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Smoothies: benefit or harm?

Smoothies: benefit or harm?

IN lately adherents healthy image lifestyle and healthy eating are increasingly including a variety of smoothies in their diet. Let's try to figure out whether they are really so useful or is this just another tribute to fashion?

WHAT ARE WE DEALING WITH?

Smoothie (from the English smooth - “homogeneous”) is a thick drink in the form of berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds and other things mixed in a blender or mixer with the addition of liquid: water, ice, juice, milk, fermented milk products.

A classic smoothie consists of berries or fruits with the addition of water or milk. But those who like to experiment can use a wide variety of ingredients to prepare it - these are vegetables, herbs, roots, spices, nuts, seeds, grains, honey, syrups, yoghurts, and much more.

READY-MADE SMOOTHIES FROM THE STORE - ALL CHEMICALS?

Having studied the composition of fruit and milk smoothies presented in our stores, experts came to the conclusion that this is true. They consist, as a rule, of reconstituted milk powder flavored with various flavorings, dyes and thickeners.

In addition, they contain a lot of sugar. All this is in no way compatible with a healthy diet. As noted by dairy market expert Marina Petrova, only powdered milk, from which moisture was first removed and then restored when preparing the cocktail.

Maria Belevtseva, food production technologist, added that such smoothies can be consumed as dessert, but in
small quantities. They are delicious, so you can treat yourself to them sometimes, but... healthy eating they have no relation.

She is echoed by pediatrician, immunologist-allergist Elena Antsiferova: despite the fact that children really like them, parents should remember that it is better to give their child natural fruits rather than give them drinks that can provoke allergic reactions.

THERE ARE NO REAL SMOOTHIES IN RESTAURANTS?

Considering that natural product can be stored for no more than 72 hours, then the storage mode is important here. To improve the taste, sugar can be added to smoothies, and fruits, berries and vegetables can be stale.

In addition, these establishments may simply not observe hygiene rules, so here you can only rely on the integrity of the restaurateurs.

CAN SMOOTHIES CAUSE DIABETES AND OBESITY?

Natural smoothies, prepared at home from fresh and “clean” (without nitrates and pesticides) ingredients in a hygienic manner and drunk freshly prepared, are a real storehouse of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. In addition, their homogeneous (homogeneous) structure relieves digestive tract and allows maximum absorption of all beneficial substances.

But, as nutritionist Angelica Duval notes, everything needs moderation. And if you start eating only smoothies, even from the freshest and the purest berries and fruits, and even begin to flavor them with sugar, syrup or honey, then very soon your pancreas will experience no less stress than when consuming the same chemical cocktails.

Doctor Elena Antsiferova adds that if you abuse smoothies rich in fructose, the latter will overload the liver and, as a result, turn into fat, and this is a direct road to diabetes and obesity.

To benefit the cause, it is better to consume fruit and berry smoothies in the first half of the day and no more than a glass a day. It’s even better to alternate them with vegetables.

DO SMOOTHIES HELP CLEANSE THE BODY?

With the right ingredients and a certain system of consumption, smoothies really help remove toxins and other harmful substances from the body, thereby cleansing it and, as a result, reducing weight.

Such programs can be either one-day or designed for several days, but it is not recommended to sit on them for more than a week.

Smoothies made from green vegetables, fruits and herbs are better for removing toxins. Green vegetables and fruits in this case mean green vegetables and fruits, and not their degree of ripeness. In addition to smoothies, it is recommended to drink clean water and herbal teas.

If you do not want to gain weight, you should not add sugar, nuts, chocolate, honey and ice cream to your smoothie; it is better to replace milk with yogurt or kefir. If you still prefer sweet smoothies, then nutritionist Angelica Duval advises adding Jerusalem artichoke syrup to them - the most useful product, which can be consumed even by diabetics.

CAN'T YOU MIX VEGETABLES AND FRUITS IN A SMOOTHIE?

Compatibility issue various vegetables and fruits, like other products, really exist. For example, it is not recommended to mix watermelon and melon with anything else. On the contrary, cucumber goes well with all vegetables and fruits.

Lemons, dates, pineapples, pomegranates and avocados can also be mixed with other ingredients, but banana and carrots are not recommended.

Anna Krasnova.

Taxonomy on Wikispecies

Images on Wikimedia Commons

ITIS NCBI EOL

Area [ | ]

Distributed in the basins of the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. Occasionally found in the Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea (part of the Maritsa River). Since then, the Caspian stellate sturgeon began to be introduced into the Aral Sea, however, naturalization has not occurred. From the Northern Caspian it enters the Volga, but does not rise high (although there have been cases of stellate sturgeon caught near Rybinsk). The main spawning grounds were located as far as Volgograd; many fish spawned higher up (mostly up to Saratov). In much smaller quantities it enters the Urals and rises to Uralsk (and higher to Rubezhnoye). Spawning grounds are located below the Inder Mountains, 300-400 km from the mouth of the Urals. Single specimens are included in Terek, Samur, Sulak. Of the rivers of the Southern Caspian, the stellate sturgeon enters mainly the Kura and enters Lenkoranka and Astara. Along the Iranian coast it enters the same rivers as the sturgeon (Sefidrud, etc.). From the Sea of ​​Azov it enters mainly the Kuban for spawning, less so the Don (Kuban has always been a “stellate sturgeon” river). The main spawning grounds of stellate sturgeon in the Kuban were located between the village of Tbilisskaya and the city of Kropotkin. From the Black Sea it enters the Dnieper, rarely (but more often belugas) into the Dniester. It enters the Southern Bug, Danube, Rioni (up to Kutaisi), and also enters other rivers north of the Rioni: Inguri, Kodori, etc.

Description [ | ]

The snout is elongated, narrow and flattened, its length is 62-65% of the length of the head. The lower lip is interrupted. The antennae are short and lack fringe. Between the rows of beetles, the sides of the body are usually covered with stellate plates.

In the first dorsal fin 40-46 rays; in the anal there are 24-29 rays; dorsal bugs 11 - 14, lateral - 30-36, ventral - 10-11; There are 24-26 gill rakers on the 1st gill arch.

The average fishing weight of Volga sturgeon is 8-9 kg, Kurin - 7-8 kg, Ural - 5-10 kg, Kuban - 6-8 kg, Don - about 7-8 kg. Heaviest weight noted for the Danube - 80 kg, Kura - 70 kg, Don - 67 kg. Crosses of stellate sturgeon with sterlet ("stellate sturgeon" - in the Volga, Danube, Don), with a thorn ("stellate sturgeon" - in the Urals, Kura) are known.

Sevruga head

Biology [ | ]

It was possible to obtain viable hybrids: sterlet X stellate sturgeon and stellate sturgeon X sterlet, thorn X stellate sturgeon.

Reproduction and life cycle[ | ]

Spawns in rivers. In terms of timing, the course of stellate sturgeon in the Volga, Ural, and Terek is approximately the same. Stellate sturgeon is included in the Kura all year round, cold winter and in hot summers in smaller quantities. Spawning in the same places where sturgeon spawns, in addition, in turfy areas of the banks that are temporarily flooded by flood waters. Spawning begins in May at a water temperature of +15 °C, peak at +18 - +20 °C.

Fertility 58.8 thousand (female 10 years old from the Urals), 416 thousand eggs (female 19 years old). The average fertility in the Urals is 198.5 thousand, in the Volga - from 218 to 238 thousand eggs.

Natural reproduction has been preserved in the Urals. In other rivers, reproduction is based on hatchery rearing of juveniles. Sturgeon hatcheries are located in the lower reaches of the Kura (1954), Volga (1955) and Pahlavi (1971, Iran).

Migrations [ | ]

Stellate sturgeon regularly migrates to its feeding grounds, in the spring to the north and to coastal strip, and back in the fall. The stellate sturgeon comes to spawn in the Urals at a water temperature of +5.4 - +7.2 °C. Initially, males predominate in the catches; at the height of the run, the number of males and females is approximately equal. Peak travel is in May. At the end of May, individuals arrive that differ from the early spring ones. In mid-June, when the water level in the river drops sharply, the peak of the late spring stellate sturgeon season is observed. The course ends in June. In the Volga delta, stellate sturgeon begins to spawn in early April at a water temperature of +3 - +9 °C. The peak of the run in the lower reaches is the end of April-May, above the delta - June. Stellate sturgeon enters the Kura all year round, with two peaks observed: in April-May and October-November. In the Kura stellate sturgeon also occurs in early and late spring.

Human interaction[ | ]

Among the sturgeons of the Caspian basin, stellate sturgeon ranks first in terms of production. In the USSR, catches amounted to 10 thousand tons. In Iran in 1968-1971, 0.6-0.8 thousand tons of sturgeon were mined annually. In 1995, the domestic catch of stellate sturgeon in the Black and Seas of Azov equaled 0.3 thousand tons, and in 1996 decreased to 0.15 thousand tons, in the Caspian Sea - in 1995 0.98 thousand tons, in 1996 - 0.69 thousand tons. Russia's total catch of stellate sturgeon was (in thousands of tons): 1997 - 0.45; 1998 - 0.34; 1999 - 0.23; 2000 - 0.18. In Russia, stellate sturgeon are caught only in rivers using floating nets and mechanized cast nets. In the sea territorial waters Stellate sturgeon is mined in Iran fixed networks.

The meat of stellate sturgeon is distinguished by its high taste qualities. It is prepared chilled and frozen; the eggs are used to prepare pressed and granular caviar, sometimes mixed with caviar of other sturgeons. Viziga is prepared from the dorsal string, canned food is made from cartilage, and fish glue is made from the swim bladder. The fat content of stellate sturgeon body does not exceed 11%, caviar – 10%.

The number of stellate sturgeon is declining as a result of river pollution and poaching. Stellate sturgeon stocks are formed through natural reproduction and industrial sturgeon farming (90%). The volume of juvenile stellate sturgeon released by fish hatcheries is lower than that of sturgeon. Stellate sturgeon are bred at the Temryuk sturgeon fish hatchery and the Khillinsky sturgeon fish hatchery. Since 2005, fishing for Caspian sturgeon has been prohibited. Since 2000, industrial fishing of Azov sturgeon has been prohibited. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assigned the species the critically endangered species conservation status.

Glycemic index (GI) – 0.

Calorie content – ​​160 kcal.

Sevruga belongs to the Sturgeon family. Large individuals can reach sizes of 5 meters, weigh 50 kg and reach an age of 30 years. In the fishery, usually no more than 1.5 meters are found, which weigh 5-6 kg. This slave lives in the seas, only entering river basins to spawn. Distributed in the Black, Caspian, and Azov Seas. It is actively grown artificially. It ranks first among sturgeon species in terms of production.

Useful properties of stellate sturgeon

Sevruga meat is rich in protein and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Contains a lot of collagen, which is perfectly absorbed by the body and saturates with useful substances.

Sevruga has a rich mineral composition: fluorine, iodine, phosphorus (220 mg), magnesium, zinc, potassium (335 mg), chlorine (165 mg), sulfur (169 mg), etc. Vitamins: PP, A, D, group B , E. Unlike other sturgeon, it has high dietary properties. Available large quantity protein fiber and low fat content.

How does stellate sturgeon affect the body?

Despite the fairly large amount of fat, it has a low energy value, so it is useful for people who want to lose weight. Eating this fish promotes weight loss in case of obesity and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and increases their elasticity. Activates the brain, stimulates the immune system. It prevents cancer. Normalizes blood pressure, improves mental processes. Has anti-inflammatory properties.

How to choose the right sturgeon

The fish is sold frozen and chilled. When buying a fresh product, make sure the quality of the fish: no cloudy eyes, mucus, unpleasant odor. Hot and cold smoked balyk is mainly in demand.

When purchasing smoked stellate sturgeon, make sure that the cover is intact: without scratches or tears. The color should be uniform and without spots. The surface is shiny and smooth. If there are white spots, this indicates the possibility of a poor-quality cooking process and it is better not to take such fish. The smell should be bright and juicy; if it is weak, the product is stale and stale.

Storage methods

Fresh fish at a temperature of -5 o C can be refrigerated for no more than 2 days. Frozen – up to 6 months.

What does it go with in cooking?

Sevruga has tender and aromatic meat. It is baked and stewed in broth, cream, and wine. Pairs well with mushroom and vegetable side dish, with mustard, tomato sauces, mayonnaise and fruit. Prepared in onion and cheese filling.

Healthy combination of products

By following the principles of proper nutrition, steamed, boiled or baked stellate sturgeon will bring benefits. For the broth, a mandatory component will be bay leaf, root parsley, carrots, black peppercorns, cumin, onions. For baking, it is good to use spicy herbs, garlic, suneli hops and other spices.

For those who want to lose weight will be beneficial vegetable soups on stellate sturgeon broth, and it is better to use stewed and boiled vegetables as a side dish.

Contraindications

There may be restrictions in case of individual intolerance. Sevruga caviar is not recommended for hypertension, gout, and coronary heart disease.

Application in medicine and cosmetology

For medical purposes, glue is produced from the swim bladder of the sturgeon, which is used in surgical operations to seamlessly connect organic tissues. This is a natural product that is non-toxic and does not cause allergies.

The meat of this fish is recommended for nutrition during the postoperative period, for rehabilitation and rapid recovery from illnesses. To boost immunity, increase potency, for disorders nervous system, hypertension, diabetes mellitus. For the prevention of heart and vascular diseases.

Sevruga caviar is effective at reduced level hemoglobin, reduces the risk of malignant tumors, is good for vision.

In cosmetology, creams and masks are used that contain the caviar of this fish.