By
Daily Mail Reporter
11:30 EST, 4 March 2014
|
13:45 EST, 4 March 2014
Every year, Pancake Day proves a difficult time for those of us watching our waistlines.
But should you avoid pancakes and their toppings altogether, or are there healthy options?Â
Here we look at the healthiest options available so you can have a guilt-free Shrove Tuesday.
As we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, what are the healthiest pancake toppings?
CINNAMON SPICE
Scientists from the University of Birmingham found cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity which affects how efficiently our bodies’ process sugars and carbohydrates.
Better insulin sensitivity also means you are less prone to storing body fat.
The research from Birmingham also supported the findings of a team of Swedish researchers who conducted a similar study on rice pudding.
Scientists took 14 healthy subjects and measured the changes in blood sugar after a 300g serving of rice pudding, both with and without 6g of cinnamon.
Those who ate the rice pudding with the cinnamon showed a lower rise in blood sugar after the meal, therefore supporting the claim that cinnamon is a healthy pancake topping.
Cinnamon spice has been shown to boost insulin sensitivity, while dark chocolate may improve blood flow
DARK CHOCOLATEÂ
In a two week study conducted on healthy adults, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, found the natural flavonoid content of dark chocolate improves blood flow by improving endothelial function.
The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and by improving their function, dark chocolate also improves the delivery of blood and oxygen around the body.
This, in turn, can reduce blood pressure and improve heart health.
This is one reason the heart-healthy dark chocolate makes the list of healthy pancake toppings.
Lemon juice is high in vitamin C, which can help boost the immune system
NATURAL YOGURT
One topping that’s been shown to improve the immune system and, therefore, your ability to fight disease, is natural yoghurt.
Containing a friendly bacterium known as Lactobacillus casei, scientists from the Instituto del FrÃo in Madrid, Spain, found it improved the function of the immune system by favourably modulating the number of disease fighting white cells known as lymphocytes.
So if you’re feeling a little under the weather, spreading some natural yoghurt on your pancake this year may not be a bad idea. Â
There are also many new syrups that contain new syrup that contains zero carbohydrates, zero calories and zero sugar
LEMON JUICE
Although
exercise has been shown to have a number of health benefits, too
much of it can cause you to become run down, fatigued and can negatively
affect your immune system.
Fortunately,
according to studies conducted at Loughborough University, the high
content of Vitamin C in lemons could help prevent this.
This
is because Vitamin C has been shown to reduce stress hormones that have
been shown to suppress the immune system and make you more vulnerable
to disease.
NATURAL SYRUPS
Research published in the International Journal of Obesity found that ‘regardless of diet, weight change was greater in the most adherent compared to the least adherent.’
Put simply, it doesn’t matter what diet you choose as long as you can stick to it.
For this reason, the latest innovation in healthy nutrition known as Zero Syrups from retailers such as The Protein Works makes the list.
Naturally flavoured it’s a new syrup that contains zero carbohydrates, zero calories and zero sugar which means you can add it to any dessert or food and it has no impact on calorie or nutritional profile.
or comment on this article
-
Incredible! Snake devours crocodile after five-hour battle
-
‘I want to stay with my mummy!’ Newborn refuses to let go
-
Watch him age: Man takes pic each day for 25 years
-
Meerkat laughs uncontrollably when its tummy is tickled
-
TOO CUTE: Giant Panda puts Baby Panda back to bed in Taipei…
-
Pope accidentally drops the f-bomb during Italian blessing
-
TV reporter gets clobbered by wall of snow from plow
-
Cat burglar? Kitten takes on dog for a huge piece of meat
-
Polar Vortex turns Niagara Falls into a frozen wonderland
-
Horror moment man is floored by single, fatal punch
-
LA gangbangers fighting for Assad in Syria
-
Russia’s Putin watches war games as tension with Ukraine…
-
No 10 aide arrested over child porn: Police quiz 62-year-old…
-
‘We love Rachel and wish she would wake up’: Father of…
-
Soccer star, 14, killed after being ‘sucked into freight…
-
The United States of Hatred: From the KKK to black…
-
The snake that ate a CROCODILE: Staggering pictures show…
-
Oscar Pistorius breaks down in court as his lawyer argues…
-
High school cheerleader, 18, sues her retired police chief…
-
Michelle Obama plans pricey trip to China as the First…
-
High school golf coach, 36, admits to having sex with…
-
EXCLUSIVE: Shirley Temple revealed to be a secret smoker and…
-
Niagara Falls comes to a frozen halt AGAIN as subfreezing…
-
Warning shots fired by Russian troops, but hopes are raised…
Comments (9)
what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
christi,
sacramento,
20 minutes ago
if you are going to eat a big stack of carbs, does it really matter what you put on top of it?
N.A,
UK,
59 minutes ago
It’s once a year people, you’re not exactly going to put on 10 pounds after having a few pancakes!
I just had mine with Nutella, ice cream, squirty cream, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and topped with maple syrup lol! Oh well
Mari,
Florida, United States,
2 hours ago
pancakes are not bad…you throw in some berries, you use maple syrup, you get a gut busting b’fast for like 450 calories, and not much fat….and if you throw in almond flour, for half of it, you are improving, also throw in a spoon of flax…they taste the same, but are good for you to.
Windom Earle,
Lees Summit,
2 hours ago
Why would you ruin a pancake by topping it with anything other than a smear of butter and some maple syrup?
ChicagoLoop,
Chicago, United States,
2 hours ago
I don’t know about men, but most women’s diets are 1500 cals and less. We really can’t afford to throw away so many calories on non-nutritious junk. I don’t care what the toppings are, the pancakes alone are pretty much empty calories. Oatmeal would be so much better.
Alex,
Sussex, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Elza19,
London, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
bozomcclown,
cork,
3 hours ago
make mine, chocolate, hazelnuts and cream, could care less how many calories
sarahandrews,
Hemel, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now