Wheat bran: the benefits and harms of use, composition and calorie

Bran has long been a forgotten product, but at the end of the 20th century they returned to the store shelves again. It was at that moment that nutritionists discovered a connection between eating a product and fighting obesity, and in addition, research showed that the inclusion of bran in the diet helps to improve the condition of the pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, organs of the digestive tract and weakened immunity.

Immediately after the harvest of ripened cereal crops ends, the grain is subjected to technological processing so that it can be used to produce flour. A byproduct of such manipulations is the release of hard husk, as well as the finest dust that appears after the raw material is ground. In essence, this is true bran. Waste is formed from any cereals - wheat, oats, buckwheat, rye and barley, it is a secondary product of their production.

As soon as studies confirmed the exceptional usefulness of this secondary product and revealed a high content of mineral components, vitamins, as well as fatty acids and protein, bran began to be produced on an industrial scale.

The grain entering the elevator is cleaned of debris and unwanted impurities, and then poured with heated water, vigorously stirred, settled, and then re-mixed. At the exit, the powdery part is separated from the husk, then the husk is mixed with grass dust and granulated. To do this, first the mass is purified from metal-magnetic inclusions, then treated with steam heated to 150 degrees. At the final stage, the substrate is granulated and pressed. As a result of such actions, the total weight of the product is reduced by about ten times, however, in this type of bran is much less dust and can be stored longer.

Today, bran is widely represented in supermarkets and pharmacies in any city. They are medium, small or large fraction, loose and granulated, can be sold as an independent product or be an integral part of bakery products and various semi-finished products.

Depending on the variety of cereals, produce wheat, oat, as well as corn, barley, rye and other types of bran, each of which is characterized by its composition and effect on the human body.

Wheat bran includes a fairly large set of vitamins, among which especially high concentration of vitamins B, A and E, as well as nicotinic acid. The product is no less rich in mineral elements - calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Iron, selenium - these are just some of the microelements that are present in the required volume in wheat husk in an easily digestible form.

Barley and oat products contain a lot of soluble coarse fibers, thereby helping to normalize the functioning of the digestive tract, and in addition, reduce the rate of harmful cholesterol in the blood.

But in corn husks a lot of insoluble fiber, so that the tool is quite effective as a preventive measure to prevent the occurrence of tumor processes in the small and large intestines. At the same time, corn husks are quite hard, therefore, in case of an inflamed stomach, the use of the product can often cause pain.

Rice bran is brown rice husk, they accumulate vitamin B, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium in significant concentrations. The product is widely used for the manufacture of crispbread, galettes and the preparation of cereal mixtures and vitamin concentrates.

Rye bran is recognized as a real pantry of vitamins and minerals needed by humans. They are 40% fiber, but they have very little fat.The composition of the husk includes iodine and beneficial fatty acids of the type of omega-3 and -6, - these components have a powerful antioxidant property, helping to slow down the aging process and protect it from the adverse atmospheric effects of the urban environment.

Flax bran less than all the others, contain useful components, but their nutritional value is high - 300 kilocalories, due to which the product creates a feeling of satiety for a long time. In addition, flax husk has proven effectiveness in removing toxins and toxins from the body - a combination of these properties makes the product indispensable when prescribing diets in order to get rid of excess weight.

Amaranth bran is a relatively new product on our shelves, but immediately won over consumers due to the fact that the content of valuable substances in them is 3 times higher than that in wheat products. At the same time, the product is allergenic, so it should be used with great care.

Quite often, manufacturers offer bran with all sorts of additives that have a pronounced therapeutic effect:

• with carrots - assigned to receive with a tendency to colds and inflammations on the surface of the skin;
• with apples - effective for anemia, anemia, and kidney stones and gout;
• with beetroot - help to resist increased pressure and heart palpitations;
• with milk thistle - Recommended for liver diseases;
• with sea kale - facilitate a general condition at dysfunctions of a thyroid gland;
• with Jerusalem artichoke - suitable for diabetes.

Depending on the structure of the product, the bran is divided into granulated and ground.

For many years, bran was considered an absolutely superfluous food product - the outer shells contain high concentrations of fatty acids, which, in fact, degrades the quality of products from whole cereal grains during storage. That is why when grinding its flour they try to completely rid themselves of various unnecessary impurities. All this led to the fact that in the past century, bran has almost completely disappeared from people's lives, because white flour is much more nutritious than whole grains - it consists of starches and carbohydrates in an easily digestible form and contains a balanced composition of BJU.

Bran of similar nutritional value cannot boast, but they play a very significant role in restoring the stock of biologically important substances in the body.

The cereal husks contain much more valuable substances than the grains themselves and the flour that is produced from them.

Coarse shells are considered an indispensable source of energy - 100 g of the product contains 216 kcal, the sugar content is minimal (0.4%), however, the concentration of coarse fibers is several times higher than their content in ordinary grain (45% instead of 11% in grains).

Due to the increased percentage of protein (16%), bran is considered very nutritious and necessary for building muscle and bone tissue.

In comparison with grains, they contain 2-2.5 times more fatty acids (4.5%), while they also have essential components, that is, those that are not produced by the body and can only come with food - they are responsible for cell renewal and growth.

Due to the presence of a large number of nutrients, as well as vitamins, micro and macronutrients, bran is very effective in the complex therapy of various diseases.

Fiber included in their chemical composition is truly indispensable for any person and should certainly be introduced into the diet of adult children.Coarse fibers can stimulate the digestive tract, in the absence of such food there are health problems that affect not only the digestive processes, but also the metabolism in general.

Cellulose, swelling in a liquid medium, literally bursting the intestinal walls from the inside and thereby causes a reverse reaction of the body. The stretched muscles of the organs try to regain their original shape and begin to contract actively - all this improves peristalsis, due to which food moves along the intestines much faster.

For normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, its organs should experience the required load every day - this significantly reduces the risk of developing intestinal atony, constipation and other functional diseases.

Gluten is distinguished by an extremely low nutritional value and is unable to be digested, but on the other hand, it is actively decomposed in the lower intestine, disintegrating into poly and oligosahara. These complex substances become a source of energy, as well as a stimulator of active growth of beneficial microflora. Food enriched with fiber is considered an ideal way to prevent the development of dysbiosis.

Fiber is very effective with high cholesterol, it prevents its excessive absorption, which is why regular inclusion of the product in the menu is necessary for people suffering from ischemic disease, as well as hypertension and other cardiovascular pathologies.

Bran is indispensable for people with endocrine disorders, especially their role in maintaining the normal well-being of people with diabetes. Husk is able to reduce the glycemic index of food and bind excess glucose.

It is known that coarse dietary fibers are recognized as an excellent adsorbent capable of absorbing and removing from the body the dangerous toxins that are formed as a result of the oxidation of food - they effectively save us from heavy metals, free radicals and other products of metabolic processes.

Obviously, bran completely compensates for the lack of an organism in dietary fibers, having a beneficial effect on all processes in organs and tissues.

Traditional medicine uses the product as a powerful immunostimulant to increase vitality and improve the condition of a person after a serious illness. Husk is lightly boiled soft, diluted with honey and eaten in small portions.

And with an unproductive cough, decoction of ordinary bran with burnt sugar is used to accelerate the dilution of sputum and expectoration.

Bran contain large concentrations of minerals and fatty acids, which causes their positive effects on the skin. Bran is often included in home care products - they make masks and scrubs, as well as injected into cosmetic baths.

Despite the exceptional usefulness of the product, its effect on the body can not be called definite, so doctors do not advise too much to get involved in it. It is much more effective to use the husk in small courses with interruptions, making a reception plan with your doctor.

This supplement has a number of serious contraindications, despite the naturalness of its origin. Bran can not be used when:

• the presence of adhesions in the stomach and intestines;
• ulcerative conditions of the digestive tract, as well as erosions and enterocolitis;
• any inflammatory processes in the digestive organs in the acute stage;
• intestinal obstruction.

The use of the product in these situations is fraught with deterioration and exacerbation of the disease.

In addition, the excessive use of fibers in food may be the opposite result, manifested in the form of constipation, unpleasant gas, swelling, and intestinal pain.

In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted, during which phytic acid was found in raw materials, reducing the body's absorption of calcium, iron and magnesium from food, so if the menu contains significant amounts of husks, this can often provoke a deficiency of trace elements the result, the deterioration of the functionality of a variety of systems and internal organs.

However, in fairness it should be noted that this study is not completed, the debate lasts to this day, because it has been proven that phytin is destroyed under the action of high temperatures. It means that it is better to take bran food steamed in water or milk - with this method the husk becomes slightly less harmful.

There is no single information about the norms of product intake per day - some sources indicate different numbers from 15 to 55 grams. This discrepancy is due to the fact that the husk is considered a natural product and the volume of the active component in it may vary depending on the overall composition of the main raw material. In addition, various herbs, sweet fruits, berries, and even artificial flavor enhancers are often added to the bran, because the norm largely depends on the final composition of the product.

If we talk about a pure product, then the majority of doctors agree that the use should be limited to 2 tablespoons 2-3 times a day, and the product should be introduced into the diet very carefully. It should start with one teaspoon, then the dose should be gradually increased so that a couple of weeks to bring its value to the normative. It is extremely important to adhere to the drinking regime. The consumption of bran should be accompanied by the abundant use of liquid, during this period the body should receive at least 2 liters of water daily.

Acceptance of bran in order to lose weight has its own nuances.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding bran can be taken, because this product is completely natural and its reception contributes to the feeling of satiety, preventing overeating, and is also a prevention of constipation, which very often occur in expectant mothers in the third trimester. However, the reception should be strictly metered: during this period, the daily rate of the product is 20-30 g divided by 3-4 reception.

It is impossible to make bran at home only if you have a mini flour mill, but you can cook a lot of different dishes from the finished product.

Most often bran is taken as a separate therapeutic and prophylactic agent. In this case, use two options:

1. the husk is soaked with boiling water and left for half an hour, after which the excess moisture is drained and swollen bran consumed inside;
2. some prefer to eat bran in dry form, but it is important to drink them with at least one glass of liquid.

In addition, the husk is used as a component of a variety of dishes - jelly, minced fish, salads, cereals, meatballs and many other dishes.

Buckwheat cereal with bran is considered the easiest and most common dish. For its preparation, the cereal is boiled and left to languish with oil. At this time, onions are fried in a pan with the addition of bran. These products should have a golden hue. After that, the frying is added to buckwheat, stirred, salted.

For every 100 grams of cereal requires about 250 grams of bran.

Okroshka on yogurt or kefir is a good dietary dish. To cook it, you need a cucumber, boiled egg, a small boiled beet and greens.All ingredients should be chopped into cubes and pour kefir, diluted with water in a 50/50 ratio. To the prepared products add bran, season with salt and sour cream.

A very good alternative to bread can be bran cakes. To prepare such "bread", 100 g of sour cream is heated in a water bath in such a way that it acquires a more liquefied consistency, but does not curl at the same time.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the refined until a good foam appears and both components are mixed, bran and grated cheese are introduced to them, buns are formed and baked.

Methods of cooking bran dishes depends largely on the state of the body. When losing weight bran is minced with raisins and prunes. For constipation, bran is brewed with hot milk and eaten on an empty stomach.

Today, the shelves are truly replete with bran of various species, but not all of them are good for the body. Keep in mind that pure bran does not have a pronounced taste and smell, so to improve the confectionery value of the product, manufacturers everywhere add to it ordinary sugar, salt, various flavor enhancers and flavors, most often artificial.

Preference should be given to products that have the simplest composition - without various additives, which are called "identical to natural". Bran should not contain a large amount of salt, and to solve any specific problems it is worth buying an enriched product, for example, bran with calcium.

As a rule, bran is sold in plastic bags that are packed in paper boxes.

According to reviews, taking a bran can be beneficial for the body only if the product has been selected correctly. There should be absolutely no thickeners and flavors and flavorings. In addition, the stores often sell bran with fruits and berries, however, both physicians and buyers believe that it is better to buy these components separately and make nutritional mixtures according to your taste and discretion. Optimally, if the purchased product contains only bran and nothing else. In addition, there are a number of recommendations.

1. Purchase the product only in the whole package without any visible damage, otherwise there is a high probability that during the storage of the product in the store it will simply dampen.
2. Prefer transparent packaging. Only in this case it will be possible to immediately determine the appearance of the product, to ensure that there is no mold or lumps.
3. High quality bran should not have any smell or have a faint aroma of bread.

Quite often, to simplify the granulation of bran or shape the product, manufacturers often add flour to it, thereby increasing the caloric content of the product, and the presence of coarse fibers, on the contrary, decreases, and unscrupulous manufacturers often “forget” to indicate this additive on the product packaging. In this case, you can focus on the caloric content of the composition. Optimally, it is 216 kcal per 100 g of the finished product. If it is higher, this is a direct indication of the presence of flour in the recipe. In addition, many do not indicate calorie, therefore, in order not to be deceived by the buyer, you should purchase only loose bran.

On the use of wheat bran for health, beauty and harmony, see the following video.