There are many benefits to eating whole grains! Here are the top ten best grains for you!

Cereals are a general term for food crops mainly from the grass family, which can be divided into refined grains and whole grains. Common staple foods such as rice, steamed bread, noodles, etc. are refined grains. Coarse grains such as corn, oats, buckwheat, etc. are whole grains.

In the early days of agriculture, the ability to process grains was limited, so people had to eat unprocessed "whole grains". Over the following centuries, in pursuit of food taste, flavor and appearance, flour became whiter and rice became more refined.

However, not all that is lost during the processing is "waste". Nutritional research has discovered many benefits of "whole grains"!

Eat more whole grains, get a smaller waist

The researchers followed more than 3,100 adults over the age of 50 as part of a health study. During an average of 18 years of follow-up, diet, health, and lifestyle data were collected approximately every four years.

The researchers compared changes in five heart disease risk factors, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides and waist circumference, among people who had different whole grain intakes during follow-up. (A serving of whole grains is one slice of whole-wheat bread, half a cup of oatmeal or half a cup of brown rice, while refined grains are mainly pasta and white bread.)

Studies have found that the more whole grain foods you eat, the less likely your waist circumference is to increase, and your fasting blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure are also lower.

Over the four years, those who ate less whole grains saw their waist circumference increase by an average of more than 1 inch, while those who ate more whole grains saw their waist circumference increase by an average of about 0.5 inches.

Conversely, the greater the refined grain intake, the greater the increase in waist circumference and the more likely triglyceride levels were to increase.

Eating three to four servings of whole grains a day can have significant benefits for waist circumference, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Which foods count as whole grains?

Most whole grains are whole grains, such as millet, rhubarb rice, various brown rice (including ordinary brown rice, black rice, purple rice), wheat grains, etc., and also include grains that have been ground into powder or crushed, such as oatmeal and whole wheat flour. Lotus seeds, Euryale ferox, coix seeds, etc. have similar nutritional ingredients to grains and can also be eaten as whole grains.

White rice and white flour have been finely processed to leave only the endosperm, so they can only be called refined grains.

Nutritional Value of Whole Grains

Dietary fiber

Dietary fiber is not only low in calories but also gives a feeling of fullness, it also lowers blood cholesterol levels and is beneficial for constipation and digestive tract diseases.

Vitamins

B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and folic acid) are essential nutrients for growth and development as well as energy metabolism, especially for pregnant women and children.

Minerals

Whole grains are rich in trace elements such as magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is an essential element for promoting bone growth and helping to release energy from muscles; selenium can protect cells from oxidation and plays an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Antioxidants and Plant Compounds

It is mainly found in the germ, can reduce inflammation, and is lost during the grain refining process.

In addition to the above advantages, whole grains are low in saturated fatty acids, sodium and monosaccharides, and have a low glycemic index, which is beneficial for blood sugar control and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The top ten best grains are summarized for you!

Whole wheat flour

Whole wheat flour contains more dietary fiber, minerals, B vitamins, vitamin E, carotenoids and other beneficial nutrients.

Whole wheat flour is dark in color and has a coarse texture. It can be added in moderation when making staple foods. It is recommended for making fermented foods such as whole wheat bread, steamed cakes, and steamed buns.

brown rice

Brown rice retains the germ, endosperm and part of the bran, and has higher content of B vitamins, vitamin E, minerals and dietary fiber than white rice. In particular, colored rice (such as black rice) also retains antioxidants.

Rice and brown rice can be cooked in a 1:1 ratio. Brown rice is good for diabetics. However, brown rice is not easy to cook. It needs to be soaked for two hours in advance. It is more convenient to cook it in a pressure cooker.

Oatmeal/Flakes

It is high in protein and soluble dietary fiber, especially β-glucan. Oats have a strong sense of satiety and have the characteristics of low glycemic index and low glycemic load.

You can use oatmeal to make porridge or cook it with rice in a ratio of 1:4 to make rice for consumption. You can also mix oatmeal and flour, add fruits, nuts, etc., and bake it into small biscuits, desserts, etc. as snacks.

Millet

The content of vitamin E, dietary fiber, potassium and iron is higher than that of rice, and it is rich in carotene and more vitamin B2.

Milk millet porridge is nutritious and can be consumed in moderation.

corn

The content of B vitamins, β-carotene and dietary fiber is higher than rice and wheat, and it contains progesterone, zeaxanthin and other plant active substances that are beneficial to health.

Sorghum Rice

It is high in protein, multiple vitamins and minerals, among which vitamin B1, niacin, vitamin B6, iron, etc. all reach more than 20% of the nutrient reference value.

This kind of "rough" food is very suitable for making snacks. People with slightly poor gastrointestinal function can try making some sorghum soup, such as adding a little sorghum rice when cooking white fungus soup or corn soup.

Highland Barley

Naked grain barley from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and β-glucan, and is also known as "one of the grains with the highest β-glucan content in the world." Its composition is also quite special, generally containing 74%-78% amylopectin, which helps maintain intestinal health, regulate blood lipids, and prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

However, highland barley is not easy to cook, so you can soak it for half a day, and then cook porridge or steam rice with rice and other grains.

Buckwheat

The dietary fiber content is much higher than that of refined rice and flour, and it contains the flavonoid rutin, which is beneficial for improving blood lipids and vascular function.

Mix buckwheat flour and white flour in a ratio of 1:4 to make buckwheat steamed bread; or use millet, corn and buckwheat flour together to make multi-grain pancakes.

Job's tears

Compared with rice, it contains higher levels of protein, fat and dietary fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron, etc.). When many people mention coix seeds, the first thing they think of is "dehumidification" and "reducing swelling". In fact, the protein content of coix seeds is considerable, even comparable to meat.

Cooking barley water and barley porridge are both good choices.

Quinoa

The essential amino acid composition is similar to that of milk, and it is rich in phenols, flavonoids, saponins, choline, phytosterols and other plant active substances that help prevent various metabolic diseases.

There are many ways to eat quinoa. It can be steamed or cooked on its own, or mixed with various fruit juices, soy milk, or made into quinoa salad, stir-fried quinoa with seasonal vegetables, etc.