Rye, both in seeds and flour, is a highly sought-after product today, mainly for its health benefits. Today we want to review everything that is currently known about rye, including the benefits that everyone boasts and its main contraindications, since it is a cereal that not all of us can eat.
Rye has become popular in recent months, and we are not surprised, since it is a very important cereal in our diet due to its nutritional value.
This cereal belongs to the same family as wheat, although its cultivation is more resistant to weather conditions. Its spike is longer than that of wheat and its roots make it able to survive in extreme conditions.
Rye has different varieties, and among the most famous and cultivated are the Gigantón, the Galma and the one known as Petkus, which is very characteristic in Germany and has a shorter spike than traditional rye.
This cereal is typical of central and northern Europe and has been cultivated for centuries as a reference cereal, in fact, there is evidence that rye was used on the edges of wheat fields and also in the middle to protect the wheat from inclement weather.
Rye is considered a more ecological cereal than the rest due to its hardness and strength, since with less care and fewer resources very generous harvests are achieved. Without forgetting that it is a very nutritious cereal, as we will see below.
Choose 100% whole rye
This is because whole grains retain all of their parts of the grain, which are the bran, the endosperm, and the germ. When it is not 100% whole, it means that it is refined and that, in turn, means that it has lost a large part of its parts, leaving only the part where carbohydrates reside. By losing the bran, you lose great minerals and vitamins, as well as fiber.
Spanish legislation allows a food to be classified as whole, even if it only has at least 5% of whole wheat flour or whole grains. This is why, as claims, many food companies use the word “integral” to capture more sales.
To make matters worse, the food industry offers whole foods, when they really are not, since they use bran to brown bread and doughs and thus make people believe that it is 100% whole. Before adding to the cart, it is best to read the label and if it is not 100% whole wheat flour or 100% whole grains (at least 90% at least in both cases), it is best to choose another product.
Nutritional values
This brown cereal has a very interesting nutritional table, in fact, you have to be careful not to consume more than 80 grams a day, since 100 grams of rye contain an excess of manganese. Taking a lot of this mineral would cause us tremors, muscle spasms, hearing problems, headaches, irritability, weakness, changes in mood, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, etc.
All this is what 100 grams of rye provide us: 338 kilocalories, 1.63 grams of fat, 75.9 grams of carbohydrates, 14.8 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber and no cholesterol.
Rye not only has this nutritional information, but it also has important vitamins and minerals. For example, we have vitamins A, K, B1, B3, B5, and B9. On the other hand, there are the minerals and they are manganese that provides almost 130% of what an adult needs per day, iron, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
Rye benefits
We are already getting to know rye more closely, and we only need to see its benefits and the contraindications of its daily consumption. Regarding its benefits, these are given thanks to the proteins, vitamins and minerals that make up this peculiar cereal.
Helps cleanse the body
Of the best benefits of this cereal are its cleaning properties and unclogging arteries. By consuming this cereal regularly we manage to eliminate toxins from our body, cleanse the blood and prevent the accumulation of plaque in veins and arteries.
In short, we improve our health, even reducing the chances of heart disease and stroke. According to some studies, it could also reduce the appearance of some types of cancers.
Satiety and weight loss
Rye is a very satiating food, so it is linked to weight loss. As they are slowly absorbed carbohydrates, it will make us feel hungry longer and therefore snacking between meals is drastically reduced.
Its good fiber content will regulate our intestinal transit, cleaning the body and evacuating waste, therefore, it also helps weight loss. Without forgetting that it is a low-fat food, that also helps us lose weight if we eat it regularly.
Rich in fiber
Rye is rich in fiber and that, in turn, not only prevents constipation by regulating intestinal transit, but also helps reduce blood sugar levels. Likewise, the fiber contained in this cereal helps digestion, avoiding excess gases that are produced, reducing possible stomach pains, as well as abdominal distention.
Also, this fiber helps reduce the chances of kidney stone , since it reduces the amount of bile acid that is produced, stomach ulcers, apart from colon cancer.
Suitable for diabetics
Rye is made up of large molecules that break down slowly, unlike wheat, which are molecules that break down sugar quickly. This is very important for diabetics.
Fast-absorbing carbohydrates create blood glucose spikes, however slow-absorbing carbohydrates do not create these dangerous imbalances for people with diabetes . This is why rye bread is suitable for diabetics. Even so, they should consult with the doctor who is closely monitoring our case, since it could be that it is incompatible with our diet or our health.
Contraindications
Despite its benefits, rye is also surrounded by drawbacks. For example, it is a cereal with gluten, so celiacs cannot eat it. Another drawback is eating low-quality rye, since it is usually mixed with other cereals and in the end it is a high-fat food, so it is important that it be 100% whole.
An excess of rye can have the opposite effect, that is, instead of promoting good digestive health, it can cause painful gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach pain, etc.
If we have hypertension, the vast majority of products made with rye have n salt, and some, which are ultra-processed, have large amounts of salt. That is why its consumption is not recommended for people with hypertension.
