Several late studies have defined certain benefits of mustard. Everybody knows that it is an excellent remedy that adds pleasant flavor to meal. Furthermore, it has been set up that mustard may help to lose fat and improve physical appearance.
A research linked with mustard has been led by Debora Esposito and his colleagues at North Carolina University in Kannapolis (USA). It has been reported under results of the research that a compound that is called “homobrassinolide” found in mustard and other related herbs has capacity to increase lean muscle size and energy in mammals.
28-Homobrassinolide represents a brassinosteroid. It is a type of steroid which is contained in plants which are included in Brassica family. It has been known that it has capacity to promote growing plants. But no one has been aware about its function in mammals. The experts have discovered that homobrassinolide is able to lead to anabolic effects in mammals. It induces increasing synthesis of protein, stimulates appetite and enhances muscle mass through increase of number and size of muscle fibers in animals.
Healthy rats have been implicated in the research. They have been given oral homobrassinolide during 24 days. Dual-emission x-ray absorptiometry analysis has been used in order to check changes in weight, food consumption and composition of rats’ bodies. It has been observed that animals who have been given homobrassinolide have acquired significantly more muscle mass than those that have not been treated.
Increase of muscle size indicates about a higher basal metabolic rate. Enhanced BMR is associated with great caloric burning that helps to remain lean.
Thus, the study has clearly demonstrated that homobrassinolide enhances protein synthesis, increases size and number of muscle fibers which play a great role for enhancement of endurance.
Specialists suppose that such plants, as mustard, can be used for higher brassinosteroid content. It may help to have lean muscle mass, enhance it and prevent certain health problems.
It is suggested that future supplement and medicine industry will introduce products that will be useful in case of certain maladies connected with muscle wasting. Such preparations can be taken as alternative products to synthetic steroids because the first ones will probably cause minimal or no adverse effects.
Leaves of mustard have little calories. They are rich in antioxidants. Leaves of mustard have anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, they represent an excellent source of iron, magnesium, fiber, selenium and phosphorous.
Mustard may be applied for preparing salads, curds and tempering. It would be useful to take at least one teaspoon of mustard with water or food in order to obtain several benefits.
