Pastila - good and bad

Among a wide variety of sweets and desserts, pastila along with marshmallow and marmalade takes a special place. This is due to the fact that the pastille is prepared from natural apple puree with the addition of sugar, honey and egg whites.

Benefits and harms of pastilles

If we talk about the traditional preparation of pastilles according to an old Russian recipe, then the benefit of such a product is a rich mineral composition. The content of vitamins in the pastille is rather modest, including riboflavin (B2) and nicotinamide (PP). This factor is excessively compensated by the rich content of micro- and macroelements. 100 grams of pastille contains:

• potassium - more than 50 mg;
• calcium - about 20 mg;
• phosphorus - more than 10 mg;
• sodium - about 15 mg;
• magnesium - about 7 mg;
• iron - more than 1.5 mg;
• in smaller quantities - iodine, zinc.

The use of the pastille for the body is also due to the fact that as a gelling agent it uses natural apple pectins that improve intestinal motility and have a mild laxative effect. In some types of delicacies, agar-agar algae, which are the source of iodine, are added.

Damage to the pastille, as well as its benefits, are due to its composition - because of the rather high sugar content, this product has a rather high calorie content of more than 320 kcal per 100 g. People who want to lose weight and adhere to a diet, should limit the use of pastilles and eat it in the morning. Ideally, this delicacy is best for breakfast, since digestible carbohydrates and mineral compounds give the body a large amount of energy, so necessary at the beginning of the working day.

When choosing a pastille it is important to pay attention to its appearance and smell. Modern manufacturers often add to the classic recipe various flavors, synthetic food additives and colorants. This may indicate too rich color and strong flavor.