Monday, July 6, 2009

Poppy Seeds and the Good It Brings

By Amanda Rush

Being fond of food may have led you to click on this page, or maybe mere fact hunting has brought your attention to this article. Whatever motivation drives you, this article offers facts about one type of seeds popularly used in baking pastries which are called poppy seeds.

Poppy seeds are known by people who are fond of foods and who make a living through baking. Perhaps it will be correct to say that poppy seeds are barely known by most people. For this reason, it is a good idea to allot this page for the important information about these seeds. If you havent heard about poppy seeds, read on and find out their interesting facts.

Asias general climate provide for the most suitable temperature for the poppy seeds to grow. The seeds are actually taken from the head of poppy plants and are like nuts when tasted.

Although in the present time poppy seeds are mostly used for cooking foods, during the ancient times they were mainly used for medicinal purposes. In Greece, Hippocrates introduced these seeds to his fellow Greeks as a medicine for insomnia. Todays time, poppy seeds are introduced as herbal remedies for curing coughs, earaches and toothaches. In addition, these seeds are also long known to fight off inflammation, fever, dysentery among other sickness. Hence, it is no wonder why poppy pods are widely cultivated today as much as in the previous centuries.

As a food ingredient, poppy seeds are used in baking pastries as condiments, baked in or sprinkled. They are usual ingredients for rolls, breads, and cakes. Aside from being tasty, poppy seeds are desirable foods for their nutritional value. Each seed contains linoeic acid, oleic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids. In addition to its nutritional value, poppy seeds have extracts which can be used for cooking and making soaps.

Poppy seeds are not only appealing to food lovers and the health conscious but to those who sound superstitious also. It is believed that poppy seeds are a symbol of fertility and prosperity. The seeds are used in rituals, as amulets against bad luck and as charms to attract love, money and luck. In the ancient and present times, red poppy seeds are a symbol of fallen warriors.

Poppy seeds may bring a lot of advantages, but they can also be dangerous when taken without knowing its negative effects. Aside from nutrients, poppy seeds contain alkaloids such as morphine and codeine which are addictive. According to health experts, poppy seeds can be eaten when ripe because at that stage alkaloids are only minimal and hardly detrimental to the body. Unripe seeds contain a lot of alkaloids, hence can pose danger to physical and mental health.

Knowing all these facts is very necessary in order to know how we can benefit most from poppy seeds and how to avoid their undesirable effects.

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1 comment:

Poppy Seeds said...

Poppy seed is rich in B-complex. It is also very useful for health, for those who have sensitive skin, dandruff, hair-loss and many other benefits. It helps to make skin supple. So i like it.