Benefits of mustard seeds

Mustard seeds have been around for over 5,000 years. They’re known to have numerous benefits, as they’re low in calories and high in nutritional value, and have a lot of anti-bacterial and antiseptic qualities. They’re available in different varieties — black mustard, white mustard and brown Indian mustard, in whole as well as in powdered form.

Mustard oil is known to be great for the skin because it generates warmth.

Mustard seeds are rich in a nutrient called selenium, known for its high anti-inflammatory effects.

The high source of magnesium in mustard seeds helps reduce the severity of asthma attacks and certain symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and lowering blood pressure.

Suffer from migraine? Mustard seeds are known to help reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.

Mustard seeds are very rich in calcium, manganese, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, protein and dietary fibre — include them in your diet.

For people who suffer from a bad appetite, here’s something that will be really helpful. Mix a few black mustard seeds with milk and have it 15 to 20 minutes before your meal.

Mustard seeds are excellent for digestion because they increase the metabolic rate of the body.
The seeds are also beneficial for menopausal women who have trouble sleeping.

Health hints : Brush teeth for a healthier baby

Researchers have warned that even healthy expecting women can be at risk for pregnancy problems caused by oral bacteria.Yiping Han, from the department of periodontics in the School of Dental Medicine, led the study that found several new bacteria originating in the mouth travel through the blood to cause an inflammatory reaction in the placenta and eventually cause a range of health issues from miscarriages to stillbirths.

Researchers have been baffled why oral bacteria have shown up in the placenta or amniotic fluid of pregnant women.

They found that after injecting the blood in the tails of pregnant mice with saliva from healthy people and dental plaque from those with periodontal disease, oral bacteria continued to grow in the placentas after it had left the mice blood 24 hours later.

This suggests that even healthy pregnant women should be concerned bacteria that normally lives in the mouth can enter the blood stream and make their way into the placenta’s immune-free environment to ignite an inflammatory reaction that can lead to premature or stillbirths.