The benefits and harm of jelly

Kissel is considered an age-old Russian dish, which has no specific analogues in the whole world.In childhood, many of us adored this unusual drink for its pleasant sweet taste, and some could dislike it because of its peculiar consistency. However, no one would argue with the fact that jelly has a unique chemical composition and properties.

Today it is very difficult to talk about some kind of jelly standard. The fact is that this drink is not so new. Initially, it was impossible to relate specifically to desserts or drinks, as it was prepared on the basis of cereals, digested in water or milk. It turned out a dish that had an unusual texture and at the same time retained a lot of useful qualities. A little later, the composition of the jelly changed. They began to add berries, and then also sugar or starch to achieve a more dense and uniform structure.

Thus, the composition of the jelly varies depending on exactly how to prepare it and what specific ingredients to use. As a rule, only two components remain unchanged - sugar and starch. Sugar, however, can be excluded in various cereal-based kissel diet recipes, and starch is added only if it is necessary to increase the thickness of the drink, therefore both of these ingredients are not strictly necessary at all. Due to this variety of composition this dish can be as useful and acceptable for everyone.

To make a conclusion about the chemical composition of jelly is much easier if we talk about modern products: jelly in briquettes. These are dry concentrates, as a rule, made from natural ingredients, with the help of which you can easily prepare a tasty drink at home without much effort and time. So, the usual kissel, as a rule, contains several components.

• Lecithins. These substances are quite unique and are required by our body for the normal regulation of cholesterol levels. Thanks to lecithin, jelly very often appears among the recipes for weight loss.
• Lysine These are amino acids, which are indispensable for the human body, which are quite rare in everyday foods. They are used for active regeneration and growth of cells, and also take an active part in the creation of hormones and enzymes.
• Choline. These are substances that support the level of insulin in the blood that is acceptable to the body. This is quite an important component for each of us, and especially for patients with diabetes. In addition, choline well stimulate the activity of the central nervous system.
• Methionine. This component also helps regulate the balance of cholesterol in the body. However, compared to lecithins, it has a slightly different mechanism of action, since it additionally stimulates the liver.

Also this unusual drink contains a huge amount of various vitamins, among which the most valuable are the following:

• B1 in the form of thiamine is indispensable for normal functioning of the nervous system, including the brain;
• B2 or riboflavin is an important element for life, which normalizes metabolic processes, and also actively influences the work of immunity;
• B5, known as Pantothenic Acid, quickly restores the outer surfaces of mucous membranes, protects them, and is also used by the body to create certain enzymes and essential fatty acids;
• vitamin PP or niacin can significantly reduce the concentration of "harmful" cholesterol, improves blood clotting, and mental activity;
• Many fruit and berry kissels contain a sufficient amount of vitamins C and E, which can significantly strengthen the natural immunity.

In addition to useful bioactive substances and vitamins, any jelly contains trace elements, the set and concentration of which can vary depending on the main ingredients of the drink. As a rule, they include potassium, indispensable for the active work of the heart muscle, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium and many other elements. At the same time jelly is not the most high-calorie product. On average, a brewed beverage consists of 75–80% water. If this dish is on fruit or berry basis, then its caloric content per 100 grams will be approximately 53 kcal. Of course, these figures may vary depending on the type of jelly. For example, the energy value of jelly, cooked in whole milk, is much higher - 120 kcal. In the finished dish there are practically no proteins and fats, approximately 20% of its composition are pure carbohydrates.

As it turned out, jelly is a truly unique dish. He has not only a special composition and taste, but also a big role is played by the specificity of its preparation and, of course, the consistency of the finished drink. A lot is known today about the beneficial and even healing properties of jelly. Of course, some of the qualities may vary depending on the ingredients used in the preparation process. but most of them are peculiar to all kissels without exception:

• thanks to its “mucous” structure, kissel, getting into the esophagus and stomach, creates the most comfortable conditions inside these organs; it coats the walls of the lower part of the esophagus and stomach, thereby reducing the risk of irritation, which is especially useful for frequent gastritis and allows you to quickly get rid of heartburn;
• it is proved that jelly helps to reduce inflammation in the intestines and forms in it an environment most suitable for the natural microflora, which must be restored after dysbacteriosis;
• helps to maintain the overall condition of the body in the right tone, for example, honey kissel is often recommended as a simple, useful, harmless and highly effective "energy";
• helps to remove excess fluid from the body, which is useful for edema of different origin, while jelly significantly reduces the load on the kidneys and even helps to maintain their excretory function;

• starch and riboflavin, which are invariably present in the composition of any kissel, normalize all metabolic processes in the body, as a result, the necessary components are easier to digest, and everything that is superfluous is more rapidly excreted by natural means;
• contains a sufficient amount of potassium, which is actively used as an energy source for the work of the heart muscle;
• allows you to quickly restore normal acid-base balance in the stomach, which is especially important in the case of peptic ulcers or exacerbation of gastritis;
• puts hormonal balance in order, which women can especially appreciate during periods of pregnancy or menopause;
• stimulates the central nervous system, strengthens neural connections, improves memory, concentration, thinking;

• significantly reduces the concentration of cholesterol in the blood and helps to normalize its absorption in the body; Kissel is one of the most useful and popular dietary desserts with low calorie content, but with a fairly good nutritional value;
• most berry and fruit jelly, especially cranberry, contain natural aspirin, so that during periods of colds, this dish is also a good antipyretic agent;
• has an anti-inflammatory effect on mucous membranes;
• oatmeal or barley kissel is considered especially useful for men, since they contribute to the work of the male genital glands, strengthen the potency, prevent the development of inflammatory diseases of the prostate gland, and are also the simplest aphrodisiac;
• buckwheat jelly is especially known as “cleansing” from slags; In general, any kissel contributes to the accelerated elimination of toxins and unnecessary components of food consumed, moreover, reducing cholesterol deposits.

The main feature of the jelly is that its properties can change dramatically depending on the method of preparation. Because of this, there are many recipes and recommendations in which this unusual dish is used almost as a medicine for a particular disease. For pancreatitis, for example, it is best to choose oatmeal kissel. It will be most useful for the pancreas and liver. In addition, he can provide the necessary calming and anti-inflammatory effects.

In acute diseases of the pancreas, it is recommended to use the drink within 3-4 days after the onset of the first symptoms. It is necessary to cook oatmeal pudding on the water without any additives. It is also important to drink it freshly prepared, but not cold or hot, but rather warm. If we are talking about a chronic course of pancreatitis, then it is possible, and, of course, you need to regularly use oatmeal kissel with the addition of fruits, berries or honey.

Preparing homemade oatmeal kissel for the treatment of pancreatitis is quite simple by performing the following algorithm:

1. 1 cup of oat flakes "Hercules" pour 1.5 cups of warm water and leave for a day;
2. strain the mixture thoroughly, squeeze it out, and then boil it in water or milk, after adding salt to taste;
3. during cooking, the kissel must be stirred frequently and constantly checked when it begins to thicken;
4. remove from the stove, add a little butter, mix well and pour into molds;
5. In warm jelly before use, you can add a little honey or fresh berries, fruit.

With cholecystitis, fresh home-made ashberry jelly is most effective. The fact that rowan has a good choleretic property. In addition, it stimulates the normal functioning of the liver, has a mild laxative effect and generally normalizes the work of the entire digestive system. To prepare rowan kissel, you should follow these steps:

1. 2 cups boiled water pour into a saucepan and put on fire;
2. pour a few tablespoons of dried rowan berries into boiling water; the more of them, the richer the taste will be, but do not forget that it should be a drink, and not porridge;
3. keep on low heat and cook for at least 10 minutes;
4. strain, stirring carefully with a spoon, add starch, previously diluted in water, to the drink;
5. when the jelly starts to thicken, add some sugar or honey to taste.

Diarrhea and constipation are also easily treated with jelly. Virtually any of these drinks are weak or strong, depending on what it was made of. In this case, you have a huge selection to your liking, but rice jelly is considered the best.The fact is that it not only has a direct effect on the intestines, but normalizes its motility in the right direction, so that it is ideal for both constipation and diarrhea. You can cook jelly on your own at home, using the following recipe:

1. take half a cup of rice, rinse thoroughly, then fill with boiled water and leave to infuse overnight;
2. in the morning you should drain the water, squeeze the rice, put it in a saucepan and pour about 2.5 liters of water;
3. put the pan on the fire and cook for at least 1–2 hours, stirring often, until the rice boils down completely, do not cover the pan with the lid - the excess liquid must evaporate freely;
4. ready-made mixture, which should be rather thick, can be removed from the stove, cooled slightly and further crushed in a blender to achieve a uniform consistency;
5. In warm jelly, you can optionally add a little sugar or salt.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are also not a contraindication to the use of kissel, however, as well as children's age. Moreover, this drink helps pregnant women to avoid toxicosis, restores normal hormonal balance, contains all the vitamins necessary for mother and child, helps to strengthen the immune system, as well as get rid of edema in late pregnancy. If a woman is breastfeeding, with the help of jelly, she can improve the quality of breast milk and help the baby get stronger faster. Vitamins, amino acids and minerals contained in this drink will accelerate the processes of formation of the immune protection of the baby, as well as facilitate the formation of all the necessary enzymes and hormones. Kissel can be given to a child already from six months. It is best to start with a more liquid version of the drink, and after ten months to cook more dense.

It can not be said that any jelly is harmful to the human body. However, there are a number of contraindications in which the use of this drink can really aggravate the disease or simply harm your health. Doctors recommend refraining from treatment with homemade jelly in such cases as:

• obvious overweight, which is accompanied by a high glycemic index - Kissels contain too much carbohydrate, so you should consult about your diet with your doctor;
• in case of diabetes, caution should also be exercised, but jelly based on regular oatmeal without sugar is considered completely safe in this case;
• You should not try to treat constipation with kissel, which is accompanied by a long-term delay of healing or complete loss of intestinal tone; the fact is that the starch in the composition of the dish can only aggravate the situation, it is best to immediately consult with your doctor;
• the presence of food allergies to any of the components of the drink;
• exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease is also quite a serious condition; Kissel cooked on the basis of sour berries or fruits, can cause terrible complications, because there is a risk of increased acidity in the stomach.

The benefits and harms of jelly, see the following video.