Can Indian Food Make You Live Longer?
There is no doubt that Indian Food is among the most diverse in the nation. There are healthy Indian food recipes, and not so healthy Indian food recipes. Either way, you can’t match the unique flavor combinations and ingredients. But can Indian food make you live longer?
Technically, the answer is no. However, the ingredients in Indian food, offer an array of health benefits.
For years dieticians and nutritionists have tried to make it sound simple; “Make your plate colorful.” But let’s be honest, it’s never that easy. Making sure your meals have sufficient fiber, fat, carbs, proteins, vitamins and minerals is imperative. Although a lot of spices and ingredients in Indian food deliver on these essentials, this doesn’t mean that every Indian meal is “good for you.”
India struggles with diabetes and obesity around the nation. The problem isn’t only in Grandma’s yummy fried snacks, but also in modern living- McDonalds, Dominos and Dunkin Donuts are very popular in India.
So, although traditional Indian food uses fresh and healthy ingredients, the bad food can outweigh (no pun intended) the benefits.
Stay away from those foods. Instead, follow these tips to maximize the benefits of our cultural food. It might even make you “live longer”.
Tip 1: Eat More Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and vegetables are recommended in every meal, no matter what country or culture you’re in.
But Indian food takes this principle to a whole other level. In Indian culture, meat is not consumed more than twice a week, which as a result, causes the majority of meals to be vegetarian. A staple Indian diet consists of roti, rice, dal, chutney, pickle, beans and legumes.
Scientists at the Imperial College London analyzed 95 studies on fruit and vegetable intake. The studies showed that if everyone implemented 10 servings of fruits and vegetables into their diet, approximately 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide could be prevented.
Tip 2: Control Portions
Controlling your portions is perhaps the most important thing to practice when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. Most Indian dishes have a few factors that can help you control your portions.
Firstly, most dishes are low in calories due to the surplus of fresh ingredients. These fresh ingredients will keep you fuller, longer.
Secondly, spice. An observational study done by Science Daily showed that hot red chili peppers were associated with a 13% lower risk of death. This was an observational study, so a cause and effect relationship is hard to determine, but it may not be a coincidence that Indians
consider chili peppers to be the “spice of life.”
While most foods increase your basal metabolic rate, spicy food increases your behavior mechanism. This is the mechanism that sensors your body to start sweating, makes your mouth tingle, and more importantly cues the debate to whether you can handle another bite or not.
That mechanism causes you to eat fewer calories, another way to avoid overeating. This does not mean all spicy food is “good for you”. After all, there is a difference between chicken wings and kimchi.
Tip 3: Use Spices To Flavor Foods
There is no doubt that Indian food uses the largest variety of spices when cooking but are we living longer because of it too? Indians turn to spice rather than salt or butter when cooking. Essentially, trading bad ingredients for good ones.
Take, for example, turmeric. Tumeric is used in many popular Indian food recipes.
Turmeric is anti-aging and anti-inflammatory with a bioactive compound called curcumin, in it. This spice helps to maintain essential organ functions, fight against cancer and other diseases. While curcumin has been proven to increase the lifespan of insects and mice. Scientists are in the works to see if it affects humans too.
Cinnamon is another essential spice in Indian cooking. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin resistance for diabetes patients.
The list of health benefits from spices used in Indian cuisine is endless.
What you eat is important to your body and in the end, can affect your overall health and life span. You can ensure that your ingredients are all-natural and tasty with Sambar Kitchen. Purchase one of our sauces today for easy prep and amazing flavor!
Here’s an additional resource that includes the nutrition facts for some everyday Indian food items.
