Against the ‘knocking down’ heat, almonds, pumpkin seeds and a pinch of salt can help. As well as licorice, if the pressure is too low, and beetroot juices that give energy. Ciro Vestita, dietician and phytotherapist, former professor of human nutrition and phytotherapy at the University of Pisa, has drawn up the list of foods useful in heat waves for time.news Salute.
The need to resort to certain foods in particular stems from a simple fact: “In summer we sweat to allow the body to cool down. This useful mechanism, however, causes you to lose minerals, including sodium, but above all those that give us energy: magnesium and potassium. And if the latter is present in many foods, unfortunately magnesium is not “, underlines the expert. “The foods in which we find this important mineral are few. It is present, for example, in almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, aloe gel and a small part in spinach – lists Vestita – It is clear that these products they should be abundant in our diets on the hottest days of summer. In the morning, for example, you can choose a breakfast with muesli, honey, a cup of milk and add ground almonds. “
An element that is not thought of is sodium. “We know that salt must normally be limited in the diet, also due to its hidden presence in many industrial products – highlights the specialist – It is also true, however, that today most people are well informed about this. from one extreme to the other: we have people who do not take even a gram of salt because they are afraid and then feel bad when it is hot. For people who do not suffer from hypertension, on the other hand, an extra pinch of salt, in case of high temperatures, it helps to feel better, by slightly raising the pressure “. And if a slightly more decisive increase in blood pressure is necessary, “licorice is a good help, but obviously not good for hypertensive people”, points out Vestita.
An energizing ingredient, whose effectiveness is certified by scientific studies, “is beetroot. We have also found it in clinical activity: amateur sportsmen – cyclists, puglists – who take centrifuged of this food tell us they feel better” , reports the expert. “And this happens because, as shown by the data, beet juice is able to give energy. It even increases oxygen consumption by 10%”.