Triticale – have you ever heard of, seen or tried it before? Well, triticale actually comes from breeding rye and wheat together. Commonly used in cereals, it is oozing with essential nutrients which give it the ability to strengthen bones, reduce various skin illnesses, protect against asthma, increase blood circulation, manage and prevent diabetes, protect infants, improve energy levels, speed up healing, increase the metabolism, boost heart health and improve digestion. Now you can see how there is more to triticale than meets the eyes! Read this article to learn all about it!
Triticale: What Is It?
Food science has been a significant field of science for many years now. One of the most interesting developments from this particular field came in the late 19th century, when researchers crossbred rye and wheat together, two of the most important grain and cereal staple foods in the world. The outcome of this breeding? Triticale. This outcome was actually nothing short of remarkable, as the scientists’ primary intention was actually just to get the high quality and yield of wheat with the unique nutritional value and disease tolerance of rye. What they actually discovered was that triticale has much higher levels of minerals and vitamins than either of the 2 contributing species. This is what makes it an ideal nutritional foraging food for livestock.
However, it has recently become a well-loved health food for humans, due to its ample amount of essential nutrients. You can usually find triticale in health cereals, but it may also be available in various other forms such as flour, crackers, flakes, bread, cereals or as whole berries. Triticale is complicated to produce, so only about 29 countries go through the harvesting process. Among those leading triticale production are Germany, Australia, Poland and France.
Triticale is not commonly used or grown as part of commercial crops for food production, instead serving as a provender crop for many animal species all over the world. Various feeding experiments on animals indicate that it’s more consumable, which only increased its popularity.
Nutritional Facts of Triticale
This hybrid cereal option is more than just the product of a scientific experiment; it actually boasts a much higher content of dietary fiber, minerals and protein than both wheat and rye. This is what makes it a multipurpose super cereal. Furthermore, triticale is also a rich source of magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese, as well as various essential vitamins, including huge quantities of the whole B complex vitamins family and vitamin E.
Health Benefits of Triticale
Here are some of the most surprising health benefits of triticale:
- Helps prevent neural tube defects. The significant levels of folate in the body are essential for pregnant mothers, as folate helps protect their child from neural birth defects. Folic acid deficiency may be prevented by foods like triticale.
- Helps relieve asthma. There are high levels of manganese in triticale. A powerful mineral, manganese serves many functions when it comes to health. It has the capacity to reduce oxidative stress in the body, including asthma and some skin conditions.
- Helps boost bone health Triticale is a very impressive source of minerals, a lot of which play a significant role in tissue production. Manganese, calcium, phosphorus and zinc are all essential parts of body strength and bone production.
- Helps increase cells There is a high level of protein in triticale, which may increase cell production all over the body. It also may optimize enzymatic and metabolic processes and increase the efficiency of general bodily functions. This is one of the best health benefits of triticale.
- Increases red blood cells Red blood cells are essential for human health, as they deliver oxygen to various parts of the body, including the muscle tissues, skin cells and important organ systems.
- Improves digestion. There is a lot of dietary fiber in triticale, which makes it very powerful in digestion. Dietary fiber helps by bulking up the stools, passing food through the digestive area faster and speeding up excretion and absorption.
Possible Side Effects of Triticale
Triticale, just like rye and wheat, has high levels of gluten. Therefore, those who suffer from allergies or a glucose intolerance like Celiac disease must avoid consuming triticale. Instead, they should try other non-gluten health cereals, as they will not cause any severe allergic reactions or gastrointestinal troubles.
