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Friday, December 5, 2014

Did You Know That Eating Your Favorite Spicy Red Italian Sauce Can Reduce Cardio-Vascular Disease?



Puttanesca  a spicy, sharp and quite flavorful Italian sauce is very good for your health. Its ingredients include olive oil, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, hot chile peppers, capers, anchovies and olives. In addition to tasting great, each of these ingredients are beneficial to your health, proving the notion that food can also be a natural medicine.

Olive oil, especially the extra virgin kind, is heart-healthy oil responsible for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the #1 cause of death. Olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fats making it a key part of a heart-healthy diet.

Tomato sauce provides lycopene, a red antioxidant that helps to protect cells and has specific protective benefits for the prostate gland, helping to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Onions that are often used in Italian sauces are great for reducing  triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood that is used for energy. Onions are also a great food for thinning blood and for reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, plaque build-up in the arteries. Onions are high in super-antioxidants aid in slowing down the aging process, and onions are also thought to have anti-cancer properties.

Garlic fights bacteria and is sometimes used as an antibiotic because garlic kills almost every bacterium that can contaminate food. Studies show that garlic can also help to reduce high blood pressure because its composition is similar to that of blood pressure medications.

Hot chile peppers are a "super-food" that do much more than add a kick to the sauce. Chile peppers also act as vasodilators which are herbs that have the ability to lower blood pressure effectively because they have the same effect or end results as calcium channel blockers which cause smooth muscles within the arterial walls to relax enabling the arteries to open wider, allowing more blood to flow through and provide nourishment to all parts of the body. Additionally, hot chiles are thermogenic, which means that they burn calories. In fact, did you know that hot chiles can help you to burn an average of 20 percent more calories after eating. Hot chiles also cause the brain to produce feel-good endorphins which are mood enhancing.

Capers, another ingredient often used in spicy sauce possess anti-cancer properties. Capers help to reduce the risk of ulcers by inhibiting the ulcer-causing H. pylori bacteria and they additionally improve blood sugar by reducing high blood sugar after a meal. Capers are also a traditional remedy for the relief of rheumatic pain due to their anti-inflammatory action.

The anchovies add a bit of fish flavor and protein to Puttanesca sauce and are also rich in heart-healthy Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s help the body to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, improve skin and metabolism, enhance mental health and cognitive function, and are anti-inflammatory.

Lastly olives provide many of the same cardio benefits as olive oil.

Many people don’t realize that cooking and eating certain foods can simultaneously provide not only a flavorful eating experience, but can also be very beneficial to your good health. In fact, there are many books published with recipes that teach you about the use of natural ingredients that can make your  bodies work more efficiently. In the case of Puttanesca or any spicy Italian red sauce, we have a pasta sauce that delivers complex, rich flavor, while offering numerous significant benefits to keep you healthier at the very same time. Try to plan your next meal using "super-foods" and feel good. Bon Apetit!