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New Hype about Milk Alternatives

Soy milk, almond milk, and the like have become competitors for good old cow’s milk in recent years. And now they have to tremble again because the pea milk is on the rise! The company “DrinkStar” produces the drink based on vegetable peas.

Pea milk: the must-have of the season?

It is white and looks like conventional cow’s milk, and yet it is not: Pea Milk. But neither the color nor the taste should be reminiscent of peas. In May 2016, the US manufacturer “ripple” brought the special milk alternative to the American market, which consists of a mix of yellow peas, sunflower oil, cane sugar, and algae oil.

Pea milk is so healthy

Pea milk contains important omega-3 fatty acids and is rich in calcium. It is also considered a protein bomb among vegan milk alternatives. One portion, i.e. around 200 milliliters, should contain an impressive 8 grams of protein. This would make pea milk just as rich in protein as soy and cow’s milk.

Of course, a distinction must be made here between vegetable and animal protein: the latter is similar in composition to body protein and can therefore be utilized somewhat better. But vegetable protein also has significant advantages over animal protein. Purines, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol are hardly included.

Pea drink

The Rosenheim beverage specialist DrinkStar has developed a German version of pea milk. PRINCESS AND THE PEA is naturally lactose, gluten, and allergen-free, making it a good alternative for people with food allergies or intolerances. The protein content is comparable to the protein content of classic cow’s milk. The milk alternative is enriched with calcium and refined with rapeseed oil containing omega-3 fatty acids.

The pea drink can either be drunk pure or used to refine coffee, tea, and muesli as well as in the preparation of meals.

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Food

Chia Seeds: Superfood or Super Hype?

Chia seeds contain a lot of protein, unsaturated fatty acids and minerals. But how healthy is the superfood really and what effect does it have?

There are many legends surrounding chia seeds, some of them more than 5,000 years old, some of them from recent years. According to the old legends, the “gold of the Aztecs” is said to have helped them in their conquests. Two spoons of chia seeds gave a soldier strength for the whole day and provided him with all the necessary nutrients.

This legend gave today’s athletes the idea of ​​using the seeds of the chia plant as a silver bullet and as a source of energy before competitions. Hobby athletes soon discovered the pseudo grain for themselves and American businessmen “doped” themselves before strenuous business appointments with the grains, which today mostly come from Mexico and some other South and Central American countries.

Gradually, the insider tip went mainstream and chia seeds became a hip must-have in the kitchen. With a high content of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, protein and minerals, the grains are said to be real health miracles. Is that true, or is superfood more like fool’s gold?

Chia seeds: basic facts and botany

The name of the chia plant is derived from the Aztec language and refers to the high oil content of the seeds (“chian” means “oily”). Strictly speaking, however, chia seeds are not seeds at all, but so-called Klausen – parts of a decaying fruit, each of which carries a seed.

Klausen is often found in mint plants, which include the chia plant as a sage species. In terms of nutritional physiology, chia seeds are classified as oilseeds due to their high fat content. The blue-flowering, annual, herbaceous plant originally comes from Mexico, but is now cultivated in several South American countries and in Australia.

The plant does not tolerate waterlogging and can therefore only be grown in regions where rainfall is relatively low. In Europe, Chia plants are only occasionally cultivated in the sunny south of Spain.

Ingredients, nutritional values ​​and calories of chia seeds

Two tablespoons are said to give energy for the whole day – this suggests a very high-energy food. In fact, 100g of chia seeds contain 440kcal, most of it from fat (about 35%), the rest from carbohydrates (about 45%). Since the fats are almost exclusively unsaturated omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, the energy density of the small grains is less of a problem.

The seed can also score points when it comes to the protein content, which at around 22% is higher than, for example, salmon. When it comes to vitamins and minerals, oilseeds are also at the forefront: chia seeds are rich in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, vitamin A and C, and niacin.

The power grains thus provide some important nutrients that are otherwise usually only found in meat or animal products – important especially for vegan diets. In addition, the cloves of the chia plant also provide many antioxidants, which are said to have a health-promoting effect.

What effect does the superfood have?

The ingredients of chia seeds suggest that the grains have a very positive effect on health. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, for example, are good for cholesterol levels and can lower blood pressure.

A high proportion of fiber also fills you up faster, which is why chia seeds can help with a diet. In addition, the grains are also a power snack for athletes, just like the Aztecs might have done back then.

Since these are pseudo-cereals, anyone with gluten intolerance or an allergy to nuts, soy proteins or similar can breathe easy: Chia seeds do not contain any of these components. An allergy-triggering effect is therefore not yet known. So far at least the advertising promises of the manufacturers.

However, none of these positive effects have been proven in scientific studies so far. These are only effects that could probably occur due to the ingredients – if they were tested, then only in the laboratory, so the results cannot be transferred to humans.

Chia seeds: few studies, little experience

The seeds of the chia plant have only been approved as food in the EU since 2013. Before that, they were only allowed to be included in processed products up to a maximum of five percent. For example, chia seeds have been added to bread and pastries or muesli mixes as a healthy bonus.

However, the EFSA, the European Authority for Food Safety, set the recommended consumption to a maximum of 15 grams (2 tablespoons full) per day – the reasoning was that there were no studies and empirical values ​​over a longer period of time.

The enthusiastic reports on the effect of the alleged superfood that can be found on the Internet are therefore largely not scientific studies, but rather reports of individual people’s experiences. And taken by themselves, they don’t mean much.

In addition, with the small amount recommended for consumption, the effect of the chia seeds will naturally be low, despite all the nutrients they contain. In order to achieve a measurable medical effect at all, the subjects in the few studies conducted had to be given a significantly larger amount. And even then, only possibilities could be identified, but no concrete evidence of the effect.

Proper preparation of chia seeds

Yes, how do you eat them “correctly”, the miracle seeds of the chia plant? When eating, you should always keep in mind that chia seeds, like flaxseeds, swell a lot or rather convert part of their proteins into a kind of jelly. Therefore, they should always be taken with liquid.

However, it is best to soak the chia seeds if you want to eat them plain. Put in a glass overnight with at least twice the amount of water (e.g. one spoonful of chia seeds, two spoonfuls of water, preferably more) and you get a chia jelly that is virtually tasteless and can be easily metabolized.

Soaking is not necessary if the chia seeds are to end up in muesli or cornflakes for breakfast. Since these are usually eaten with milk, milk substitute or juice, sufficient liquid is provided. Also popular as a real power breakfast are chia seeds stirred into yoghurt, either soaked or straight from the pack.

Recipes with chia seeds

Chia seeds are tasteless and therefore go well with almost all other ingredients. As pseudo-cereals, they can be used almost like wheat, rye and the like.

However, because the oilseeds are gluten-free, a dough cannot be made with flour made from chia seeds alone. Due to the lack of adhesive protein, it would simply melt. Usually only part of the flour, for example for bread, is replaced by chia seeds.

For other recipes, the chia jelly must first be made by soaking. The finished jelly can be processed into a smoothie with berries, for example.

But other fruits and vegetables can also be processed with the grain into one of the popular cold drinks. This is perfect, especially when it is hot – which is why, in the region of origin, chia seeds are mixed with “Iskate” fruit or vegetable juice, a type of natural energy drink. And for fans of all things sweet, jam with chia seeds is always a good idea.

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Food

Wheatgrass Juice: Healthy Miracle Cure or Excessive Hype?

Wheatgrass juice has been considered particularly healthy for a number of years. But which active ingredients are really in it and what is the truth behind the hype? We’ll tell you.

Wheatgrass juice has been a trend drink in the USA since the 1990s. But it has also become very popular with us in recent years. Although wheatgrass juice is a trend food or drink, it is not an exotic plant from far away: no, wheatgrass grows right on our doorstep.

Wheatgrass juice is obtained from the young shoots of our native soft wheat (Triticum aestivum). The variety is also called bread wheat or seed wheat. Wheatgrass juice is produced when the young shoots are harvested after just a few days (before the leaves form knots) and then pressed. Soft wheat belongs to the sweet grass family and is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. In Eurasia, the wheat species has been cultivated for at least 2700 years.

This superfood is said to be a vitamin bomb that helps digestion and keeps you young. But what is the truth about the rumours?

Wheatgrass juice and its ingredients

Wheatgrass juice has numerous vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acids and one thing above all: chlorophyll. This plant pigment gives wheatgrass juice its famous nickname “green blood”. The high concentration in the leaves ensures that the juice later turns a bright green. In addition, chlorophyll is structurally similar to the red blood pigment hemoglobin.

The ingredients in wheatgrass can vary widely. They arise depending on the location, the soil conditions and the harvest time. Among other things, the following nutrients can be found in wheatgrass juice:

vitamins:
Provitamin A (carotenoids)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6
Folic acid (also vitamin B9 or B11)
vitamin C
Vitamin D
vitamin E
vitamin k
Despite claims to the contrary, wheatgrass is low in vitamin B12.

Minerals and trace elements:
iron
potassium
calcium
cobalt
copper
magnesium
sodium
phosphorus
Furthermore, wheatgrass contains a variety of healthy amino acids such as alanine, histidine, methionine and lysine. They are important for fighting free radicals and building proteins. For this reason, wheatgrass juice has a high protein content (about 20 percent). That is why it is often used as animal feed.

Does wheatgrass contain gluten?
Don’t worry: although wheatgrass is the young shoots of wheat, it does not contain gluten. Even if you have celiac disease or wheat intolerance, you can take it without any worries.

Wheatgrass juice for gastrointestinal disorders

Wheatgrass juice is known to aid in digestion. Its enzymes are designed to break down the food you eat, allowing you to digest it faster. Enzymes play the central role in human metabolism. Normally, however, our pancreas produces these enzymes all by itself. According to the Harvard Health Journal, supplementation is only necessary if you suffer from diseases such as chronic pancreatitis or cystic fibrosis. Then your body can no longer produce the necessary enzymes itself.

Wheatgrass juice isn’t just supposed to help get your digestion back on track. It is also said to help with gastrointestinal disorders such as the serious inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis. Symptoms of this disease can include severe intestinal pain, painful bowel movements, diarrhea and even bleeding. According to a pilot study, wheatgrass juice is said to have a soothing effect on all of these symptoms and reduce the severity of bleeding. Just 100 milliliters of wheatgrass juice per day can have a great positive effect on your symptoms. However, you cannot treat the disease with just wheatgrass juice. Also, be sure to see a doctor.

Wheatgrass Juice: Rich in antioxidants and effective against stress

Wheatgrass juice is not only a vitamin bomb and therefore good for your immune system – it is also rich in antioxidants. These help eliminate free radicals that are caused by stress, an unhealthy diet or smoking, among other things. Too many of these free radicals can lead to so-called “oxidative stress” and damage your cells. This, in turn, is said to increase the risk of many diseases.

According to a scientific study, in addition to the numerous vitamins and antioxidants, certain proteins in wheatgrass juice help against oxidative stress.

Wheatgrass juice helps with cancer?

Wheatgrass juice is said to be so healthy that it can even help fight cancer. According to a study from 2017, the so-called “green blood” is said to prevent the cell division of cancer cells in oral cavity carcinomas, the sixth most common type of cancerous tumors. However, this study was conducted in a test tube. Whether the same effect occurs when consuming wheatgrass juice is not proven.

According to a study from China, a large amount of chlorophyll can help flush cancer-causing aflatoxins from the liver better. Aflatoxins are dangerous toxins found in poorly stored foods that can cause liver cancer.

Cancer tumors can have different effects on different organs in the body. Therefore, it is unclear whether wheatgrass juice works against all types of cancer. The juice also supports your immune system and detoxification processes.

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Cooking Tips

The Hype Surrounding Bulletproof Coffee

A lot has happened on the coffee market since the discovery of coffee: there are now many ways of refining the hot drink.

From myths to trends: we reveal the secret. What is the so-called Bulletproof Coffee all about?

A lot has happened on the coffee market since coffee was discovered around the year 800: Initially, the drink was only poured with water, but there are now many ways of refining the hot drink. It is no longer just a matter of eliciting the delicious aroma of the coffee beans in the best possible way, but also of combining it with the right ingredients. In addition to the standard components such as milk or sugar, more and more exotic variants are being added.

In addition to the taste, various effects of the coffee bean are in the foreground, e.g. B. the stimulating caffeine. Coffee contains over 1000 ingredients, not all of which have yet been chemically decoded. Accordingly, research and experiments continue to try to filter out one or more specific properties of the coffee bean that have a positive effect. All these inventions result in new coffee trends such as cold brew tonic, cold brew fruits, bulletproof coffee, cofftea or chi coffee. One of these trends will be examined in more detail below: the bulletproof coffee. What exactly is all the hype about this coffee drink? Where does it come from and what effects does it have?

The History of Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof Coffee was discovered by American Dave Asprey a few years ago. At the time he had visited the Tibetan plateau. The recipe was inspired by the local favorite drink, butter tea. The yak belongs to the species of cattle that live there, so it is a mixture of yak butter and tea.

At that time, the American was very lacking in energy. Due to mold infestation in his own four walls, he had health problems that only increased his lack of energy. However, after drinking the Tibetans’ favorite drink, he experienced a great increase in energy from it. Back in the US, he set about mixing something similar himself. It took a few years before he could celebrate his first success. With the help of a special type of coffee, he made great strides. This special coffee had fewer mycotoxins, i.e. less mold toxins. In particular, the substance ochratoxin A was contained in the coffee in a smaller amount. The right mixture of the toxin-free coffee together with yak butter and MCT oil finally led to a drink that was convincing: he felt the energy again that he had felt when consuming the yak butter tea.

He had even managed to develop an even more effective mixture than yak butter tea. The additives combine different substances that have positive effects on the human body. Saturated fats made their comeback, as did the large amounts of fats ingested that are supposed to be good for humans. In addition, of course, there is also the coffee with its many positive effects, which is used in this mixture. The Bulletproof Coffee combines many positive effects in one drink. According to Dave Asprey, the hot drink worked wonders for him. Like the coffee drink, he named his company Bulletproof. Of course there were other versions besides this coffee trend, but the Bulletproof Coffee is one of the most important developments of the company. But what exactly has such a positive effect on the body? To do this, the components must be examined more closely.

Ingredients and effects of Bulletproof Coffee

In order to be able to understand the effect of this coffee trend, it is helpful to know the exact ingredients. It’s just three ingredients:

high quality coffee
MCT oil
pasture butter
However, the high concentration and the selected ingredients make the difference. The coffee no longer contains toxins and is therefore much healthier. According to the inventor of Bulletproof Coffee, this particular oil is 18 times more potent than coconut oil. This blend is said to have the same special effect on the body as the yak butter tea that served as inspiration.
If the coffee variant is prepared correctly, it should help with lack of energy. It is considered by many to be the “high performance” panacea. In general, many positive effects of coffee on the body have already been proven. The coffee bean has some substances that humans need or that are good for them. He is said to have many diseases such as B. Preventing depression. With the development of Bulletproof Coffee, there is now another aid to burning fat. For many people around the world, the drink is considered a newly discovered fat burning miracle weapon, even celebrities rely on the effect. At the same time, the feeling of hunger decreases, which means that you automatically eat less and lose weight.

The Bulletproof Coffee therefore increases performance, which leads to a permanently increased or longer ability to concentrate. To best achieve these effects, coffee is drunk in the morning, replacing the breakfast meal. Carbohydrates are left out in the morning and saturated with MCT oil as well as omega-3 fatty acids and vegetable fats, which are required for many metabolic processes. If the Bulletproof Coffee is taken in the morning, it keeps you full for a few hours and provides the body with important energy. It is completely sufficient as an energy supplier until lunch. Bulletproof coffee has the consistency of a creamy latte, provided it has been prepared correctly.

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