If you’ve ever eaten sushi, you’re likely familiar with the beautiful, pistachio-green, paste that’s
typically served with it. You may have even been warned to eat just a little bit of it
mixed with your soy sauce, but did you heed that warning? Hi viewers and welcome back to Bestie!
Wasabi: some people love it while others love to hate it. It has now become a favorite with
wasabi peas and wasabi popcorn. Wasabi is a native Japanese plant that has been used
for centuries because of its medicinal properties. But because it is expensive,
lots of restaurants serve ground horseradish dyed green.
Fortunately, when you get your hands on some real wasabi, it has a host of health
benefits. And in today's video, we will tell you what they are. From improving gut health,
fighting against arthritis, killing harmful food borne bacteria, preventing tooth decay
to promoting weight loss and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Combats Cancer Cells: Wasabi contains powerful compounds called phytonutrients,
or phytochemicals. These contain sulphur which has strong anticancer effects. They
occur naturally in cruciferous vegetables, like wasabi. When raw vegetables are chewed,
plant cells are broken down and converted into phytochemicals.
Their anticancer effects neutralize cancer causing carcinogens.
Studies have shown that phytochemicals may help prevent lung cancer and
esophageal cancer. They can help lower the risk of other cancers,
including gastrointestinal. That means you can add wasabi to the list of cancer-fighting foods.
When was the first time you tried wasabi? How
was it? Tell us quickly down below in the comments section!
Improves Gut Health: Studies have shown this root has characteristics that may suppress bacteria
found in the gut, such as gastric inflammation and potentially stomach cancer. It’s possible
that it can prevent food poisoning, which is one of the reasons it’s served with raw fish.
Wasabi peas are a great option for the intestinal tract since they help remove toxic substances
from your body. They do this by eliminating the possibility of getting diverticulitis. The peas
are a high-fiber food and that fiber is needed for proper bowel movements. Without fiber the colon
has to work harder than normal, and the pressure from this may cause pouches to form in weak spots
along the colon. This creates discomfort and potentially contributes to leaky gut syndrome.
Protects Heart Health: Another popular reason for adding wasabi regularly is to prevent
heart issues. It has compounds that can help lower high cholesterol and reduce the risk of
strokes and heart attacks. The phytochemicals in wasabi do more than just prevent cancer.
They also have inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation,
which is the grouping or clumping of blood platelets into a blood clot. These clots are
the main causes of strokes and other heat problems. By breaking down and inhibiting
the formation of these clots, it effectively reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Fights Arthritis: The pungent wasabi, has also been shown to reduce cases of joint swelling,
inflammation, and even subdue the effects of arthritis. Again,
the powerful antioxidant phytochemicals have been shown to reduce inflammation of joints,
ligaments, and muscles. Studies suggest that wasabi helps maintain bone integrity in humans
and can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Add some wasabi to your diet and feel younger.
Kills Harmful Food-Borne Bacteria: The powerful components of wasabi have also been shown to
fight off bacterial infections. In a study of the antibacterial properties of various
foods and vegetables, wasabi ranked as the most successful antibacterial food against E. coli
and another bacteria for Staph infections. This means that food poisoning and other food borne
diseases can be prevented by maintaining levels of phytochemicals in the diet by eating wasabi.
Again, phytochemicals were proven to be the vital component that neutralized these
potentially deadly bacteria. Some companies have begun to include trace elements of wasabi
extract in their antibacterial creams and gels to boost their effectiveness.
Heals Respiratory Conditions: Wasabi can be a strong line of
defense against certain respiratory pathogens. The gaseous component
of wasabi, which is what causes that powerful reaction in the nasal passages and sinuses,
is actually the gaseous release of a compound. This can actively stop the rapid increase of
respiratory tract pathogens that cause influenza and pneumonia. The smell and the sensation in your
nose after eating it may be strong, but it can do a lot of good for your health and well-being.
It clears the sinuses which can often help people who suffer from seasonal allergies, or even the
common cold, to stimulate the sinuses and open the nasal passageways to increase airflow.
Prevents Tooth Decay: Due to its ability to eliminate bacteria, it’s a natural antimicrobial
agent often served with raw fish. This is mainly because of a compound called isothiocyanate, whose
vapors wasabi produces. These help discourage the growth of yeast, mold and bacteria. Interestingly,
they also help prevent tooth decay by destroying the bacteria that may cause it.
Did you know that you don’t have to go to the dentist every time there’s
pain in your teeth? To know how you can avoid the dreaded trip to the dentist,
watch this video titled “Scientists Discover a Drug That Fixes Cavities & Regrows Teeth”
Now, back to the unexpected health benefits of Wasabi.
Helps with Weight Loss: Wasabi can be a useful ally in your weight loss
plan if incorporated alongside a healthy diet,
exercise, and lifestyle changes. Among other things, it works as a digestive stimulant.
Because it is a very low-calorie food and has incredible flavour, it can be used to improve
the taste of a low-calorie, healthy, fibre-rich meal of steamed vegetables or lean protein. Plus,
you’ll have the added benefit of fibre. This can go towards your fibre intake for the day, helping
with digestion. Increased dietary fibre intake has also been linked to lower risk of obesity.
Real Vs Fake Wasabi:
Did you know that a shocking number of sushi restaurants don't serve real wasabi? In fact,
a survey found that as much as 99 percent of wasabi sold in the United States is fake. It's
not just the U.S. either, experts estimate that 95 percent of wasabi sold in Japan is imitation, too.
The wasabi you'll find in most restaurants and grocery stores is a mixture of horseradish,
mustard powder, and food coloring. The nasal-clearing properties of the horseradish
and mustard come together to give you the illusion that you're eating the real deal,
and the food coloring gives it a green hue. Some mixtures also include cornstarch or other
chemical stabilizers to help the powder thicken up like freshly grated wasabi.
The real thing is quite different. True wasabi comes from the stem of the wasabi plant,
which grows to nearly two feet long, and is famously finicky to harvest. It's
most often sold by the stem, and served freshly grated. It has a more delicate,
complex, and sweeter flavor than the fake stuff you’re used to.
Why so much fake Wasabi?
It’s Expensive: The fake wasabi served in restaurants is easy to spot. It's usually free
on the side of every plate. It would be difficult for restaurants to use real wasabi that freely,
because it's more expensive than the fake varieties. Because the plant is so hard to grow,
the supply tends to be lower than the demand, driving up the cost.
A kilo of exported wasabi from Japan can cost upwards of $300 per kilo. Compare that to the
wholesale cost of easy-to-grow horseradish and mustard, which is likely available for
less than $5 per kilo, and you can see why many restaurants choose fake wasabi powders.
Serving fresh, shaved wasabi to sushi goers, or even selling it dried in packages,
would mean charging more than most customers were willing to pay. Between $3 and $5 dollars for the
typical ball served alongside sushi. It's hard to imagine such a small component could be worth the
price of an entire meal. But you may be willing to pay for it once you've tasted pure wasabi.
Difficult to grow: BBC has called it the "hardest plant to grow," and making mistakes
can be very costly for wasabi farmers. The seeds themselves are almost a dollar each,
and they often don't germinate. The plant is super picky about its environment,
and if it's exposed to too much humidity, too little water, or the wrong nutrients,
it will wither and die. It's not impossible to grow, though, and many plants do make it past the
germination stage. The next hurdle is overcoming fungal disease and stem rot, conditions common
among plants grown in wet conditions. Even if everything goes well and disease is avoided,
it can take as long as three years for the plant to mature. All that adds up to less wasabi supply
than the world-wide demand, jacking up the price and making it unattainable for most.
Real wasabi is so rare and expensive that you could call it exotic. But did you
know that there are other exotic foods that can actually be harmful for you,
to the extent of even killing you? Learn more of what we are talking about by:
Watching: 16 Exotic Foods That Can Actually Kill You
Or
Learning about Foods People Eat That Can Kill You
These 2 videos will definitely help you make better choices to help avoid foods
that can be fatal for you. So go ahead and select a video to watch!
Have you ever tried real wasabi? How was it ?Let us know in the comments section below!