood sugar levels. Additionally, it lowers high blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, and works as a diuretic too.
2. Detoxifier and Boosts Immunity Levels
Canary seeds are popular for boosting liver function and immunity levels. It flushes out the toxins from your body, thus detoxifying the body. Besides, it is touted as a pancreas regenerator as well.
3. Maintains Body Structure
It helps you maintain a healthy weight as it contains the enzyme lipase, which burns body fat. It keeps you feeling satiated for more extended periods, thus reducing food cravings. The seeds also reduce flab, build muscles, and tones the body.
4. Improves Cardiovascular Health
It helps remove the fat from veins and arteries, thus improving your heart health. Its anti-inflammatory property helps prevent chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular ailments.
5. Good for Gut
It helps reduce bloating and inflammation and regularizes bowel movements. The milk made from these seeds is a good alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.
6. Prevents Alzheimers
The high amounts of glutamic acid present, (an amino acid) essential for cognitive functions in our brain, such as neural signals, memory, and learning. It can thus prevent the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
7. Other Benefits
The seed has powerful enzymes and this helps treat swollen internal organs like the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. It is also helpful in treating gout, edema, gastritis, and stomach ulcers.
8. Other uses
The seed finds use in industrial applications too. The starch in these seeds is used as a filler in cosmetics. It is used as a fat substitute in the food industry. Canary seed oil is used as a healthy alternative to oils with harmful saturated fats.
How to use:-
Soak 1 cup of canary seeds in water overnight in the refrigerator. This helps to soften the seed and activate the lipase enzyme. In the morning, wash the seeds well, drain the water, and put it through a blender with a little water to make canary seed milk. Strain the milk with cheesecloth and discard the solid particles.
Canary seed powder is now available at health stores. You can mix two tablespoons in a glass of water or milk and drink it before breakfast and at night. You can make canary seed milk at home too. Soak five tablespoons in water overnight. In the morning, drain the water and blend the seeds with soy milk and honey to make a nutritious drink. Drink it twice a day for three months.
Dry and ground the seeds into flour and use it in making bread, cookies, pies, breakfast cereals, and pasta. The seeds can be used as a substitute for sesame seeds and sprinkled on burger buns, energy bars, and salads.
Safety Precautions
Do not consume above the recommended dosage. It is not suitable for children and those with a wheat allergy. Store the seed at room temperature and consult a doctor before you introduce canary seed to your diet.