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Diet

Eating More of This Popular Condiment Can Help You Lose Weight

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When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s no secret that you have to make adjustments to your diet. First, you need to ensure that you’re consuming less calories. On top of that, adding certain ingredients could help speed things up — some say that mustard is one of them.

How Mustard Helps With Weight Loss

Mustard is made from the seeds of the mustard plant that have been ground or cracked, then mixed with water, vinegar, lemon juice, along with some salt and other spices, to create a yellow or brown paste. It has a pungent and somewhat bitter taste, as you know.

Unlike other condiments, mustard is relatively low in calories, containing just five per teaspoon. Mustard is considered to be much healthier than condiments like mayo or salad dressing, which are loaded with vegetable oils that can cause weight gain, as well as a slew of other health problems. Similarly, it’s a better option than ketchup, which has high amounts of added sugar — another ingredient linked to weight gain and increased body fat.

Besides being low-calorie, mustard contains nutrients that could aid weight loss. It contains iron, calcium, selenium, and phosphorus — all of which influence your metabolism and weight. Mustard also contains antioxidants and other plant compounds that benefit your health.

Specifically, mustard is packed with glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that are typically found in cruciferous vegetables. They are said to stimulate your body’s antioxidant defenses to protect from disease by fighting oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is a known cause of inflammation, which has been linked to obesity, weight gain, and fat accumulation in the body — especially around the midsection! Mustard also contains antioxidant carotenoids which also reduce cell damage. Research shows that carotenoids may help with fat loss.

All in all, mustard is clearly one of the best condiments to add to your diet if you’re trying to lose weight. Not only does it add a kick of flavor to every meal, but it’s low-calorie and nutrient dense. Packed with ingredients that decrease your risk of disease, fight inflammation, and burn body fat, you can feel good about slathering it on your next healthy lunch wrap.

If you’re not a fan of mustard on its own, try using it as a healthy glaze for meat dishes, turning it into tasty sauces to spread on top of cooked veggies, or even using it to make a healthy mustard vinaigrette dressing!

Here’s to delicious, clean eating!

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Woman’s World.

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