(AP Photo/Toby Talbot/The Canadian Press)Some diets forbid condiments, most barbecues are nothing without them. Prevention reveals that your condiment choices might be better for you than you realize.
Read the entire list here, and pass the ketchup.
Ketchup
Ketchup lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease, thanks to the antioxidant lycopene. Buy organic if you can and you’ll up your lycopene content by 60 per cent, and get the most vitamin A, C and E out of each squeeze.
Horseradish
Add a little flavour kick with this detoxifying spread. Horseradish is one of the best natural sources of glucosinolates — 10 times more than the amount found in broccoli — which increases the liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogens. Add a little to your roast beef, or mix some with yogurt to pair with lamb or fish. Mix with mustard for a flavourful sandwich spread.
Hot Sauce
We’ve heard that heat — the chile-pepper kind, not the extreme-humidity variety — is great for the metabolism. A dash of hot sauce also raises levels of an appetite-suppressing hormone. Add to tacos, or spice up your tomato soup with a dash or two.
Sauerkraut
Fermented foods like sauerkraut are great for easing digestion. The alkaline condiment is considered a superfood for those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, restoring healthy bacteria levels and cleansing the digestive tract. Fresh sauerkraut has more probiotics than its jarred counterpart, so pile high the fresh stuff on your meats and lean hot dogs, or toss into stir-frys.
Read about the benefits of buckwheat honey, rosemary, black pepper, olive oil and cinnamon over at Prevention.
What’s your must-have condiment?
More from Shine on Yahoo! Canada
Cooking new uses for old things
7 no-fail baking substitutions that won't ruin your recipe
How to throw a chic afternoon buffet
83 comments