Nasturtium: Culinary versatility and weight loss benefits explored

This isn't just a garden decoration but also a decorative element for salads, sandwiches, or soups. The seeds can be pickled, creating a delicacy resembling capers, and the leaves can be fried like spinach. Nasturtium, the plant in question, has an incredibly wide variety of uses in the kitchen. Among its properties, experts mention its impact on weight loss.

Ewa Kozioł, a certified herbalist and advocate of a healthy lifestyle, mentioned on her social media that nasturtium is the best herb for weight loss. Ewa Kozioł, who operates in the media as a blogger ("Zielony Zagonek"), also publishes content on social media channels. She discussed nasturtium's influence on weight loss in one of her posts.

Herbalist Ewa Kozioł reveals that nasturtium is extremely helpful in the fight against being overweight. Its leaves and flowers are rich in components that aid the weight loss process. As she points out, water extracts from dried leaves and flowers of this plant have a positive effect on our digestive system. Furthermore, nasturtium helps regulate bowel movements, crucial for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Additionally, this plant prevents the formation of gallstones. Moreover, nasturtium can ease the heaviness that often accompanies a hearty meal.

Nasturtium is rich in glucosinolates, which are organic sulphur compounds. These compounds can stimulate digestion, which accelerates metabolism. But that's not all—glucosinolates also have antibacterial and antiviral properties. As a result, they can help combat infections of the urinary tract, throat, lungs, and skin. Nasturtium also contains compounds that can potentially lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood. This, in turn, can contribute to maintaining heart health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Ewa Kozioł recommends preparing a nasturtium infusion. The process is straightforward: collect 30 grams of fresh nasturtium leaves or flowers (or 15 grams of dried ones), then pour a cup of boiled water. Cover the infusion and let it sit for about 15 minutes to allow the active ingredients to release. Once the infusion cools down, you can sweeten it with honey to taste.

Nasturtium typically blooms from June to September. Its flowers are edible with a slightly spicy taste. Nasturtium flowers are usually used to decorate dishes, especially salads and soups. Nasturtium adds distinctiveness to dishes and brightens them up with its colourful petals. Besides the flowers, nasturtium leaves are also edible. They are the most popular edible part of this plant. Nasturtium leaves also have a spicy flavour. They are usually eaten raw as an addition to dishes but can also be cooked in a pan, like spinach.

Lastly, the nasturtium seeds are worth mentioning as they are also edible. They have an intense flavour and are usually used as a spice. It's worth knowing that nasturtium seeds can be pickled. Prepared this way, they taste similar to capers.