Is Marmite Good for You?
Date:
09 Sep 2024
Marmite— you either love it or you hate it! This popular spreadable food has been around for a long time and has some great nutritional benefits. Let's take a closer look at this popular food and how it can benefit our gut health.
What is Marmite?
Marmite is an iconic British staple. Its sticky, dark brown paste brings a powerful, salty flavour and heady aroma that can't be mistaken.
The main ingredients of this spreadable food are glutamic acid-rich yeast extract, salt, vegetable extract, spice extracts, and celery extracts.
Is it okay to eat Marmite every day?
Marmite is high in B vitamins. A single serving contains 17 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of Vitamin B1 (thiamin), 18 per cent of B2, and 36 per cent of B3. These vitamins are key for skin and eye health, protecting your nervous system, and helping you break down the energy from food.
The biggest concern about Marmite is its sodium content. However, limiting the serving size to 5g per day will help minimize excessive sodium.
Is Marmite good for your tummy?
Marmite is a natural pro-biotic containing live yeast cultures, which means it promotes the growth of our healthy gut bacteria. It is also very easy to digest and is loaded with nutrients.
So the answer is, yes, Marmite is good for your gut!
Which is healthier: Marmite or Bovril?
Marmite contains 37,6 g of protein per 100g, while Bovril 27,1g per 100g. The yeast extract spread is also lower in sodium – while Bovril contains 5380mg per 100g, Marmite has 3909g per 100g (a significant 30% difference), as well as being higher in Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and Niacin when compared to the meat extract paste.
Overall, Marmite is richer in nutrients and vitamins and, therefore, better for our health.
Take home message
In conclusion, Marmite can be a healthy addition to a generally healthy and balanced diet and help support our gut bacteria. Just remember to be moderate with the portions to avoid consuming too much salt.
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