What are poppy seed benefits and side effects? Are poppy seeds vegan? Gluten free? Acidic or alkaline? Low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here are poppy seed pros and cons: all the info on poppy seeds that every ethical consumer wants to know…
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on poppy seed benefits and side effects.
You are going to learn all about poppy seed benefits and side effects. This will include poppy seed benefits for your health and potential risks, poppy seed water footprint and poppy seed carbon footprint, poppy seed sustainability, if poppy seed are vegan or impacts animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if poppy seed are good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about poppy seed benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Poppy Seed Benefits And Side Effects
Health
Poppy seed benefits for health may include:
- better digestion
- boosted female fertility
- mouth ulcer treatment
- eye health
- insomnia treatment
- improved sleep
- reduced diarrhea caused by infection
- reduced pain and discomfort
- constipation relief
- asthma treatment
- kidney stones treatment
- bone strength
- diabetes management and prevention
- diagnose a condition called vesicoenteric fistula
- regulated blood pressure
- thyroid health
- weight loss
Additionally, poppy seeds are…
- Alkaline pH level once digested
- Gluten Free
- Not a Common Food Allergen
- Low Fodmap
Environment
Water footprint: low, it takes 2,188 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of poppy seeds / 262 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of poppy seeds
Carbon footprint: unknown, likely low
Destruction: low, poppy seed production is relatively sustainable, no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc.
Poppy seeds are…
- Sustainable
Animals
Kills: none, poppy seed production does not require any animals to be killed
Harms: none, poppy seed production does not require any animals to be used
Indirectly kills or harms: none, no animals are indirectly killed or harmed from poppy seed production as long as toxic chemicals have not been used, be sure to buy Non-GMO/organic, as pesticides harm and kill wildlife and ecosystems by contaminating soil, water, air and plants that animals eat
Poppy seeds are…
- Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems unless organic
Laborers
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Poppy seeds…
- May involve worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns
Where do most poppy seeds come from? 📍
The world’s top poppy seed producing country is Turkey, followed by Serbia and Macedonia.
The world’s top poppy seed exporting country is Spain, followed by Netherlands, Czechia, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Latvia, UK, Poland and China.
Are poppy seeds nutritious? 🥗
Poppy seeds are high in manganese and copper.
Are poppy seeds alkaline or acidic?
Poppy seeds are alkaline. Some seeds like sunflower seeds are acidic, while others like chia seeds and flax seeds are alkaline.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
Are poppy seeds gluten free?
Yes, poppy seeds are gluten free. Poppy seeds do not contain gluten. Poppy seeds are a type of seed, therefore making it a naturally gluten free food.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
Are poppy seeds a common food allergen?
No, poppy seeds is not a common food allergen. Some people may experience allergic reactions to poppy seeds but it is relatively rare by comparison.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
Are poppy seeds low fodmap?
Yes, poppy seeds are low fodmap, a food you can eat if on a low fodmap diet.
A low FODMAP diet may help those with bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
It’s all about knowing your body. Observe what works and what doesn’t. You body might even react negatively to a low-FODMAP food simply due to intolerance. Everyone is different! Be mindful and patient. Take time to get to know what’s best for your physical health and overall wellbeing.
See this High FODMAP and Low FODMAP List of Foods
Water footprint of poppy seeds?
Poppy seeds have a relatively low water footprint compared to other foods.
It takes 2,188 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of poppy seeds / 262 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of poppy seeds.
Did you know that water is a finite, non-renewable resource?
How much water does it take to produce an apple? A serving of rice? A steak dinner?
We need to be aware of “water footprints”. That is, the amount of fresh water utilized in the production or supply of goods we consume. As it turns out it takes significantly more water to yield foods that come from animals than foods that come from plants. Imagine how much water a cow needs to consume to generate a piece of beef. Not only how much water a single cow drinks, rather all the water that went into producing the crops that the cow ate.
Find out how much water your food consumes with this: Water Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
Are poppy seeds sustainable?
Poppy seed production is relatively sustainable since there is no known significant damage to air, water, land, soil, forests, etc. as long as pesticides have not been used. Be sure to buy non GMO/organic, as toxic, chemical pesticides contaminate air, water, soil, etc. when using regenerative practices.
A 2018 Oxford University study – which is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet – found that ‘avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth’ as animal farming provides just 18% of calories but takes up 83% of our farmland.
Consuming animal products and byproducts is not environmentally friendly and is one of the worst things for the Earth. Not only is meat production wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution. The industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
Are poppy seeds vegan?
Yes, poppy seeds are vegan. Poppy seeds are seeds from a flowering plant and not an animal product or byproduct, therefore making it a vegan food.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non Vegan Foods List
Do poppy seeds have human rights issues?
At this time there are no major concerns with poppy seed production but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening!
It’s important to stay aware of human rights concerns and worker exploitation that may come with specific brands.
Did you know the single largest employer in the world is agriculture? The labor involved behind each and every product cannot go unrecognized.
Some known problems include workplace health and safety, child labor, gender inequality, inadequate pay, wage theft and exploitation. Workers can even experience harassment, humiliation and violence and unfair employers often fail to provide laborers with access to shade, drinking water, restrooms and breaks. Consequently, laborers can face nausea, dizziness, heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke -the leading cause of farmworker death!
Such mistreatment is like modern day slavery. Workers are often afraid to report issues because they fear it will result in losing their jobs or deportation.
Fair trade organizations fight to ensure better social, environmental and economic standards.
We can improve people’s lives with foods we eat every day simply by buying products that are certified fair trade.
Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘
This post was all about poppy seed benefits and side effects.
Sources:
Spices, poppy seed – FoodData Central
Oil content and fatty acids composition of poppy seeds
