Do you have questions about nutrition? Send them to comer@lavanguardia.es, our nutritionist Aitor Sánchez will answer all your questions.
Good morning, Aitor. To reduce my salt consumption, I use more spices to flavor foods, as I have read on some websites. Is there any spice that, consumed in large quantities, is harmful? Thank you. (Juan Díaz, reader)
Hello John,
First of all, good luck with the change in habits and congratulations for making such a correct decision as using spices to reduce the amount of salt in our diet. It is known to be one of the most effective, and it can also help you eat healthier thanks to the preparation of many more homemade dishes that taste much better.
First of all, clarify that if spices are used in conventional quantities, those that we can find in a recipe, they should not cause health problems. But there may be certain cases in which its abuse does present problems.
For example, a case would be cinnamon at very high doses, I insist, very high, which could imply toxicity problems and also changes in glucose metabolism in which people with diabetes have to be careful.
If we have problems with heavy digestion or even reflux, it would be important to control those that have become spicy so as not to exacerbate these symptoms. Also in children, some others must be restricted, such as star anise.
Otherwise, the vast majority of spices are recommended, and their use is associated with good health results and even with the improvement of many markers of our diet.
Some of them can even help you eat more vegetables and legumes, which are one of the great pillars in the diet for managing hypertension.
Hello, what is the healthiest way to cook sweet potato? Thank you (Lorena García, reader)
Hi Lorena,
Exactly the same methods that you probably know and have already heard about potatoes, given that they both belong to the tuber family and have a very similar nutritional composition. Although to be fair, sweet potatoes are more interesting nutritionally.
It will be healthier and easier to digest if we make light preparations such as baked, cooked, and even microwaved sweet potatoes. With this appliance I recommend you prepare the sweet potato because it is done very quickly and easily, you simply have to wash its skin well and, without peeling it, put it in the microwave for six to eight minutes depending on the size. Inside it will be cooked with a preparation very similar to papillote, being steamed and its own skin being what prevents the water vapor from escaping. Of course, be careful when removing it and peeling it because it burns quite a bit. Try it and tell us!
On the contrary, we should try not to eat it fried or poached too often, because it absorbs a greater amount of oil and is heavier for digestion.
If you need some inspiration for new recipes, I would advise you to try a sweet potato tortilla, and even consider incorporating it into some cream, which will give it a sweeter flavor than the potato itself.
