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Endive Stimulates Appetite and Digestion

Anyone strolling through the weekly market these days can see the endives with their green leaves shining from the tables. The salad is currently in the high season in Germany and not only tastes delicious as a fresh side dish: the endive also stimulates the appetite and digestion.

The late summer salad

In the period from September to November, the supply of endive from domestic cultivation is particularly large. There are two types of lettuce: the smooth-leaved escarole and the curly-leaved frisée. Both variants are equally suitable as starter salads because the endive stimulates the appetite and digestion.

Appetizing & digestive

This type of lettuce owes its typically bitter taste to the bitter substance lactucopicrin it contains. This stimulates the appetite and digestion and has a slightly diuretic effect.

Endive is so healthy

In addition to the bitter substances, the endive contains a large amount of beta-carotene, which is particularly good for the eyes and skin. In addition, the lettuce leaves score with potassium, calcium, phosphates, and folic acid. The latter is one of the B vitamins and is involved in important growth processes, cell division, and blood formation.

Kitchen tip

If you don’t like the bitter taste of the endive, you should soak the leaves in warm water before serving or add a little sweetness to the salad dressing – for example with honey or a pinch of sugar. Removing the thick ends of the leaves can also counteract the bitter taste of the endive. The salad is best stored in the refrigerator.

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Coffee and Cigarettes Stimulate Digestion: What’s The Truth Behind Grandma’s Myth?

Coffee and cigarettes stimulate digestion. At least that’s what Grandma used to say. Is there something to it or is it just a myth?

1. Effect of coffee on digestion

Coffee contains about 80-100 mg of caffeine per cup. On the one hand, caffeine has a stimulating effect, but on the other hand it should also help to digest faster.

Definitely: Coffee increases the ability to contract in the small intestine, but regardless of its caffeine content. Ingredients that promote the effect include acids, tannins and bitter substances. In a study with mice, the researcher Xuan-Zheng P. Shi discovered that coffee stimulates digestion by feeding them coffee. After only three days, he was able to determine an increased contractility, i.e. a contraction of the muscles, in the small intestine of the four-legged friend. As a result, the food pulp was mixed faster and digested just as quickly.

So we can definitely speak of an effect on digestion with coffee – whether with or without caffeine. However, how strong the effect is in the end is individual. But what about cigarettes?

2. Effect of nicotine on digestion

Cigarettes are also said to boost digestion. However, they have less of a direct influence on our intestines and much more on our brain and the autonomic nervous system.

So this part of Grandma’s myth is also true. However, it should be borne in mind that other foods can also have a digestive effect without the body having to be supplied with toxic nicotine. The health aspect should not be disregarded – cigarettes can endanger your health and promote diseases.

3. Health aspects

In order to boost your digestion, it is not necessarily advisable to reach for a cigarette. The contained nicotine and other harmful substances can endanger your health and, for example, lung diseases
However, coffee has more benefits than just boosting digestion.

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Take Care of Your Intestines: These Foods Damage The Intestinal Flora, Digestion and Immune System

It is considered the “control center of health”: our intestines. Around 70 percent of our immune cells are located in the digestive organ. A wrong diet can therefore not only irritate the intestines, but also weaken our immune system at the same time.

Intestinal health: That’s why we should take care of our intestines

For this reason, it is worth taking a closer look at your own diet: Certain foods can attack our intestinal flora and weaken our immune system in the long term. The result: we are more susceptible to diseases. Reason enough to take a look at which foods destroy our intestines. Here you can find out which foods you should absolutely avoid. Talking about gut health is no longer a taboo subject. Because: Our physical well-being depends to a large extent on our digestive tract. Prof. Dr. medical Julia Seiderer-Nack, author of guidebooks on intestinal health, also describes the intestine as the “control center of health” for this reason.

Recent studies even suggest that a change in the intestinal flora can promote and even accelerate dementia. In addition, a healthy intestine not only has a positive influence on our immune system, but also ensures beautiful skin, hair and nails, among other things.

It is all the more unpleasant when our intestinal health is out of balance. The result: an irritated gut. To prevent this, you should not consume the following foods in large quantities. As is so often the case here, the dose makes the poison.

These foods attack the intestines

Plain Sugar

Bad news for all baked goods lovers and those with a sweet tooth: Simple sugars are mainly found in white flour and refined sugar. And it’s not just us who like to snack on it, but above all the bacteria in the intestines, which promotes rapid multiplication. The problem: The sugar-loving bacteria are then in the majority and crowd out other bacteria in the intestine that are responsible for breaking down more complex sugars (polysaccharides). This imbalance also gives the nasty yeast a chance to spread in the gut.

artificial sweeteners

Just like simple sugars, artificial sweeteners are an enemy to our intestinal flora in large quantities. They not only come in the form of small white tablets to sweeten tea and coffee, but are also an ingredient in low-calorie soft drinks or ready meals. A study has found that sweeteners have a negative effect on the intestinal flora and, among other things, increase the formation of short-chain fatty acids.

Bad fats

As the name implies, bad fats, such as those found in margarine, mayonnaise, and lard, are not good for our gut. Therefore, these should only appear occasionally in the nutrition plan. Instead, it is advisable to use healthier alternatives such as linseed oil, olive oil or hemp oil.

Heavily processed meat and sausage products

This includes, for example, cured and smoked foods, which not only irritate the intestines when consumed excessively, but can also cause abdominal pain, cramps and flatulence. According to experts, one should not eat more than 500 grams of red meat per week to ensure the health of the intestinal tract.

This is to do when the intestines are irritated

Sometimes it does happen: A healthy diet was neglected for a few days and you ate excessively greasy food. Maybe you also have stress – and all that hits your stomach or stomach: the intestines are irritated and spasm. In order to alleviate these cramps somewhat, sufficient heat should be provided by a warm bath or a hot-water bottle.

You should also drink a lot to flush out the intestines. Warm, unsweetened tea or water is particularly well tolerated; You should definitely avoid coffee. A low-fat diet is also recommended. You should be particularly careful not to over-season your meals. Ideally, you should also eat very slowly and in small portions so as not to overwhelm the intestines. But be careful: If you have severe symptoms, you should definitely consult a doctor.

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