When you are trying to have a healthier lifestyle, most probably, you will search for much healthier foods and ingredients that you can incorporate into your own diet. This is while you are also trying to cut back on the quantity of the junk foods that you would like to consume in any day. One food that you can try in the hope of having a much healthier life is spelt. The health benefits of spelt are so amazing and are all for the betterment of the overall health. If you want to know more about this amazing cereal grain, feel free to give this article a read.
What is Spelt?
This is actually one of the earliest types of cereal grain. Furthermore, it is also a distant cousin of wheat. This cereal has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Usually, it is used as a substitute for white flour or wheat when baking bread. Since the spelt flour has gluten, there is a lesser chance to compromise the natural texture of the baked food. Spelt is much richer in many nutrients like protein, as well as in minerals. This is compared to wheat flour.
Moreover, spelt is one of the foods that are removed from the popular cuisine a century ago. However, it has gained its popularity again. Why? Simply because it is healthy. Because spelt looks new and exhilarating. This is although it is not at all new already. Many people like to try new food, which promises a longer list of benefits for the health.
The good thing is that spelt is a very healthy cereal grain. Even though not eating it won’t upset you, adding this to your diet may provide some amazing effects. If you want to add spelt to your gluten-free diet plan, then it is a no-no, you must remove it in your shopping list. Why? This is because unluckily, spelt is way too closely connected to wheat to be reflected as a gluten-free food. Spelt may still contain some protein, which may cause the various autoimmune response to people with the serious condition, like celiac disease. Conversely, there are some other foods that are free from gluten, just like teff, amaranth, rice, as well as quinoa.
Nutritional Value of Spelt
Aside from it is a very versatile and functional variety of wheat, it is also oozing with so many nutrients, which some other cereals don’t have. Furthermore, it is also high in carbohydrates, but it has also very high levels of protein as well as dietary fiber content, which are quite impressive. On top of all of these important compounds, spelt also has significant levels of folic acid, vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, selenium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, and copper.
Here are a more detailed nutritional fact of spelt:
One cup of cooked spelt has about:
- Calcium: 19 milligrams
- Potassium: 277 milligrams
- Selenium: 8 micrograms
- Zinc: 2 milligrams
- Iron: 3 milligrams
- Copper: 0.4 milligrams
- Magnesium: 95 milligrams
- Phosphorus: 291 milligrams
- Manganese: 2.1 milligrams
- Vitamin E: 0.5 milligrams
- Folate: 25 micrograms
- Vitamin B6: 0.2 milligrams
- Thiamine: 0.2 milligrams
- Niacin: 5 milligrams
- Protein: 11 grams
- Dietary fibre: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 51 grams
- Sodium: 10 milligrams
- Cholesterol: 0
- Fat: 2 grams
- Calories: 246
Health Benefits of Spelt
Here are some of the most amazing health benefits of spelt:
- Helps in controlling diabetes: even though the simple carbohydrates and sugars are known to have a dangerous effect on those who are diabetics. The high dietary fiber content of spelt is beneficial in counteracting these effects. Furthermore, it also helps in regulating the release as well as the breakdown of the sugar into glucose.
- Helps in boosting the immunity: the thiamine content of spelt is beneficial in giving a boost to the immune system. Furthermore, it also helps in stimulating the defensive mechanisms of the body. This is while also easing any psychological anxiety or stress.
- Helps in growth and development: the high levels of phosphorus together with protein makes spelt very significant in the growth and development of new tissues, organs, bones, muscles, and blood vessels.
- Helps in boosting the bone health: the essential minerals in spelt is important in boosting the bone health. These minerals in particular arte beneficial in contributing to the development of bone tissues and by boosting the levels of these minerals, you may be able to prevent osteoporosis and some other bone diseases.
- Helps in improving the blood circulation: the rich levels of copper and iron are significant in boosting the blood circulation. This is actually one of the most astounding health benefits of spelt.
- Helps in controlling the cholesterol levels: the dietary fiber of the spelt is beneficial in lowering the levels of dangerous cholesterol in the body. The dietary fiber may help in interacting with the uptake of cholesterol. Furthermore, it may also inhibit the absorption of cholesterol from various foods.
Truly, spelt is an amazing food that may contribute to the betterment of the health.
