Since childhood, we have been taught that porridge is power. If we don’t eat porridge, we won’t grow up, and there is no health without porridge. And so on. But is this the case? Is porridge a healthy food? Of course, but in reality, everything is not so simple. And some types of porridge are very actually harmful to us. At the same time, some others are useful to us. How to understand all this, we will find out in this article.
The harm and benefits of porridge for health
First, I will express a thought that is very important for understanding. There are no perfect foods in nature. There are no foods that are useful in all respects and do not have any disadvantages. At the same time, there is no ideal evil. That is, there are no such foods that only bring harm and no benefit. Everything is quite complicated and relative. And so some foods have more pluses than minuses, and some on the contrary-more minuses than pluses. And in this article, we will analyze which cereals have more advantages and which grains have more disadvantages.
1. Glycemic Index
And here we turn to our first drawback – this is the level of sugar in the blood and, in fact, the glycemic index of cereals. As a rule, most types of porridge have a fairly high glycemic index. In some species, it is even higher than that of sugar itself. But think about a simple thing. If some types of porridge have an even higher glycemic index than sugar, it means that these porridges are more harmful than sugar itself.
Well. It is worth saying that such cereals as:
- semolina
- corn
- rice
They have a very high glycemic index. That is, it contributes to a substantial increase in blood sugar levels. And it is known that high sugar correlates with premature aging, deterioration of the quality of life. And in general, foods with a high glycemic index are pro-inflammatory. That is, they provoke permanent micro-inflammation. Well, this is one of the main mechanisms of our aging and bodywear: we eat more sugar or any other foods with a high glycemic index-we age faster, get sick more often. So, from the point of view of the glycemic index, as I said, the most undesirable cereals are corn, semolina, and rice, but the most desirable ones, where the glycemic index is lower, are:
- barley porridge
- pea porridge
- buckwheat porridge
However, it is worth saying that the glycemic index, not that very low, just relative to other cereals. It is low. But it is worth understanding that, in general, all grains are carbohydrates. But by the way, the glycemic index very much depends on how we prepare porridge.
The Importance of Cooking
For example, it is banal, and we add sugar or not. Very often, sugar is added to the porridge. Of course, this increases the glycemic index. But if we add butter to the porridge, it is known that by adding fats to our diet, the glycemic index will decrease.
We can also cook porridge in different ways. We can cook it well so that it is all boiled and was straight soft. Then, too, the glycemic index will increase. Because this food will be much easier to break down the stomach and assimilate the intestines, the same energy will enter the blood faster.
Or we can barely not finish it. To eat buckwheat which is well, not quite soft, well, such, slightly challenging. as in pasta there is “al dente,” here to make such buckwheat “al dente” then the glycemic index will be lower.
And another exciting feature is: if we cook porridge with milk. Porridge cooked in milk has a higher glycemic index.
2. Gluten
Go ahead. The next thing you need to know is gluten. Some hype and mania around gluten just covered the whole world. Many people struggle with it, and many refuse it. And yes, it is proven that about 1-2% of the world’s population has very serious gluten intolerance. These people are not allowed to eat gluten. the remaining 98% can consume gluten. It does not lead to some sharp and obvious effects.
But there is one thing here. The fact is that the allergy is as open (obvious), hidden, and invisible to a person. And so, we may not know how many of these people who usually tolerate gluten have a hidden allergy. And an imperceptible gluten intolerance for the person himself. so the leaders in gluten content are:
- Spelt
- Barley
- Roche
And is it possible to somehow still understand if I have this most insidious hidden gluten intolerance? The test is very simple. Eliminate gluten from your diet for two weeks. And look at your feelings very often. It happens that people feel better. People suddenly have somehow more digestive energy working better. In the stomach, it is somehow more comfortable, and this can also affect the emotional sphere. While for many other people, no changes occur. And so here you can make a simple conclusion. for two weeks, try to give up gluten; it will get better, so give it up for the rest of your life, and you will live happily ever after. And if nothing changes for you, then it means that your body perfectly copes with gluten and, in principle, you can not impose such restrictions on yourself.
To find out more:
Gluten: How it develops and who should avoid it?
3. Semolina Porridge
Separately, we should say about semolina porridge. Since childhood, we were taught that semolina is almost the goddess of all cereals. So this is empty food. It’s like eating a bowl of sugar. There is no use in it. The glycemic index is high, with no vitamins and minerals. also, semolina porridge will prevent our body from absorbing such valuable substances as:
- vitamin d
- iron
- calcium
So there is nothing but naked energy there. Well, of course, we also need energy; everything is clear here. We have to live, and we have to move, and so on. But we don’t eat sugar for breakfast. Because we understand that these are naked calories and nothing else, the same can practically be said about semolina porridge.
4. Rice Porridge
It should be said that ground rice is generally speaking not healthy food. Processed rice is not a source of vitamins and minerals. It’s just a source of calories with a high glycemic index. Moreover, everyone knows the strengthening properties of rice and the foods made from it.
Yes, rice strengthens and greatly inhibits the motility of our intestines, which isn’t great. Generally speaking, of all food products, rice is the champion for fasteners. It attaches the most. And congestion in the intestines is a highly undesirable thing. Because if we rarely go to the toilet for a long time, food gets stuck in the intestines, then it can even begin to ferment and rot there. And this is fraught with intestinal diseases up to oncology. Therefore, of course, the intestines should work like clockwork. It should be in good shape, it should have a powerful dynamic motor skill, and it is not necessary to fix it with rice.
Bottom line
So, let’s summarize all of the above a little and determine which cereals are better to exclude from the diet and which are better to include in it.
perhaps the most undesirable types are:
- rice porridge
- corn porridge
- semolina porridge
- barley porridge
- spelt porridge
Since these are just sources of fast carbohydrates that do not carry beneficial substances, some of them even negatively affect the work of our intestines.
What cereals are useful and which should be included in the diet? this:
- Barley porridge
- Pea porridge
- Buckwheat porridge
Speaking of Barley and pea peas, the glycemic index is particularly low. It is in the region of 20-30 points. Buckwheat has a higher glycemic index, 50. but this is still considered a moderate and acceptable indicator.
And from myself, I will add that my personal choice is buckwheat porridge. I eat it every day, and I think it is one of the most valuable foods on our stores’ shelves.
By the way, friends, write in the comments and what kind of porridge do you eat? Or maybe you don’t eat any porridge at all? Share and write. It will be interesting.