I am talking about the one and only Vegemite! To me I think of the iconic image of a child eating a Vegemite sandwich with half of the spread on his or her face. Recent media attention has drawn possible links to reduced anxiety and stress if you include this spread in your diet which brings about the question, how much do you really know about Vegemite? What is it made from and why should I use it?
To answer the first question the ingredients of Vegemite may not be very clear to you when you simply look at it. The dark colour doesn’t give you much to go by but Vegemite was originally made from ‘pure vegetable extract’ back in 1992 but these days is made from brewer’s yeast. It is the brewer’s yeast which gives Vegemite most of its distinctive colour but to complete the recipe salt, malt extract, barley and vegetable extract is what makes Vegemite.
Why include this as an option for your sandwich at lunch? Vegemite contains nearly all the B vitamins in its traditional formula, excluding B12 and B6 which are added to the reduced salt version and is potentially a reason to select this over the original Vegemite. One teaspoon of Vegemite will give you:
1. 50kJ
2. 1.5g of protein
3. No fat
4. No sugar
5. 207mg salt
Vegemite can boast containing almost all the B vitamins and a teaspoon will give you almost all your daily requirements as an adult of folate and thiamine. Your body will also be smiling with calcium, potassium, iron and calcium also in the mix. These vitamins do many things for your body including assisting in muscle contractions, maintaining bone and digestive health, allowing the transport of oxygen through your blood, making DNA, keeping your nerve cells working well and allowing your body to create energy from the food you eat. A possible link to Vegemite's potential ability to reduce stress and anxiety may be the fact that around 70% of your serotonin or ‘happy hormone’ is in your guts. So keeping your guts and nervous system happy may be helping to keep your mind happy.
A potential negative, especially if you do have high blood pressure is the high salt content which is why it is not recommended to be eaten by the spoonful but if you are like most of us a small amount is more than enough to satisfy.
Did you know Vegemite can be used as more than a spread on a piece of toast? Try adding to the pasta sauce like in spaghetti, into the soup as a stock, as a snack under your avocado on whole grain bread or even some have ventured using it in chocolate cake!
Take Home Message: I will always be a fan of Vegemite, just be mindful if you do have high blood pressure to be very moderate in the amount you use or why not try the reduced salt version to look after your heart as well as give your body the two extra B vitamins!
Reference:
1. University V. News Melbourne: Victoria University; 31/7/2017 [updated 31/7/2017. Available from: https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/happy-little-vegemites-happy-for-a-reason.
