Borage nutrition facts
Borage or bee
plant is one of the chosen culinary
herbs used by our grandmothers to make their meals look and taste
better, be it to make popular green sauce, to garnish salads or to
pamper children with candied flowers! This ancient garden
herb exudes
characteristic cucumber aroma to the recipes it added to...thus making
it as one of the most sought after herb in the households.
Botanically, it belongs to the family of Borabinaceae, of
the genus Borago
and has scientific name: Borago
officinalis. The herb is known also as starflower since
it bears five petal deep blue color star-shaped beautiful flowers in
clusters. Some other common names include bee bread, burrage, common
bugloss...etc.
|
Borage (Borago
officinalis).
Note for large, oval dark green leaves with star shaped deep blue
flowers.
Photo courtesy: kthread |
Borage is annual hollow stemmed plant with bristly
hairs and reaches about 75-90 cm in height. It grows in plentiful all
over the wild highlands of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor
regions.
The plant features broad oval
shaped dark green fuzzy leaves. In general, its leaves are harvested
from the
plant just after
the flower buds form but before flowering. Younger leaves are used in
salads while older leaves are used as greens. However, as
the plant gets older, the leaves get tougher, larger, more
fuzzy, and bitter in taste.
Health benefits of borage
-
Borage is one of very popular culinary herb
especially in Mediterranean countries. The herb contains many
notable
phyto-nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that are essential for optimum
health and wellness.
-
The herb parts contain essential fatty acid
gamma-linolenic
acid (GLA), typically in concentrations of 17-20%.
Linolenic acid is omega-6 fatty acid that play vital role in
restoration of joint health, immunity, healthy skin and mucus
membranes.
-
Fresh burrage
herb has high levels of vitamin
C (ascorbic
acid); provide 35 mcg or 60% of RDA per 100 g. Vitamin C is one of
the powerful natural anti-oxidant help remove harmful free radicals
from the body. Along with other anti-oxidants, it has immune booster,
wound healing and
anti-viral effects.
-
Burrage herb contains very high levels
of
vitamin
A (140% of RDA) and carotenes.
Both these compounds are powerful flavonoid anti-oxidants.
Together, they act as protective scavengers against
oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that
play a role in aging and various disease processes.
-
Vitamin A is known to have antioxidant
properties and is essential for vision. It is also required for
maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural
foods rich in vitamin A and carotenes are known to help body protect
from lung and oral
cavity cancers.
-
The herb has good amount
of minerals like iron
(41% of RDA), calcium,
potassium, manganese, copper,
zinc, and magnesium. Potassium is an
important
component of cell and body fluids, which helps control heart rate and
blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the
antioxidant enzyme, superoxide
dismutase. Iron
is an important co-factor for cytochrome
oxidase enzyme
in the cellular metabolism. In addition, being a component of
hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, it determines the oxygen
carrying
capacity of the blood.
-
The herb is one of the good sources of
B-complex vitamins, particularly rich in niacin (vitamin
B-3). Niacin helps lower LDL cholesterol levels in the body.
In addition, it has riboflavin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates in
adequate levels. These vitamins function as co-factors in the enzymatic
metabolism inside the body.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Borage herb (Borago officinalis), fresh leaves,
Nutritive value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient
Value |
Percentage
of
RDA |
| Energy |
21 Kcal |
1% |
| Carbohydrates |
3.06 g |
2.35% |
| Protein |
1.80 g |
3% |
| Total Fat |
0.70 g |
2% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
13 µg |
3% |
| Niacin |
0.900 mg |
25.5% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.041 mg |
1% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.084 mg |
6.5% |
| Riboflavin |
0.150 mg |
12% |
| Thiamin |
0.060 mg |
5% |
| Vitamin A |
4200 IU |
140% |
| Vitamin C |
35 mg |
60% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
80 mg |
5% |
| Potassium |
470 mg |
10% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
93 mg |
9% |
| Copper |
0.130 mg |
15% |
| Iron |
3.30 mg |
41% |
| Magnesium |
52 mg |
13% |
| Manganese |
0.349 mg |
15% |
| Zinc |
0.20 mg |
2% |
Selection
and storage
Borage should
be fresh for use in salads and in cooking. While buying from
the markets look for fresh herb leaves with stout succulent stem and
delicate cucumber flavor, which emanate when you hold the plant from
short distance. Like other greens such as spinach,
borage can stay fresh only
for few days and looses flavor rather sooner. In addition, unlike other
herbs (like
oregano);
dried borage leaves are out of flavor and hence used only
when
they are fresh.
Avoid sunken,
yellow or dried leaves as they are out of
flavor and taste.
Once at home,
store borage as you do it for spinach or like any other
greens.
Preparation and serving methods:
Wash fresh herb in cold running water or rinse for
few minutes to remove any dust or any pesticide residues.
The herb can be used in large quantities like green
vegetables. Remove tough leaves and stem using paring knife.
Here are some cooking tips:
|
Mediterranean
green sauce-salsa verde.
Photo courtesy: toyohara |
-
Young tender borage leaves add flavor of
cucumber
to salads.
-
Mature
leaves can be used as a green vegetable in much the same way as
spinach. It mixes well with other greens, green
beans, carrots,
potato, tomato etc.
-
Tender leaves used to make cool juice with
added lemonade.
-
Borage flowers are often cooked in batter as
fritters. They can also be candied.
-
Borage
is one of the common ingredients along with parsley,
chervil, chives,
watercress,
sorrel, and salad burnet in the preparation of traditional German green
sauce.
-
Fresh herb can also be added to sausages,
pizza and in poultry stuffing.
-
Borage tea is popular refreshing
drink
in the European countries.
Medicinal
uses of borage herb
-
Borage herb parts especially its seeds contain
many
health benefiting essential oil such as gamma-linolenic acid. This
omega-6 fatty acid (18:3 fats) has recommended in the treatment of
arthritis, dermatitis, pre-menstrual painful conditions... etc.
- An infusion
of leaves and seeds is used in traditional medicines to increase breast
milk
production in the nursing mothers. (Medical
disclaimer)
Safety profile
The herb contains certain compounds in it which
when taken in large quantities may affect kidney functions (possible
diuretic effect). (Medical
disclaimer)
<<-Back to Healthy
herbs from Borage.
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reading: Starflower-
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