So we learn that adding edible flowers to your salad will do more than just make it look more attractive. In addition you will receive the health benefits from the antioxidants contained in the flowers. So what’s not to like? Unfortunately it turns out that to receive all these health benefits you would have to consume vast quantities of floral matter. And if you were careless enough to use flowers that had been sprayed with pesticide then you could end up doing more harm than good. I found this information in an article by Kimberly Gillan on the NineMSN website.
Whether it’s in a salad, on the side of a cocktail or scattered over a decadent cake ? most of us tend to think of edible flowers in the “style” not “substance” category.
But it turns out these pretty little petals can actually be a source of antioxidants that help fight inflammation in the body, which is associated with chronic disease.
“Brightly coloured flowers are a good source of antioxidants, which have anti-cancer properties, and other vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium,” accredited practising dietitian Lauren McGuckin told ninemsn Coach.They haven’t been widely studied but McGuckin says that just like fruits and vegetables, different coloured flowers have different antioxidants.
“Purple flowers contain a plant pigment called anthocyanin, which also gives blueberries and eggplant skin its colour,” says McGuckin, who is a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia.
“You would assume red flowers would have more lycopene and orange and yellow flowers would have carotenoids and vitamin A.”
Lycopene is found in tomatoes and red capsicum, and preliminary studies suggest it may help prevent the spread of cancer cells. Anthocyanin has been associated with protecting the heart from heart disease, while vitamin A helps our vision and carotenoids are powerful anti-inflammatories that seem to have cancer-fighting properties.
Read more at NineMSN
