Rye, both in seeds and in flour, is a product that is in high demand today, mainly because of its health benefits. Today we want to review everything that is currently known about rye, including the benefits that everyone raves about 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 climatic conditions. Its spike is longer than that of wheat and its roots make it capable of surviving in extreme conditions.
Rye has different varieties, and among the most famous and cultivated are Gigantón, 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 grain rye
This is because whole grains retain all their parts of the grain, which are the bran, endosperm, and germ. When it is not 100% integral, 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 the carbohydrates reside. By losing the bran, great minerals and vitamins are lost, as well as fiber.
Spanish legislation allows a food to be classified as integral, even if it only has a minimum of 5% of integral flour or integral cereals. This is why, as claims, many food companies use the word "integral" to attract more sales.
To make matters worse, the food industry offers whole foods, when they really are not, since they use the bran to dye breads and doughs brown and thus make 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 grain cereals (at least 90% minimum 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 tremors, muscle spasms, hearing problems, headache, irritability, weakness, mood swings, insomnia, depression, loss of appetite, etc.
All this is what 100 grams of rye gives 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 also has important vitamins and minerals. For example, we have vitamin A, K, B1, B3, B5 and B9. On the other hand, there are 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 just 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
One of the best benefits of this cereal is its cleaning and unclogging properties of arteries. By consuming this cereal regularly we manage to eliminate toxins from our body, cleanse the blood and prevent plaque buildup 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 hydrates, it will make us take longer to be hungry and therefore snacking between meals is drastically reduced.
Its good fiber content will regulate our intestinal transit by 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 with some regularity.
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 that this cereal contains helps digestion, avoiding excess gases that are produced, reducing possible stomach pains, as well as abdominal distension.
Also, this fiber helps reduce the chances of suffering from 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 ones do not create those dangerous imbalances for diabetics. This is why rye bread is suitable for diabetics. Even so, it is advisable to consult with the doctor who closely monitors 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 grain.
An excess of rye can cause 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 no salt, and some, which are ultra-processed, have large amounts of salt. That is why its consumption is not recommended for people with hypertension.