Tahini, grains and sweeteners
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Pam Geyer
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The information in this column is not intended to provide medical advice on personal health matters, which should be obtained directly from a physician.
Tahini – more options than just in hummus
Tahini has many uses besides being a key ingredient in hummus. It can be used as a spread on toast or added to sandwiches, soups, salads and stews. Mix with olive oil and lemon juice as a sauce for main dishes.
Tahini provides vitamins, minerals and other potentially beneficial compounds such as lignans* and phytosterols*. One tablespoon has about 90 calories, 8 grams of fat (mostly healthy, unsaturated fats), lignans and phytosterols.
*Lignans are chemicals derived from flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, tea and whole grains; have phytoestrogenic properties and are used as chemopreventives to lower blood cholesterol, and to treat atherosclerosis. Precaution advised for those at risk for developing hormone-dependent cancers.
*Phytosterols, which encompass plant sterols and stanols, are steroid compounds similar to cholesterol which occur in plants and vary only in carbon side chains and/or presence or absence of a double bond. Stanols are saturated sterols, having no double bonds in the sterol ring structure. Phytosterols can lower cholesterol.
How to Identify ‘whole-grain’ foods
• Look for foods that are 100 percent whole grain.
• Look for foods that have at least one whole grain that is listed first.
• Look for less than a 10-1 ratio of total carbohydrates to fiber. (A shortcut is to multiply the fiber grams by 10. The result should be more than the grams of total carbohydrates.
Sugar alcohols: xylitol, sorbital, mannitol, maltitol
These four sugar substitutes, collectively, are called “sugar alcohols.” They are reduced-calorie sweeteners that are used in many foods as alternatives to cane sugar. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that the body does not fully digest. They provide fewer calories than sugars. Sugar alcohols, also, have less effect on blood sugar, so they can be helpful for people with diabetes. They also do not promote teeth cavities.
On the downside, foods that contain these sugar alcohols are not calorie-free or even low-calorie and, therefore, not necessarily healthful. Large amounts of these sugars can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. Intestinal bacteria ferment what is not absorbed. Some products carry this warning.
Pam Geyer is a health care specialist and medical writer. She may be reached at [email protected].
Tahini – more options than just in hummus
Tahini has many uses besides being a key ingredient in hummus. It can be used as a spread on toast or added to sandwiches, soups, salads and stews. Mix with olive oil and lemon juice as a sauce for main dishes.
Tahini provides vitamins, minerals and other potentially beneficial compounds such as lignans* and phytosterols*. One tablespoon has about 90 calories, 8 grams of fat (mostly healthy, unsaturated fats), lignans and phytosterols.
*Lignans are chemicals derived from flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, tea and whole grains; have phytoestrogenic properties and are used as chemopreventives to lower blood cholesterol, and to treat atherosclerosis. Precaution advised for those at risk for developing hormone-dependent cancers.
*Phytosterols, which encompass plant sterols and stanols, are steroid compounds similar to cholesterol which occur in plants and vary only in carbon side chains and/or presence or absence of a double bond. Stanols are saturated sterols, having no double bonds in the sterol ring structure. Phytosterols can lower cholesterol.
How to Identify ‘whole-grain’ foods
• Look for foods that are 100 percent whole grain.
• Look for foods that have at least one whole grain that is listed first.
• Look for less than a 10-1 ratio of total carbohydrates to fiber. (A shortcut is to multiply the fiber grams by 10. The result should be more than the grams of total carbohydrates.
Sugar alcohols: xylitol, sorbital, mannitol, maltitol
These four sugar substitutes, collectively, are called “sugar alcohols.” They are reduced-calorie sweeteners that are used in many foods as alternatives to cane sugar. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that the body does not fully digest. They provide fewer calories than sugars. Sugar alcohols, also, have less effect on blood sugar, so they can be helpful for people with diabetes. They also do not promote teeth cavities.
On the downside, foods that contain these sugar alcohols are not calorie-free or even low-calorie and, therefore, not necessarily healthful. Large amounts of these sugars can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. Intestinal bacteria ferment what is not absorbed. Some products carry this warning.
Pam Geyer is a health care specialist and medical writer. She may be reached at [email protected].