In life, for the sake of our health, we must eat more whole grains. For example, eating more wheat products can promote bowel movements, while eating more oats can lower cholesterol. So, what are whole grain foods? And what are their nutritional values? The editor will reveal them to you one by one below.
Whole grain foods refer to foods made from whole wheat flour, such as bread, biscuits, noodles, etc. The exact concept of whole grain foods should refer to whole grain foods. Common whole grain foods include oats, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, whole wheat flour, and whole wheat bread. Because whole grain foods are not processed or are minimally processed, their nutritional content is richer than that of whole wheat flour, and they also have a lower glycemic index.
Wheat promotes intestinal health
Most breads use flour made from wheat as the main ingredient; while whole wheat bread uses whole wheat flour, so its fiber content is higher than that of white bread. When buying whole wheat bread, don't assume that a brown bread is whole wheat bread. You should check the "food ingredients list" on the label for the words "whole wheat flour" or "100% whole wheat" to ensure a higher fiber content. The breakfast cereals we usually eat are often made from wheat flakes, which are also whole grains. One type, wheat bran, is the outermost layer of the wheat kernel and contains twice as much fiber as regular cereal flakes, making it a good remedy for constipation.
Five-Fingered Peach and Wheat Soup
Oats lower cholesterol
When it comes to oats, many people are not very familiar with them, but if you mention oat bran, I believe no one is unfamiliar with it! In the last decade, oats have been recognized as an effective food for lowering cholesterol because they contain water-soluble fiber, which combines with bile salts in the small intestine and is excreted from the body. Since bile salts contain cholesterol, the cholesterol in the blood is used to make new bile salts, indirectly achieving the effect of lowering cholesterol. The fiber in wheat is mainly insoluble, but oats contain both insoluble and water-soluble fiber. Not only can they promote intestinal health and prevent constipation, but they can also lower cholesterol, a nutritional function that wheat lacks. The water-soluble fiber in oat bran is even higher, making it more effective at lowering cholesterol.
Brown Sugar, Oat, and Walnut Bread
Red brown rice has high nutritional value
The nutritional value of red rice and brown rice is much higher than that of white rice because they contain more vitamins, minerals, and their fiber is mainly insoluble. When cooking red rice, the most important step is to soak it for at least two hours before cooking to allow moisture to penetrate the grains, making it less coarse to eat. When you first start trying, you should mix red rice with white rice for cooking, for example, one part red rice to three parts white rice, and gradually increase the amount of red rice once you get used to it. Red rice can also be used to make red rice porridge, which is easier to accept for those who are not used to eating red rice. The difference between brown rice and red rice is that brown rice is dark yellow, has slightly less fiber, and is not as coarse as red rice, making it another high-fiber choice besides red rice.
Bama Red Brown Rice
4 major benefits of whole grain foods:
1. Prevent breast cancer
Nowadays, more and more women are suffering from breast cancer, and surveys have found that in recent years, the age of onset for breast cancer is getting younger, and even many women in their twenties have developed it. Experts point out that there are many causes of breast cancer. In addition to improper daily breast care, low estrogen levels in women' bodies are also one of the main causes.
Eating more whole grain foods can help maintain appropriate levels of estrogen in the bloodstream, not only avoiding various discomfort symptoms caused by low estrogen, but also preventing many breast diseases caused by high estrogen, and better preventing breast cancer.
2. Lower cholesterol
Whole grain foods contain extremely rich water-soluble dietary fiber, and they are the most natural source of this fiber. Adequately supplementing this fiber can effectively lower cholesterol. Not only that, but dietary fiber can also effectively prevent, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and other diseases. Research has found that water-soluble dietary fiber also has the effect of excreting sodium. Regular consumption can help our body effectively regulate blood pressure and prevent high blood pressure. The water-soluble dietary fiber in wheat bran also has the characteristic of high viscosity. It will mix with other ingested foods to form a gel-like substance, and it can also bind with sugar molecules to slow down the human body's absorption rate of carbohydrates, thereby helping us achieve the goal of slimming and losing weight.
Because whole grain foods contain a large amount of water-soluble dietary fiber, they can keep us feeling full for a long time, which allows the blood sugar concentration to remain at a certain level. In this case, insulin function can avoid disorders, thus preventing diseases such as diabetes.
Nut and Milk Oat Porridge
3. Prevent stroke
The nutrition in whole grain foods is very rich. It not only contains a large amount of water-soluble dietary fiber, but wheat germ is also very abundant. It can effectively reduce the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the body. What's even more incredible is that wheat germ only reduces the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and has no effect on the good cholesterol (HDL) in the human body, and it can even help LDL avoid oxidative damage.
After the good cholesterol in the human body is protected, it can effectively prevent the formation of plaque deposits in the arteries, thus preventing heart disease and stroke. Therefore, for the question of what are the benefits of whole grain foods, middle-aged and elderly people must learn more about it in their daily lives and eat more of these foods.
4. Promote intestinal peristalsis
Whole grain foods contain high-water-absorption fiber, which can make food expand better and increase the volume of stool, thereby promoting intestinal peristalsis and making bowel movements smoother. In this way, constipation naturally disappears. Not only that, the fiber and some starches in whole grain foods can prevent cancer cells in the colon from being activated by chemical reactions with bile acids to form colon cancer. In other words, eating more whole grain foods has a good preventive effect on rectal and colon cancer.
Moreover, the fiber in whole grain foods can slow down the energy release rate of sugars, thereby helping us effectively control our appetite. For people who want to lose weight, eating more whole grain foods is the best way to lose weight.
Facing the question of what are the benefits of whole grain foods, the above are the benefits we most easily ignore in our daily lives. In fact, whole grain foods can be considered truly healthy foods. Regular consumption can help the body avoid the troubles of diseases.
Shrimp and Sweet Pea Oat Porridge