Poppy seeds are most often used as a supplement to baked goods like muffins and biscuits. They are very small, black seeds that contain high levels of several nutrients, but they are also an opiate that can be used to create drugs. Because of this, poppy seeds can falsely trigger a positive test result if you undergo drug testing. To be sure that poppy seeds won't return a positive opiate result on a drug test, avoid eating the seed for at least 48 hours prior to the test. As long as you don't consume poppy seeds leading into a drug test, they can be a great benefit to your health.
Calcium
One tablespoon of poppy seeds contains 13 percent of your daily recommended value for calcium. Calcium is key to developing and maintaining bone and bone marrow in your body. It also performs other essential functions like balancing your body's acidity, preventing excessive stomach acid and lowering high blood pressure. Poppy seeds also contain a small amount of magnesium, a nutrient your body uses to process calcium and properly absorb it into the body.
Fiber
Your body needs fiber as a dietary supplement to maintain proper bowel regulation and pass toxins and other unwanted material through the digestive tract so it can be expelled. One 8 g serving of poppy seeds contains 2 g of dietary fiber, which can be of even greater benefit as individuals age and fiber consumption becomes more of a necessity.
Manganese
One serving of poppy seeds contains 29 percent of your daily recommended intake of manganese. It can play a role in treating or preventing numerous significant maladies, including osteoporosis, arthritis, symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), diabetes and epilepsy, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. UMMC also reports that as many as 37 percent of all Americans do not consume the recommended amount of manganese daily, making poppy seeds an excellent dietary supplement for this nutrient.
Iron
One serving of poppy seeds contains five percent of your recommended daily value of iron. Iron is used by your body to create new red blood cells that facilitate oxygen transport throughout the body, according to the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Insufficient iron levels in the body can cause low energy and possibly anemia. Iron is typically found at its highest levels in meats, but poppy seeds are a vegetarian alternative to consuming the mineral.
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