Mastic is secreted in the form of tears from the incisions made in the mastic trees, during the months of July and August, with a tool called an embroiderer and collected in September. The mastic tree, or otherwise Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, it is an evergreen shrub with a life of about a century and thrives south of Chios, in the so-called Masticochoria. Since 1997 mastic has been classified as a Protected Designation of Origin product (PDO) while in 2015 it was classified, by the European Medicines Agency, as a herbal medicine for gastrointestinal diseases and the healing of dermatological diseases.
THEThe healing properties of mastic have been known since ancient times, by Dioscorides, Hippocrates and Galen. Herodotus, in the 5th century AD. mentions that his contemporaries used to chew mastic to deal with indigestion. The Romans made toothpicks from the wood of the mastic tree to perfume their breath and clean their teeth. SIt is used daily as a nutritional supplement and also as a medicinal product.
THEThe healing properties of mastic have been known since ancient times, by Dioscorides, Hippocrates and Galen. Herodotus, in the 5th century AD. mentions that his contemporaries used to chew mastic to deal with indigestion. The Romans made toothpicks from the wood of the mastic tree to perfume their breath and clean their teeth. SIt is used daily as a nutritional supplement and also as a medicinal product.
Nutritional value per 100 gr
Energy: 1365kcal
Fat: 0gr
Carbohydrate: 83gr
Sugar: 1 gr
Vegetable fibers: 18gr
Protein: 0.15gr
Benefits for the organization
- Soothes the stomach
- Helps with cholesterol
- It helps the gut
- Helps reduce Helicobacter pylori
- It keeps the heart strong
- It contributes to good oral hygiene
- It has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects
- it is good for the skin
Sources:
https://www.greekflavours.com/el/blog/mastiha-to-emvlhmatiko-proion-ths-chiou
https://www.mednutrition.gr/portal/efarmoges/leksiko-diatrofis/16466-mastixa-xiou
The superfoods of the ancient Greeks
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