4 Ingredients Common in Italian Food That Support Good Health

If you strive to eat a healthy diet, then you may overlook Italian cuisine when dining out due to a misconception that Italian food is unhealthy. However, the truth is that not only are many Italian dishes relatively low in fat and calories, but many also contain ingredients that support good health. 

Read on to learn about four healthy ingredients commonly included in Italian cuisine, each of their unique health benefits, and the Italian dishes you can find them in.

Many Italian dishes include garlic. This vegetable adds a unique, pungent, yet sweet flavor to foods that many people love. Garlic is such a healthy vegetable that it is uses medicinally in many countries all over the world. Garlic includes a wide variety of medicinal components called organosulfur compounds, including one called allicin that is activated when garlic is crushed or chopped.

These medicinal compounds are known to support heart health, lower cholesterol levels, and lower blood pressure in some people. Some medical research has also shown that these compounds can potentially reduce the risk of the development of some types of cancer.

While garlic is often included in the tomato sauce that tops many Italian dishes, other garlic-rich Italian dishes include Aglio e Olio (pasta with garlic and oil) and Veal Mamma Assunta.

Tomato sauce is a staple of Italian cuisine. Although every Italian restaurant typically has its own secret tomato sauce recipes, the tomatoes included in all of these sauces offer many health benefits.

Tomatoes are a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, and the nutrients Vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K1, and folate. The four potent antioxidants that tomatoes contain include lycopene, beta carotene, chlorogenic acid, and naringenin.

Antioxidants are substances that protect your body from free radicals that can contribute to the development of many types of cancer. In addition, the specific antioxidants found in tomatoes are also believed to potentially lower blood pressure and LDL, or bad, cholesterol to protect heart health, and even help protect your skin from the damage sun exposure can cause.

To obtain the health benefits of tomato sauce, consider a simple bowl of pasta topped with tomato sauce or a chicken parmesan entrée.

Mozzarella is one of the healthiest cheeses you can eat, and it has many health benefits other cheeses do not.

Mozzarella cheese is lower in sodium and calories than other cheeses while remaining high in calcium. Mozzarella is also one of few cheese types that contain probiotics, which are healthy bacteria that can support good health when consumed on a regular basis. Probiotic consumption is believed to help support digestive and immune system health.

Many delicious Italian dishes are topped with mozzarella cheese, including pizza and eggplant parmesan.

Basil is one of the most common spices included in Italian cuisine. There are many types of basil and all vary slightly in taste. However, all basil types have similar health benefits. While basil is rich in vitamin K, manganese, and several other vitamins and minerals, many of its health benefits stem from the flavonoid and volatile oil content of this spice.

The two main flavonoids present in basil leaves include orientin and vicenin. Both are potent antioxidants that can protect many cells in the body from free-radical damage. One of the main components of the volatile oil present in basil is eugenol, and this oil component helps fight inflammation in the body by inhibiting one of the enzymes believed to cause it.

While basil is often included in many Italian sauces and dishes, one Italian sauce that is filled with this herb is called pesto. This basil-filled sauce is often served over pasta, although it can also be spread on sandwiches and even added to pizzas.

Consider the health benefits of these ingredients included in many Italian dishes before you choose another cuisine next time you dine out. Visit us at Picano's Italian Grille today to enjoy delicious Italian dishes that include these healthy ingredients and more.