“When it comes to living a healthy life, food choices are often a big deal. Whole grains foods are becoming more popular among people who want to eat healthy foods.
People in developed countries still seem to find the word “whole grains” strange. This is because, in general, Indonesians eat more rice than grain products like whole grains as their main food.
People who like to eat healthy foods now eat a lot of grains. What are whole grains, and how do they help the body?
Learn about whole grains.
The term “whole grain” is used to describe foods like bread and flour that are made from whole grains.
The grain isn’t cleaned or ground. So, all the parts of the grain that can be eaten, like the skin, embryo, and endosperm, stay together. This means that the grain has a lot of nutrients.
There are more types of grains than just whole grains. These are called refined grains. Refined grains are different because they have been cleaned and ground before they are made into finished products.
Whole grains tend to be better for your body than refined grains because they don’t go through as much processing. When refined grains are processed, only the seeds are left. So, refined grains don’t have many nutrients for the people who eat them.
Foods that have whole grains
If you’re ready to start a whole-grain diet, start with whole-grain bread. If you’re used to eating whole-grain foods, you can try other kinds, such as:
- The brown rice
- Oatmeal
- Wheat meal
- Rye meal ( wheat flour that is shaped like flour)
- Barley (barley or jali)
- Buckwheat or buckwheat flour
- Bulgur (derived from the dried grains of several types of wheat) (derived from the dried grains of several types of wheat)
- Millet or millet
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat
- Whole grain
- Corn
Many nutrients are good for the body in this type of whole grain food. Whole wheat oats, for example, have beta-glucans and fiber that are good for digestion and can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL).
Millet is another food that has a lot of minerals like manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber. Millet’s natural fiber even contains gluten.
Millet is not the only whole grain that is high in minerals like selenium, manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. Barley is another example. One cup of barley flour has 14.9 grams of fiber, which is enough to meet 60% of an adult’s daily fiber needs.
Whole grains are good for your health in many ways.
As was already said, because whole grains are not processed, they have more nutrients. Whole grains also have health benefits for the body, such as:
1. Keep blood sugar and insulin levels from going up
Whole-grain foods take longer to break down, which helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels steady. Whole grains are a good choice for diabetics to eat.
2. Helps keep weight in check
Studies have found that people who regularly eat whole grains are less likely to gain weight than those who eat refined grains.
3. Can keep the body from getting metabolic syndrome.
A study found that people who eat whole grain foods that are high in fiber are less likely to get metabolic syndrome. This is a condition that can make people more likely to get high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a stroke.
4. Lowering the risk of getting a long-term illness
By lowering the risk of metabolic syndrome, you also lower the risk of getting chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Studies show that the risk of heart disease in men drops by 30% for every 10 grams of fiber from whole-grain cereals they eat every day. The same thing happens to women, but the effect is stronger.
5. Lower the body’s cholesterol and blood pressure
High cholesterol and high blood pressure can be lowered by eating whole-grain foods like oatmeal and barley, which are high in antioxidants and fiber. Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago did a study that found that eating oats every day for 3 weeks can lower women’s blood cholesterol levels by 8 or 9 mg/dL.
Researchers from the University of Minnesota did a study and found that the death rate went down as people ate more whole grain products. This study was done on 15,000 people who were between the ages of 45 and 65.
If you’re used to eating white rice and other processed grain products, it’s not easy to switch to eating whole grains. But if we stick to it and make it a habit, eating healthier foods will become a normal part of our daily lives.
Source: SehatQ