A nutritionist has created the world’s healthiest fish and chip recipe that promises to boost IQ and fend off cancer – with salmon, seaweed and spices.
Gurpareet Bains, 32, has created a modified version of the classic seaside dish which is low in fat but high in Omega 3 and iodine, two natural ‘superfoods’.
The recipe uses salmon instead of cod, has seaweed-encrusted chips and features an array of spices which have anti-viral and cancer-fighting properties.
Each serving has the equivalent level of antioxidants as 22 servings of spinach, 10 bunches of grapes, eight servings of broccoli or six 100g bags of rocket salad.
Mr Bains, an Anglo-Indian chef, reckons the higher level of antioxidants in his dish can help prevent neuro-degenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s.
He says the £5 dish – called ‘spiced salmon with seaweed-encrusted chips’ – brings significant health benefits over traditional fish and chips, which is high in fat and calories.
The dish appears in Mr Bain’s new cookbook, Indian Superfood, which hits the shelves later this month.
He said: ”It’s been known for some time that antioxidants may help prolong memory and boost IQ.
”Scientists from America have already demonstrated this by measuring the beneficial effects of grape juice on memory.
”My latest meal includes even more antioxidants than grape juice and, as a result, could help boost memory and cut the risk of Alzheimer’s.”
The spiced salmon is packed with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid commonly found in fish oil that helps build and replenish damaged cells.
In July last year, researchers at Martek, an American bioscience company, found taking supplements containing DHA helped general brain function ”significantly”.
The study, based on volunteers with an average age of 70, showed taking 900mg capsules every day was the equivalent of turning back the clock three years.
What’s more, the fish batter also contains turmeric, chilli, cumin and curcumin – four spices known for their antiviral, antibacterial and cancer-fighting properties.
Turmeric, in particular, has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for more than 2,500 years for its memory-boosting properties.
The seaweed-encrusted chips, meanwhile, are rich in iodine – long used in the battle against arthritis, tuberculosis and the common cold.
Potato also contains vitamins B6 and C in addition to manganese, potassium, fibre and phytonutrients – antioxidants that fight harmful free radicals.
By protecting the brain’s grey matter – and preventing the daily loss of additional brain cells – the dish could also boost IQ.
The dish, which costs less than #5 per head to prepare, contains 11,500 ORAC units – the scientific measure of antioxidants.
This equates to 22 servings of spinach, 10 bunches of grapes, eight servings of broccoli or six x 100g bags of rocket.
Mr Bains, who lives in London, said: ”Fish has long been synonymous as a ‘brain food’.
”The fish and chips meal I have created is brimming with health-beneficial ingredients that could, if eaten on a regular basis, greatly improve your attention span and overall IQ.”
Around 700,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia, more than half of whom have Alzheimer’s.
* Indian Superfood (Absolute Press) is available from all good bookstores priced £12.99
