If Americans were to be described as a condiment, it would have to be Mayonnaise.
It comes as no surprise that mayonnaise is the best-selling condiment in the United States of America. With its fantastic flavor, adaptability to all foods, and availability, Hellman’s mayonnaise has taken the world by storm.
The love of Hellman’s mayonnaise has branched to a new era of food, with its essential inclusion as a salad dressing, in burgers, and in recipes that use a mayonnaise base.
So why is mayonnaise considered as a prized condiment, not only for Americans but for keto-enthusiasts too?
We’re here to answer that very question. From keto-friendly benefits to proving that mayonnaise can be added to your health plan, this article will give you a comprehensive insight into the beauty that is Hellman’s mayonnaise.
Table Of Contents
What Is Mayonnaise?
You’d be surprised by how many people think that mayonnaise is a dairy product. Mayonnaise is in fact, a blend of many savory ingredients that come together to form this delicious, high fat, low carb, keto-friendly delicacy.
The ingredients that are used to make Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise are as follows;
- Egg yolks
- Soybean Oil
- Acidity (lemon juice concentrate or distilled vinegar)
- A dash of mustard
- And as of recent years, Calcium Disodium EDTA
The ingredients tend to vary between different brands, often depending on the tartness of the mayonnaise and whether it is of the low-fat or fat-free varieties.
These ingredients are then blended into an emulsion, which gives mayonnaise its solid consistency. The egg yolk is the key ingredient here, which works by binding the ingredients together. (*)
Origins Of Hellman’s Mayonnaise
Hellman’s mayonnaise was the first-ever selling mayonnaise in the world, originating in 1912. (*) The combination that gave Hellman’s mayonnaise its unique taste was perfected in the backroom of a deli owned by Richard Hellman, the founder.
His customers loved the mayonnaise so much that he started making bigger batches until he decided to get a trademark for the product in 1913. Hellman’s mayonnaise is now the most popular condiment in the markets.
Later, in 1922, Hellman decided to open the world’s biggest mayonnaise factory and started producing Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise.
The Nutritional Value Of Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
It comes as no surprise that Hellman’s mayonnaise is one of the most popular condiments and dips used in the keto diet. But why?
Below, we are going to give you the lowdown of the nutritional value of Hellman’s mayonnaise (per one serving of a 13 g tablespoon), how many net carbs it contains, and what makes it perfectly keto-friendly:
- Calories: 90
- Total Fat: 10 grams (100%)
- Sodium: 90 milligrams
- Total Carbs: 0 grams (of which, 0 g fiber)
- Net Carbs: 0 grams (0%)
- Protein: 0 grams
As you can tell, Hellman’s mayonnaise is the optimal food for the keto diet given that all of its calories come directly from fats. However, do the low-fat options carry the same nutritional benefit to the keto diet?
Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise
Although this seems to be the healthier option for many dieters, it is actually a worse mayo variant for us on the keto diet. Why? Let’s find out the nutritional value per tablespoon (*):
- 50 calories
- 5 g of fat
- 120 mg of sodium
- 1 g of net carbs
- 0 g of protein
As you can see, although Hellman’s Light mayonnaise contains considerably fewer calories than Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise, it still contains those net carbs that we simply do not need in our keto diet!
Does Mayonnaise Have Any Health Benefits?
Contrary to popular belief, Hellman’s mayonnaise comes with a host of health benefits on top of its use as one of the best salad dressings to ever exist. People assume that this high-fat delicacy can lead to significant bodily defects and prevent weight loss.
However, those people are wrong. Let’s think of mayonnaise from its ingredient’s point of view; eggs, oil, salt, lemon juice concentrate, vinegar – all of which, in one way or another, actually provide us with overwhelming benefits that we simply look past because of the fatty nature of mayonnaise.
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Benefits Your Skin
Who knew the key to healthy hair was mayonnaise? Mayonnaise is rich in egg yolks and soybean oil, both of which act as a natural emollient to keep your skin and your hair soft.
We’re not talking about consumption here, to be clear, we’re talking about actually rubbing mayonnaise on your skin, as weird as that may sound. Many beauty blogs and companies have agreed that mayonnaise works as a natural exfoliant to help cleanse your pores and soften your skin.
Bone Health
One tablespoon serving of Hellman’s Mayononnaise contains 22.5 mg of vitamin K (phylloquinone) which equates to 19% of the total daily requirement in men, and 25% for women.
Studies have revealed that phylloquinone has several mechanisms of modulating bone metabolism and positively affecting the calcium balance in the body, which is another essential mineral for bone health. (*)
Vitamin K is also a clotting factor and helps with the regulation of your blood’s coagulation systems, ensuring that your blood is healthy and prevents you from bleeding excessively. (*)
Strengthen Your Heart
One research paper from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has established that the vitamin E content in mayonnaise reduces your chances of a stroke by protecting your body against free-radical damage and preventing your healthy cholesterol (LDL) from being oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol can cause heart disease, and therefore eating mayo would help prevent this from happening. (*) (*)
The anti-oxidant effect of mayonnaise against free-radical cell damage helps prevent further DNA damage and can lead to cancer prevention.
High Fat
Mayonnaise contains a lot of fat. This makes it wonderfully keto-friendly.
However, good fats found in mayonnaise are actually healthy and help reduce your total cholesterol level. One tablespoon serving of mayonnaise, although insignificant in the long run, will go a long way in protecting your heart. (*)
Omega-3
The many fats in mayonnaise also act as an excellent source of omega-3, which provide the following benefits(*):
- Mental Health Boost
- Enhance Brain Function
- Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
- Decrease Inflammation
Sounds too good to be true, right?
Is Hellman’s Mayo Low-carb Keto Friendly?
You’ve probably figured out by now that Hellman’s mayonnaise is keto-friendly, from its nutritional value to its valuable health benefits, you can’t really go wrong with the condiment.
You need to, however, make sure that you do opt for the high-fat varieties of Hellman’s mayo, such as Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise and Hellman’s Organic Mayonnaise. This is because the “healthier” low-fat varieties of Hellman’s actually contain starch as a binder, are highly processed, and contain certain elements of sugar.
The Bottom Line
Yes, Hellman’s Real mayonnaise and the organic variety are keto-friendly. Their high-fat content makes them optimal for keto, and the fact they contain 0 grams of net carbs per serving makes this condiment fantastic for the keto diet.
However, if you are calorie-conscious and wanted to use the low-fat variety, you need to do so in moderation. Although Hellman’s Light mayonnaise contains only 1 gram of net carbs per serving, you may use 3-5 servings per day, unknowingly, and you’ll be through your net carb allowance before you’ve noticed!
Up Next:
- Is heinz mayonnaise keto friendly?
- Is kewpie mayo keto friendly?
- Is kraft mayonnaise keto friendly?
