In addition to promoting intestinal transit and combating constipation, granola is rich in fiber. See other benefits of the food.
When was the last time you ate granola? If you couldn’t remember, it’s time to bring the ingredient back into your life. Above all, it is great for intestinal transit, due to being rich in fiber.
Furthermore, we can list several other advantages. It, for example, helps in the process of gaining muscle mass, improves the appearance of the skin and increases energy and willingness for routine activities.
It can be taken with yogurt, milk, fruit juice or vitamins. It can also be included in weight loss diets. A 20-gram serving, which corresponds to one and a half tablespoons of granola, has 94 calories.
Origin of granola
Have you heard of WK Kellogg? Although he is not well known in Brazil, he is responsible for creating the corn breakfast cereal. Furthermore, he is also the creator of the commercial term granola. This occurred at the beginning of the 20th century.
Its original formula, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, consisted of a mixture of wheat, oats and corn flour. The food is still one of the most consumed by Americans for breakfast. It is also common on Brazilian tables.
Granola composition
Firstly, in general, granola is a nutritious food that offers a lot of energy. Because it is dry, granola can be easily transported and remains fresh for a long time if stored in a moisture-free place.
Despite this, you need to keep an eye on the composition of the granola you are buying. Granola made with oats and other cereals has a high concentration of fiber and iron while nuts and seeds contain proteins and unsaturated fats.
It turns out that these benefits can be combined with high calorie content, unhealthy fats and a lot of sugar disguised in the recipe. Therefore, it is interesting to look at the composition of the granola before buying it.
How to evaluate the composition of granola
1 – First, evaluate the amount of sugar. It cannot exceed eight grams per serving. Corn syrup, sugar cane juice, molasses, rice or oat syrup are all variations of sugar, so be careful.
2 – Count the calories, as it should not contain more than 400 calories for every 30 grams.
3 – Cut out extra fats. Do not let the amount of fat exceed 2 to 3 grams for every 30 grams of product.
4 – Do not consume varieties high in saturated fat.
5 – Finally, be careful with “false ingredients, inserted just to increase volume. Healthy granola should contain simple, well-known ingredients.
8 main benefits of granola
1 – Lose weight
Firstly, the high fiber content helps maintain a feeling of satiety by slowing down the digestion process. Therefore, it is a great ally for weight loss.
2 – Drop in cholesterol
Above all, the soluble fibers found in oats help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the arteries. Therefore, they bind to bile acids and together they break down fat molecules, reducing them and allowing them to pass through the digestive tract and be removed from the body.
3 – Vital energy
Above all, granola helps improve metabolism, leading to efficient energy consumption. Granola contains almost all the essential minerals for our health: Magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium and is perfect for helping those who exercise.
4 – Lowers blood pressure levels
Basically, high blood pressure implies a greater risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Whole grains, such as oats, for example, can lower blood pressure because they contain a high concentration of potassium and little sodium. Therefore, granola is great for lowering blood pressure levels.
5 – Good for skin and hair
Vitamin E, present in granola, prevents the skin from premature aging and strengthens the hair. Vitamin E also improves heart health, which increases the efficiency of blood supply to the ends of hair follicles and nails, improving their health and appearance.
6 – Control diabetes
Of course, diabetic patients can also consume granola in moderate quantities and benefit from its properties. This is because, due to the high concentration of manganese, granola can even function as a blood sugar level regulator through its ability to stimulate or inhibit the release of insulin.
7 – Cancer prevention
Whole grains, nuts and seeds, above all, should be part of our diet because they are rich in fiber, vitamin B and phytochemicals that help keep our cells healthy to fight cancer and other diseases.
Manganese, also highly concentrated in granola, has antioxidant properties. In other words, they help the body get rid of free radicals, responsible for causing mutations in the DNA of healthy cells, transforming them into cancerous cells.
8 – Helps with heart health
Fiber, in fact, can improve heart health because it removes bad cholesterol from the arteries, as well as other fats that lead to heart diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
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Source: Tua Saúde Mundo Boa Forma
Featured image: Priscila Di Ciero
