What kind of jam is healthy?


On Jam Day, we find out whether your favorite dessert can be beneficial.  

Jam is one of the most popular delicacies in Russia. It is easy to prepare and does not contain any harmful chemical additives, at least when brewed at home. And, if we talk about sweets, they are in any case better for the body than factory-made sweets.

Most often, jam is made from fruits and berries, and they are known to be a real storehouse of vitamins and macro- and microelements. The only question is how well the beneficial substances are preserved during heat treatment. Vitamin A is more or less stable. B vitamins are heat stable, especially in an acidic environment. A small part of them, of course, disintegrates when boiled, but the main amount is preserved, and jam still has benefits in the form of these vitamins. Vitamin E also remains. But ascorbic acid is greatly destroyed. True, you can slightly reduce its loss if you throw fruits and berries into already boiling water or do not chop them. Fiber

hardly changes during cooking, which, once in the intestines, stimulates its work and absorbs harmful substances. Minerals are also preserved in the jam. Depending on what it is made from, its beneficial characteristics change, so different jams help with different diseases. To preserve as many vitamins as possible in fruits, reduce the cooking time as much as possible and try not to boil foods several times. An even more effective way is to simply grind berries and fruits with sugar without resorting to heat treatment. By the way, if you choose between jam and preserves, then it is better to give preference to the latter. When making jam, the ingredients are boiled until smooth, which takes longer. And the longer, the less nutrients there are.

Let's look at popular types of jam:

Raspberry. Comes from childhood. It is given to children for colds, flu, and sore throat. Raspberries contain salicylic acid, so they have antipyretic properties. It also contains vitamin C, potassium and calcium.

Currant. Record holder for the content of ascorbic and fruit acids. The delicacy is good to use to maintain immunity in the autumn-winter period, strengthen blood vessels, and also if the skin and mucous membranes are prone to bleeding. 

Cherry. Contains many vitamins: A, C, E, B, B2, salicylic, malic, citric acids and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Microelements iron, potassium, copper help increase hemoglobin and support the functioning of the heart muscle.

Lingonberry. It contains a lot of pectin. This is a polysaccharide that is a natural enterosorbent. It removes harmful substances from the intestines, improves its motility, and normalizes the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. Lingonberry jam contains organic acids: malic, acetic, citric, and this gives it anti-inflammatory properties and also helps strengthen the immune system.

Sea buckthorn. A real storehouse of vitamins and microelements. It contains: A, E, B1, B2, B,6, C, potassium, magnesium, iron. Jam has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, promotes wound healing, and improves skin condition.

Apricot. Contains a lot of fiber, which improves intestinal function. It contains a large amount of carotene, which has a positive effect on vision and skin condition, and the dessert is rich in potassium, which is essential for heart function.

From walnuts. It contains more vitamins and microelements than berry jam. This jam is also rich in antioxidants and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In addition, it is an excellent source of fiber and essential oils. Walnut jam is recommended to tone up when overworked or after illness and, of course, to strengthen the immune system. Due to the content of omega-3 and 6, it is a preventative against atherosclerosis, and the antioxidants it contains help prevent cancer.

From pumpkin. Due to the large amount of fiber and pectin, the delicacy is used during diets to cleanse the body. Pumpkin contains rare vitamin T (carnitine), which improves fat metabolism in the body and promotes weight loss. This jam also allows you to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Must remember! Any jam contains a large amount of sugar. For this reason, people with diabetes, obesity and children under 5 years old need to limit their consumption. Those who suspect they are allergic to berries also need to be careful.

Therefore, if possible, try to reduce the amount of sugar when cooking. Now you can find recipes where sugar is replaced with other natural sweeteners that contain fewer carbohydrates. Among them, for example, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol and others. There are also artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose and others. In addition, you can use molasses or honey - this is exactly what was done in Russia until the 19th century, since sugar was very expensive. However, even in this case, the use of jam should be limited.