SHAlINI SAKSENA speaks to nutritionists to list out health benefits of drinks infused with soaked seeds
Doctors tell you to eat and drink right. We all know what it means to eat the correct foods but did you know that there are these seed drinks that can keep your body healthyIJ
Seed drinks may be trending now as a concept pushed by the West, but we, in India, have known their benefits for centuries. Kerala, for example, have grown up with zeera water. Tulsi seed water and coriander water have been preferred hydrators since ancient times. loaded with anti-oxidants, these seeds help regulate the body balance, even insulin production. “They metabolise the sugar intake and make insulin active, preventing accumulation of fat,” Dr Anju Sood, a Bangalore-based nutritionist, explains.
These seeds are high in soluble fibre which boosts metabolism. Of course, each seed needs to be taken in a certain manner.
Bottled seed drinks available in the market may be a good way to start but use them only to develop your taste. The ultimate benefit comes from the purest form of seed water made at home and not mixed with any flavouring. Off the shelf, you may find many seed drinks in which the quantum of water is very little and nutritional value scarce.
With summers in full heat, these seeds are best if soaked overnight, or so says Ayurveda. Soaking, instead of boiling, in correct proportion works as well.
Sood recommends sticking to drinking water of one type of seed instead of multiple seeds. “It is not as if drinking different seed waters will create havoc in the system but it is better to stick to one seed unless one has a specific problem like fluctuating blood pressure,” Sood says. Any person can drink seeds soaked water for overall health.
Here are some advisories:
CUMIN: Zeera needs to be boiled and drank. Zeera has multitude benefits. As it contains melotone, it helps fight insomnia. A teaspoon just before sleeping can do wonders. It’s great for jet-lagged people too and is also given to people who have temporary memory loss.
CORIANDER: Coriander needs to be soaked overnight. It controls blood pressure. “Our food habits have disturbed our Ph balance. “Basic Indian food is the best for your body but as we are also eating junk food, the balance of alkaline and acidity is upset. Hence the need to alkalise the body and that’s where these seeds come in. I recommend Indian seeds but due to globalisation there are these more expensive ones like chia. My advice: Stick to local, stick to Indian, they are cheaper but equally, if not more, advantageous,” Sood says.
BOTTlED TUlSI: Bottled seed drinks in the market are a little expensive, anywhere between Rs90 to Rs220, and available only at select shops. But Atish Palve of Arjun Nanda Agro Products, the only company commercially producing seed drinks, tells you from Mumbai that all this will change soon. His tulsi seed water is a big sell, “mainly because it has several benefits.” Besides being anti-cancer, it helps in digestion and is full of Vitamin K. “The seed is holy for the Hindus, hence not used in food but other communities use it regularly and hence even if they eat a lot of no-vegetarian food, it gets digested easily with this water,” Palve tells you. The rest of the country will have to wait till next year before Palve crosses the Mumbai market.
The reason why he chose to manufacture seed drinks is because he found that the international brands were expensive and way out of reach of the common man. “I had bought a pack of seed drink and found them to be very tasty but it was very expensive. So I decided to produce them myself. While there are different flavours like mango, litchi, kiwi and guava, I have ensured that there is no compromise with the nutritive value and that they are available for a minimal cost of Rs40,” Palve says.
BASIl & CHIA: Basil and chia seeds are high in fibre and have the property to expand. So when you soak them they become mucilaginous. However, these seeds need to be had after one soaks them in a glass of water. If one wants to have these seeds for weight loss, they should be taken directly (seed and water) but if it is for keeping the body healthy, you can add some honey to it too. Basil adds sheen to the hair and keeps the skin healthy as it has Vitamin K. It is also high in protein. People on a fat check can add a teaspoon to the diet for energy and protein level boost. Basil is also good for controlling blood sugar levels, has a cooling effect and curbs acidity too. Chia is similar to basil in controlling blood pressure.
FENNEl: Then there are the good old fennel seeds (saunf). These help bring down the BP since it is high on potassium and helps flush out the sodium (kind of salt) from the body, thereby lowering the BP.
“Having saunf water helps reduce water retention and acts as a diuretic. It also helps in digestion and helps prevent bloating and constipation. Another important benefit of this seed is that it is anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic. It promotes gastric enzymes. If people get spasms in the stomach, a teaspoon can help,” Subramanyam tells you.
FENUGREEK SEEDS: This seed has a mucilaginous texture once it is soaked in water. The water needs to be drunk with the seeds. It helps increase insulin sensitivity. “People who are on diabetic medication can have a teaspoon of this powder half-an-hour before a meal. This prevents blood sugar from spiking,” Subramanyam says.
CAUTION: Though these seeds have several healthy benefits, if one wants to take them for a particular ailment, it is better to consult a doctor or a nutritionist.
Doctor says: Seed drinks like chia or basil are in vogue because these seeds are new to our country. Zeera, dhania, methi and ajwain are spices commonly found in our kitchens so people don’t want to consume them as a drink - lalitha Subramanyam, chief nutritionist at Grow Fit