Love tacos but still feel a twinge of guilt every time you reach for one? Here’s why you might not need to anymore! What’s often dismissed as indulgent comfort food may actually be one of the most nutritionally sound cuisines out there. From fibre-rich beans to healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, Mexican food is built on ingredients that work together in surprisingly smart ways. Your favourite tacos could be doing far more for your gut and overall health than you realise – making them something to enjoy, not apologise for.
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Dr Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and popular health content creator, is breaking down the many health benefits of Mexican cuisine – describing it as a true “masterpiece of nutritional engineering” that combines science, balance, and tradition on a plate. In an Instagram video shared on February 7, the surgeon explains how the diverse, well-balanced ingredients in a traditional Mexican meal work together to deliver a wide range of nutritional benefits.
“A masterpiece of nutritional engineering”
According to Dr Rajan, Mexican cuisine may be one of the healthiest in the world. He explains that a typical Mexican meal – featuring beans, rice, salsa, avocado, and corn tortillas – is a remarkably advanced example of nutritional engineering, naturally balancing fibre, protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates in a way that supports gut health, satiety, and overall nutrition.
He highlights, “This is my legal argument explaining why Mexican food is the healthiest in the world. Beans, rice, salsa, avocado, corn tortillas look simple, but biochemically this is a masterpiece of nutritional engineering.”
A truly balanced meal
Plant protein
Dr Rajan highlights that pinto beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein while being naturally low in saturated fat. He further explains that pairing beans with rice creates a synergistic effect: both contain essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce on its own, and together they complement what the other lacks – forming a complete, high-quality protein.
He explains, “Pinto beans, a rich source of plant protein that’s also low in saturated fat. But plant proteins are incomplete. Beans are low in methionine and rice is low in lysine. Both still have all the essential amino acids and rice and beans synergise together to have even more amino acids. It’s like a protein voltron.”
Fibres
Dr Rajan emphasises the fibre diversity of a Mexican meal, describing it as a true buffet for your microbiome. He explains that it delivers a wide range of prebiotic fibres – from tomatoes, onions, and peppers in the salsa to avocados, along with resistant starch and cellulose from corn tortillas and pinto beans – collectively nourishing gut bacteria and supporting digestive health.
He explains, “The fibre diversity is to cry for. A portion of pinto beans – 10 grams of fibre, corn tortillas – resistant starch and cellulose. Salsa – prebiotic fibres from tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Probably half an avocado’s worth in this – five grams of fibre and healthy fats. It is like a buffet for your microbiome.”
Healthy fats and vitamins
Dr Rajan explains that the healthy fats in avocados create a synergistic effect with the fat-soluble vitamins found in salsa. These fats enhance the absorption of key vitamins – A, D, E, and K – allowing the body to better utilise the nutrients present in the meal.
He highlights, “Fat from the avocado increases the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K from the salsa.”
Slow-fermenting fibres and polyphenols.
The surgeon also adds that the slow-fermenting fibres in corn support the production of short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which help protect the gut lining and reduce inflammation. Additionally, the polyphenols found in beans nourish specific gut bacteria linked to improved metabolic health.
He states, “Slow-fermenting fibres from the corn ferments in your colon, producing butyrate, the molecule that powers your gut lining and reduces inflammation. And the polyphenols in beans feeds akkermansia muciniphila, a bacteria linked to metabolic health.”
Dr Rajan ultimately highlights that Mexican food cannot be dismissed as junk food. Instead, he describes it as a genuinely balanced meal that nourishes gut bacteria while delivering adequate protein, fibre, vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats – making it a science-backed culinary wonder rather than a guilty indulgence.
The surgeon concludes, “Don’t let anyone tell you this is junk food. This is 9,000 years of culinary biochemistry. Go eat your tacos in peace.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
