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Isotonic Drinks: Effect and How Useful They Really Are

Isotonic drinks are designed to provide athletes with energy and important minerals in a particularly effective manner. However, only a few of the commercially available isotonic drinks can do this – and there are healthier alternatives.

For many people, isotonic drinks are part of sport, after all they are supposed to supply the body with energy, liquid and sweated-out nutrients. In particular, the electrolytes sodium, potassium and magnesium are lost when you sweat.

Your body usually has a certain level of these minerals. When a drink has the same concentration, it is said to be “isotonic”.

Isotonic drinks: how they work

In order to understand what is special about isotonic drinks, you have to deal with the phenomenon of “osmosis”. Imagine a cell in the human body: It is separated from the environment by a cell membrane. On both sides of the membrane is water (after all, we are mostly made of water) in which minerals such as sodium are dissolved. If the concentration of these minerals is different on either side, this is compensated for by drawing water to the side with the higher concentration. This process is known as “osmosis”.

Now let’s apply this to an isotonic drink: since it has the same nutrient concentration as our body, it can pass through the digestive tract without the body having to dilute it with water. With a hypertonic drink (e.g. cola) it would be different: the body would have to compensate for the high nutrient content by diluting the cola with water in the digestive tract. This would temporarily remove liquid from the blood and the digestive tract would have to work harder.

Isotonic drinks, on the other hand, get into the blood quickly and easily. There the contained sugar and the electrolytes are transported to the cells. Isotonic drinks quickly provide energy and important minerals.

Isotonic drinks: do you need them?

According to experts, as long as you only exercise moderately (i.e. less than about an hour at a time) you do not need isotonic drinks – it is sufficient if you quench your thirst with water.

The situation is different in competitive sports: if you do intensive sports for several hours, you should fill up your electrolyte stores. Studies also show that sugar helps maintain performance.

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health

Arnica Globules: Dosage, Effect and Application

Homeopathic Arnica globules belong in every household with children. Because they relieve pain, ensure that bruises do not swell so much, and help against bruises and swelling. Find out everything about their effects, application, and the right dosage of Arnica Globuli.

Arnica globules are used in natural medicine. They have an anti-inflammatory and healing effect. They help with bruises and other pain, such as a toothache or sore muscles. Arnica globules can be used especially for minor injuries in children, such as a bruise.

The effect of arnica globules

The Arnica montana is also known in German as mountain welfare rental, fall herb or power rose. It grows in mountainous regions and has been used for centuries as a remedy for everyday injuries. Because it has a pain-relieving, wound-healing, and anti-inflammatory effect. This makes it ideal for use as first aid. But it can also be used prophylactically, for example before childbirth or to remove a tooth. As a result, you can naturally strengthen your body’s self-healing powers.

The correct dosage of Arnica globules

It is best to use the globules in the Potentz D6 (pharmacy) and dose the globules as follows: on the first day 3×3 globules at intervals of 15 minutes, in the following hours 3 globules per hour. On the second day 3 pellets every 3 hours. On the third day – if still necessary – 3 × 3 globules are distributed throughout the day.

1) Arnica globules for children with bruises

In particular, you can use Arnica globules for your children. Because they get injured easily in everyday life. and then home remedies for bruises or small abrasions are needed. In the case of children, you should make the dosage depending on their age. Thus, small children need fewer globules than older ones.

2) Combat joint pain with Arnica globules

Arnica globules are a popular and effective home remedy for joint pain. If your limbs ache after a hard day or when you get sick, you can take the Arnica pellets. Depending on the severity of the pain, a different potency may be necessary.

3) Arnica cream for bruises

Arnica cream for rubbing in works just as well. Because the ointment cools and relieves the pain. In addition, this has the same effect as the homeopathic globules. If you suffer from a sprain or bruise, you can use Arnica globules and an Arnica cream as an effective home remedy for knee problems and bruises.

4) Arnica globules after surgery

The Arnica beads are used in many areas. You can also take them for pain after operations, such as dental surgery, or after childbirth. As a result, the pain can be relieved.

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Food

Camelina Oil: Ingredients, Effect and Application

Camelina oil is not very well known in German cuisine and is often confused with linseed oil. Here you can find out what the healthy oil is all about and why you should integrate it into your diet more often.

What is camelina oil?

Camelina oil is extracted from the seeds of camelina, a plant of the cruciferous family. It is often confused with linseed oil, which, on the other hand, is made from the linseed of another plant, the common linseed or flax.

However, the oils of the plants have a lot in common: both do not keep for long in cold-pressed form and should not be heated. Stored in light-protected bottles in the refrigerator, they should last up to two months.

The big advantage – of both linseed oil and camelina oil: The plants are cultivated in Germany, so both types of oil are available from regional cultivation. For the best quality, you should buy the oil in organic quality.

How healthy is camelina oil?

Camelina oil consists of 50 to 60 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids. These have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and can thus prevent cardiovascular diseases as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Like linseed oil, camelina oil is particularly rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which belongs to the group of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential component of a balanced diet. For example, they fulfill important functions in hormone production, the function of nerves, muscles and eyes or the structure of cell membranes.

Like many other oils, camelina oil is also rich in vitamin E, which protects our body cells as an antioxidant against free radicals, has a positive effect on lipid metabolism and is involved in controlling the gonads. In contrast to linseed oil, which consists of 60 to 70 percent linolenic acid, camelina oil has a significantly lower proportion of around 30 to 40 percent.

Camelina oil: How to use it in the kitchen

Due to the relatively high content of omega-3 fatty acids, you should not heat camelina oil. The heat destroys the healthy fatty acids and can even convert them into harmful trans fats. Camelina oil is therefore not suitable for frying, cooking or baking.

However, you can use it for dressings or dips, for example, or occasionally add a teaspoon of the oil to the finished meal to ensure you regularly consume omega-3 fatty acids. Camelina oil can be a good source of the important fatty acid, especially in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

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health

Losing Weight without the Yo-Yo Effect in Everyday Family Life

Losing weight without the yo-yo effect works best with a healthy and balanced diet for the whole family. In order for weight loss to work successfully in stressful everyday family life, avoid strenuous and one-sided diets.

Special diets are hardly feasible in stressful everyday family life. If sport is then also recommended, the dream of the desired figure seems to be an illusion. Losing weight without exercise and with little time is possible and you don’t have to follow a specific diet.

Diet is a real challenge in losing weight in everyday family life

Most people have tried numerous diets. Many were successful and lost weight. But the problem is always the yo-yo effect after a diet. Because that often occurs as soon as the diet is ended. Often you then quickly weigh more than before the diet and are frustrated. In addition, losing weight with a diet is usually a challenge.

If you’re still short on time and dieting between changing diapers, checking homework, doing quick housecleaning, etc., losing weight is associated with additional stress. Thus, the diet is doomed to failure. Especially when you’re whipping up a delicious meal for the family and need to stick to your diet plan at the same time.

Tips for losing weight without exercising

At the same time, it is difficult for a mother to do sports every day in the stressful everyday family life. Because how do you create space with small children? But the good news for mothers is: You can also lose weight in everyday family life without the yo-yo effect. Because to lose weight and become slim, you need a healthy and balanced diet. For this purpose, try to consider the following when it comes to nutrition in order to be able to lose weight without exercising. In addition, you should first calculate your BMI value to find out how your weight should be classified.

  • Hardly any carbohydrates and consume a lot of protein.
  • Trust in high-quality fats.
  • Beware of juices and high-sugar fruits.
  • A negative calorie balance is essential.

Losing weight without the yo-yo effect through healthy nutrition for the family

Consciously avoid a strict and one-sided diet. Because when you establish healthy eating habits for you and your family, you all benefit. This saves you the extra cooking and reduces stress. If you want to lose weight without the yo-yo effect, then avoid eating high-carbohydrate food in the evening. However, note that they are valuable sources of energy. Therefore, you should not completely eliminate them from your meal plan. And from time to time it can also be a pizza. But permanently losing weight in everyday family life is only possible with a healthy diet. Healthy means the following:

  • Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit (5 servings a day),
  • many whole grain products,
  • little meat and animal fats,
  • if meat then lean varieties, e.g. poultry,
  • low sugar and sugary foods,
  • It is important that you drink a lot of water or unsweetened tea (at least 1.5 liters per day).

Organize a healthy diet well in everyday family life

A healthy diet with lots of fresh ingredients sounds expensive. But the preparation can succeed quickly with the good organization in everyday life. You should also use shared meals to enjoy together and eat consciously. You should at least take your time for breakfast and dinner because those who eat consciously instead of casually learn to listen to their feeling of satiety. You can also organize yourself as follows:

  • Prepare vegetables in the morning when the little ones are still asleep or away from home.
  • Prepare fresh juices or smoothies in just a few minutes with the blender.
  • Pre-cook meals and freeze them in the freezer. This way you only have to cook one day and only have to warm up the food briefly in the following days.
  • Cut up fruit in the evening for muesli in the morning and store it in a storage container. Tip: Put some lemon juice on the fruit to keep its color. Stored in the fridge, the fruit tastes very good the next morning.

Stimulate metabolism to lose weight

As already mentioned, sport and daily exercise are good for your health. Because with it you can stay fit in everyday life and stimulate your metabolism. You don’t have to do any strenuous exercise to do this. Half an hour of walking, cycling, swimming, gymnastics or yoga at home with children is enough. Sport helps you lose weight easily without the yo-yo effect. Because in addition to stimulating the metabolism, sport also has a motivating effect and it is easier to do without the little sweets in between.

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Lifestyle

The Healthy CBD Oil Effect and Application

Cannabidiol products are very trendy because they are supposed to ensure better well-being in a natural way. So get to know the positive effects of CBD oil now and learn how CBD oil can help against stress, pain, and inflammation.

What is CBD?

CBD oil has long made a name for itself in alternative medicine. There are now many different providers and it is therefore not surprising that CBD oils are very popular. Therefore we want to clarify what is behind the mega hype of the products. The CBD (cannabidiol) extract is obtained from the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. Consequently, commercially available CBD products contain lime-pressed hemp oil, cannabidiol, turpentine, hemp molecules, and vitamin E.

The CBD oil effect

The CBD oil effect is health-promoting. Because cannabidiol has a calming and relaxing effect. It is also said to have a pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and anticonvulsant effect. Consequently, it should help in the fight against stress and overexertion. Furthermore, many CBD product providers advertise antioxidant effects that are supposed to help against skin blemishes and ensure a beautiful and soft complexion. Some also recommend the active ingredient for chronic skin diseases, for example for the treatment of neurodermatitis.

Benefits of CBD products

Because cannabidiol is a natural substance, it offers many benefits. All mammals have the endocannabinoid system in their bodies. It is used to maintain balance and homeostasis, as well as other processes that aid in the body’s biochemistry. When you consume it, the CBD unlocks and nourishes the system. As such, it is calming and therapeutic. As such, CBD is used to cure various ailments as it acts on a larger biological process. This results in the following advantages:

  • CBD is legal so you can get high-quality CBD products.
  • The CBD oil effect is health-promoting.
  • There have never been any reports of fatal overdoses from CBD as it is non-toxic.
  • The CBD products are freely available, without a health insurance card or a doctor’s prescription.
  • CBD oil application

But what can you use the CBD oil from the cannabis plant for? And what diseases should it help with? If you believe the manufacturers of CBD products, the range of treatment options is extremely versatile. CBD oil is even said to be able to help with cancer. Regular intake should help to reduce the symptoms that occur in the long term. Consequently, it ensures better well-being.

It is important to know that CBD oil does not contain THC, so it does not have an intoxicating effect like illegal cannabis. Rather, it is the cannabinoids that are meant to help when the oil is ingested. It is often enough if you take a few drops twice a day. As a result, you benefit from the following advantages and areas of application:

1) Cannabidiol boosts overall health

Because the CBD receptors are already present in your body, taking CBD oil helps supercharge the endocannabinoid system. This helps your body repair, cleanse, strengthen and improve your physiological system. So if you use CBD products regularly, it should strengthen your neurological functions and immune system.

2) CBD oil for stress and anxiety

Most people use CBD products primarily for stress relief. Because the relaxing effect can reduce a high-stress level. And as mentioned earlier, CBD extract interacts with the endocannabinoid system so that it affects the serotonin receptors in the body, thereby relieving anxiety.

3) As a home remedy for insomnia

Taking CBD oil also regulates your sleep cycle and is used to treat insomnia. In particular, the calming CBD oil effect leads to a reduction in stress, which can ensure improved and healthy sleep. Therefore, you should try an application for insomnia.

4) The CBD oil effect soothes the skin

The anti-inflammatory effect of CBD products can soothe the skin. Therefore, you can use creams with the CBD active ingredient to treat neurodermatitis. In addition, a large number of high-quality CBD care products advertise an improved complexion through CBD. Accordingly, the skin’s surface has natural cannabinoid receptors, which is why it absorbs the active ingredient particularly well. In addition, CBD moisturizes the skin without clogging the pores and is conveniently suitable for all skin types.

5) CBD oil application relieves pain

Likewise, most people use CBD products for their pain-relieving effects. For example, you can use CBD oil externally and locally because it works against localized pain. Even painful elbows should hurt significantly less in this way. Please also note our tips against rough elbows.

6) Cannabidiol as a home remedy for nausea

Similar to the home remedies ginger and real chamomile, cannabidiol has an anti-nausea effect. Stimulating the endocannabinoid system can suppress feelings of nausea. In addition to using CBD oil, you should also use other home remedies to combat nausea completely. In addition, you should definitely clarify the causes.

7) CBD products for rheumatism and arthritis

People who often have joint pain benefit from CBD products. Because the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiols provide relief from pain and inflammation, they can be used to treat diseases such as rheumatism and arthritis. Also, note natural home remedies for rheumatism.

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Food

Tannins: Effect and Importance For a Healthy Diet

Tannins belong to the secondary plant substances. We get them from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Here we explain how they work and why they are important for a healthy diet.

What are tannins?

Tannins belong to the group of so-called polyphenols. In the chemical sense, these are compounds with a tanning effect. This means that they are used to “precipitate” proteins. This means that they break down proteins into their components – for example into the individual amino acids.

The textile industry, for example, makes use of this property: it uses tanning agents to change the consistency of leather, for example. Among other things, tanning makes the leather more durable and firmer, explains Spektrum magazine.

Vegetable tanning agents: They are found here

Vegetable tannins belong to the secondary plant substances. They are also called tannins and are found in many different plants and parts of plants. According to the spectrum, they are part of:
leaves (tea)
seeds (coffee)
fruits (berries)
Wooden
Tannins are acidic. They are therefore often referred to as tannic acids. They create, for example, the typical tart, sour taste of blueberries or sloes.

Tannins also have an astringent (tightening) effect on mucous membranes and cause a furry feeling on the tongue. You’ve probably noticed this effect before when you ate unripe berries.

This is how tanning agents work

Tannins in plants act as natural defenses against microbial pathogens and pests. For a long time, however, they were considered undesirable ingredients in human nutrition.

According to the knowledge magazine Spektrum, this is because they can form complexes with proteins in the digestive system. These complexes can interfere with the body’s processing of vitamins and minerals.
This can lead, for example, to the body no longer being able to absorb enough iron from food. This can lead to an iron deficiency.

Healthy diet: These foods contain tannins

If you eat a balanced and healthy diet, you often consume tannins. For this reason alone, they are of a certain importance for nutrition. The following foods contain relevant amounts of vegetable tanning agents:
Grain
legumes
Many types of fruit:
apples
bananas
blackberries
cranberries
Grapes
peaches
pears
plums
raspberries
strawberries
Green tea and black tea
red wine
Coffee

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Uncategorized

Wheatgrass Powder: Effect and Application

Wheatgrass powder is a popular dietary supplement. Here you can find out what effect the so-called superfood has and how you use it.

Wheatgrass and its components

The grasses of the wheat plant are referred to as wheatgrass before they develop their typical spikes. Wheatgrass is therefore gluten-free. According to the Apotheken-Umschau, it also contains important vitamins (per 100 grams):
Vitamin C: 97 milligrams
Vitamin E: 9 milligrams
Vitamin B1: 0.4 milligrams
Vitamin B2: 1.3 milligrams
Vitamin B6: 0.9 milligrams
Wheatgrass also contains iron and the secondary plant substances lutein and chlorophyll.

How does wheatgrass powder work?

You can easily take wheatgrass in powder form. You can get ready-made wheatgrass powder in drugstores, for example. Alternatively, you can make your own by growing wheatgrass in a germination box, drying it, and then pounding it into powder with a mortar and pestle.

Studies, which have not been carried out on humans, attribute the following health-promoting effects to the superfood:
It has an anti-inflammatory effect.
The high proportion of antioxidants is said to have a preventive effect against cancer.
It can normalize cholesterol levels.
The Apotheken-Umschau also reports that the lutein contained in wheatgrass may protect the eyes. The chlorophyll, on the other hand, can support the transport of oxygen in the blood and thus contribute to the formation of new blood cells.

However, the body cannot utilize a large part of the chlorophyll in wheatgrass and excretes the substance unused. It is therefore questionable whether the health benefits of chlorophyll also apply to humans.

How to use wheatgrass powder

You can mix wheatgrass powder with water to get wheatgrass juice. However, if the taste of pure wheatgrass is too intense for you, you can also add the powder to a smoothie, yoghurt or muesli. You should not heat wheatgrass powder, as this can destroy the valuable vitamins.

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Food

Tonka Bean: Taste and Effect of The Spice Plant

The taste of tonka beans is intense and unique. You can use the spice to refine desserts and sweets, for example. Here you can find out where tonka beans come from, how you use them and how they work.

Tonka beans are the elongated seeds of the tonka bean tree. Although this belongs to the legume family, it has little in common with the legumes we know. Tonka beans are brownish-black and a few centimeters long. The seeds are encased in the yellow fruits of the tonka tree.

onka trees are found in Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Peru and Colombia, among others. Due to the great demand for the newly discovered spice, tonka beans are now also grown in other parts of South America, in Trinidad, as well as in Kenya and Nigeria. The tonka beans available in this country mostly come from Venezuela and Nigeria.

Tonka Bean: taste of the exquisite seeds

Tonka beans have a floral-sweet aroma and their taste is reminiscent of vanilla and bitter almonds. In haute cuisine, tonka beans are among the most important spice discoveries of recent years. Even if it is still relatively unknown in Germany, the seed is being used more and more frequently in fine desserts and sweet dishes.

You can refine creams, cakes, sweet pastries or ice cream with tonka beans. The fine floral note of the tonka bean is particularly good in panna cotta or crème brulée, for example. But you can also refine hearty dishes such as red cabbage, pumpkin soup or mashed potatoes with the taste of tonka beans.

Using tonka beans: tips for the kitchen

Tonka beans are only available dried from us and are therefore very hard. To use them in the kitchen, grate them with a nutmeg grater. But be careful: A small amount is sufficient, otherwise the taste of the tonka beans will quickly become too intrusive.

Alternatively, you can soak whole tonka beans in rum or boil them for milk or cream-based desserts. To do this, boil the tonka beans in milk or cream for ten minutes and let them soak overnight. Depending on the recipe, one or two beans are enough. Thanks to the intense taste, you can reuse the tonka beans up to ten times this way.

By the way, tonka beans are used not only as a spice, but also as a fragrance. As early as the 18th century, tonka beans were put in the laundry in Venezuela, leaving them with a pleasant scent. Tonka beans are also used for perfume, tobacco and aromatherapy.

Flavorful tonka bean: healthy or dangerous?

Among the natives of South America, the tonka bean is not only known for its taste. It has always been regarded as a medicinal plant with magical powers. It was said to have protective and lucky powers and the beans were carried as lucky charms. The scent of the seeds is said to have a mood-enhancing and erotic effect. Tonka beans are still used in folk medicine today. However, these effects have not been scientifically proven.

Today, tonka beans are best known for their relatively high coumarin content. On average, this is two to three percent, but can also be up to ten percent.

Coumarin is a flavoring substance that is also found in cassia cinnamon, among other things, and is liver-damaging in large quantities.
This flavoring was also suspected of being carcinogenic for a long time, which is why tonka beans were banned in Germany for some time. This was the result of animal experiments, but could not be confirmed in humans according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). The import of the spice plant has been permitted again since 1991.
According to the BfR, a daily intake of up to 0.1 milligrams of coumarin per kilogram of body weight is harmless. So if you don’t season generously with tonka beans every day, you don’t have to fear the coumarin it contains. Nevertheless, the following applies: Use tonka beans sparingly – a small amount is sufficient for seasoning.
On the other hand, tonka beans are valued for their coumarin content, as the substance is also used medicinally. Coumarins (coumarin derivatives) are used as anticoagulant drugs.

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Food

Cayenne Pepper: Difference From Chilli, Use and Effect

Cayenne pepper appears in the list of ingredients in many a recipe. Pharmacies also offer heat patches with cayenne pepper extract. What makes it so versatile?

Do not confuse: cayenne pepper and chilli powder

Cayenne pepper and chili powder look almost the same visually. But what many do not know: It is not the same product.

Cayenne pepper consists only of ground chili peppers of the Cayenne variety. The Cayenne chili peppers grow on a subshrub (Capsicum annuum var. acuminatum) that is about 50 centimeters high. The spice was used as early as the 15th century and originally comes from South America. From the 18th century, powdered cayenne was also popular in England. The English could use it to flavor the dishes they had come to know in the Indian colonies. You can dry cayenne and then grind it into cayenne pepper.

What the vernacular understands as chili powder today, on the other hand, is a spice mixture. That means it is not pure chili. The basic ingredients include cayenne pepper, garlic, cumin and oregano. Depending on the spice mixture, nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves are also included. With chili powder you can, for example, cook the typical Mexican dish Chili con carne or the meat-free version Chili sin carne.

Cayenne pepper is much hotter than chili powder. The Scoville unit indicates how pungent a spice really is on our taste and circulatory systems. The degree of sharpness of pure cayenne pepper is between 30,000 and 60,000 Scoville. For comparison: The pepperoni is at the lower end of the scale with 100-500 Scoville, while a jalapeño chilli has much more heat with 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville.

The name cayenne pepper is also misleading because there is no relationship to the classic pepper. Red, green, and black pepper are all based on the fruits of the pepper plant.

How does cayenne pepper work?

According to BR, cayenne pepper can support the body as follows:
What makes cayenne pepper hot is the active ingredient capsaicin.
When you eat cayenne pepper, your body produces endorphins. Under certain circumstances, these can still put you in a euphoric state, the “pepper high”.
The capsaicin contained in cayenne pepper promotes blood circulation in the skin and muscles and even relieves pain by releasing your body’s endorphins.
According to the Apothekenumschau, cayenne pepper also has the following effects:
Due to its sharpness, the cayenne pepper has an antibacterial effect: it stimulates gastric acid production. Stomach acid kills pathogens that enter the body through food in the digestive tract.
The active ingredient capsaicin in cayenne pepper also boosts the body’s digestion.
According to the NDR, some dietary supplements with capsaicin promise to promote fat burning. Eating chili can also make you sweat.

But in addition to capsaicin, cayenne pepper contains something else that is important: It contains a high proportion of carotenoids and vitamin C. Both ingredients make cayenne pepper a valuable antioxidant. Antioxidants are naturally occurring chemical substances that protect and strengthen our body from harmful influences.

Caution: If you have a sensitive stomach, you should not eat too spicy. This also applies if your stomach lining is weakened by stress, painkillers or other medication. Because the capsaicin it contains boosts gastric acid production

Many different dishes can be prepared with cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper traditionally comes from the national cuisine of South America. In addition, it is also used in the kitchens of India, China and Indonesia.

The cayenne pepper gives many dishes a spicy note. You can use it to refine various dishes – for example your pumpkin soup, your arrabiata sauce or your marinade. Or mix some cayenne pepper into vegan dips to flavor them.

As a special insider tip in the cold season, you can sprinkle some cayenne pepper on your hot chocolate. Have fun enjoying!

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Food

Rice Germ Oil: Application and Effect in The Kitchen, Cosmetics and More

Rice germ oil is still relatively unknown in this country. The sustainably produced oil can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen and cosmetics.

How is rice germ oil obtained?

Rice germ oil is obtained from rice bran. Rice bran is the seed coat, embryo and pericarp of the rice grain. The rice bran is the part of the rice grain that is husked away in the production of white rice. By processing the rice bran into rice germ oil, the actual waste product can still be recycled.

Depending on the rice variety, rice bran contains between 16 and 32 percent oil, which can be either pressed or solvent extracted. It is important for the production of high-quality rice bran oil that the oil manufacturer processes the rice bran as quickly as possible after it has been husked.

Rice bran naturally contains fat-splitting enzymes, lipases. Lipases release individual fatty acids that give the oil a rancid taste. To prevent this, the rice bran is briefly heated to 130 degrees Celsius to deactivate the fat-splitting enzymes. Not only do enzymes decompose at this temperature, vitamins are also lost.

What are the ingredients of rice germ oil?

Native rice germ oil is rarely found commercially because it has a very distinctive smell. Refined rice germ oil, on the other hand, is almost odorless with a slightly yellowish hue. In the course of refining, the oil manufacturer removes the unwanted free fatty acids from the rice germ oil.

But ingredients that are said to have a positive health effect are also lost in the process. For example, refined rice germ oil has less than five percent of its original gamma-oryzanol content. As an antioxidant, gamma-oryzanol protects the body from free radicals and is used to improve blood lipid levels due to its cholesterol-lowering effect. The proportion of vitamin E also decreases in the course of oil refining.

The composition of rice germ oil is similar to that of argan oil. The dominant fatty acids are oleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid. All of these fatty acids are saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Rice germ oil has only a small proportion of oxidation-prone polyunsaturated fatty acids, so it can be kept for up to twelve months.

Where is rice germ oil used?

The cosmetics industry often uses rice germ oil in sunscreens and skin protection creams. For this purpose, the refined rice germ oil is again enriched with the y-oryzanols lost during refining. These protect the skin from the sun by absorbing UVA and UVB rays. The likewise high proportion of phytosterols ensures that rice germ oil is also effective against skin irritation and itching. Rice germ oil can also be used to make soft soaps with a creamy foam.

You can also use rice germ oil in the kitchen as frying oil. Because it’s refined, it can be heated to high temperatures, so you can use it to sear and deep-fry food. Rice germ oil is relatively tasteless and is therefore particularly suitable for the production of mayonnaise.

From a sustainability point of view, rice germ oil is recommended because it is a recycled waste product. In order to avoid long transport routes, you should make sure that the rice used was grown in Europe and processed into oil there. Despite everything, domestic oils such as rapeseed oil remain better than rice germ oil.

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