In recent years, with the increasing variety of agricultural and sideline products, people have become more and more dependent on refined grains like white rice and fine flour. However, in the past two years, as the role of dietary fiber has gained recognition, coarse grains have once again become synonymous with healthy food. So, what are the specific benefits of eating coarse grains? And if eating coarse grains is beneficial, should we consume them in large quantities? Let's explore these questions together.
The Benefits of Eating Coarse Grains
When it comes to coarse grains, we need to understand which foods fall into this category. Coarse grains mainly include millet, brown rice, oats, corn, sorghum, barley, black rice, purple rice, buckwheat, wheat bran, and others from the grain family. Coarse grains are rich in B vitamins, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, phytochemicals, and more. Firstly, coarse grains are rich in insoluble dietary fiber, which works in concert with soluble fiber to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, slow down the absorption of glucose after meals, and reduce the risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
But the benefits of coarse grains don't stop there. Whole grains not only contain more dietary fiber and various vitamins but also more antioxidants. The bran of red, purple, and black grains is a good source of anthocyanins, while yellow whole grains contain carotenoids. Barley and oats are also rich in beta-glucan. These substances each have their own health benefits, such as helping to prevent cancer, preventing coronary heart disease, helping to control postprandial blood sugar and blood cholesterol, and delaying eye aging.
Eat Coarse Grains in Moderation
Although coarse grains are good, as the saying goes, "too much of a good thing can be bad." If you consume too much dietary fiber, it can not only affect digestion but also interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients, leading to malnutrition. Therefore, different groups of people should consume coarse grains according to their needs, meaning different quantities for different people.
According to the recommendations of the "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines (2007)," out of a total daily staple intake of 250g to 400g, 50g to 100g should be coarse grains. Individuals with high blood lipids and high blood sugar, obesity, constipation, or those who frequently socialize can moderately increase their intake of coarse grains. However, the elderly with poor gastrointestinal function, children and adolescents in their growth and development stage, children with immature digestive function, and individuals who are underweight, malnourished, or deficient in elements like calcium and iron should eat less coarse grain and should prepare it in a refined manner. The elderly are generally advised to consume about 50g of coarse grains per day. Patients with chronic pancreatitis and chronic gastroenteritis should eat less coarse grain. Patients with gastric and intestinal ulcers, acute gastroenteritis, or severe liver diseases require soft foods and should avoid eating coarse grains.
Coarse Grains Should Be Eaten "in Small Amounts and Often"
So, how should we eat coarse grains? The principle should be "in small amounts and often." About 50g per day is sufficient. In your daily diet, you can use rice and flour as the main staple, and cook coarse grains into porridge, combining them with fine grains to aid digestion and ensure nutritional balance. Coarse grains can be naturally incorporated into your three meals. For example, office workers can put an appropriate amount of red beans, purple rice, and white rice into an electric pressure cooker the night before, using its timer function to cook porridge. By the time you wake up, the nutritious and delicious multi-grain porridge will be at the perfect temperature. This is very convenient. You can also mix an appropriate amount of coarse grains when you normally cook, such as adding millet when cooking rice, adding buckwheat when making congee, or adding a handful of purple rice when making soy milk. In this way, the amount of coarse grains in your diet can be increased naturally, and a balanced mix of fine and coarse grains can lead to better nutrition and health. To improve the texture of coarse grains, it is recommended to soak them before cooking. Note that when washing purple rice, you will find that the rinsing water turns purplish-red. This is because the seed coat and aleurone layer of purple rice contain anthocyanins, which are water-soluble, causing the water to change color. This color loss is common in colored rice varieties, such as black rice, red beans, and black sesame, and is a normal phenomenon.
To take care of your health, besides relying on medication after getting sick, it's all about a healthy diet in daily life. As a food with unique nutritional value, coarse grains require a correct understanding from us to play their due role. Our friends in life should also remember this principle and be responsible for their own health.