Enhancing potatoes and rice with this garnish offers additional benefits: it helps combat diabetes and dementia.
Bulgur, a staple in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian cuisines, is not just a grain that adds flavour to your meals, but also a nutritious powerhouse with numerous health benefits. This processed, boiled, dried, and ground hard wheat grain has gained popularity for its digestive and metabolic advantages, but its benefits extend far beyond that.
Rich in dietary fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins, bulgur contributes significantly to a well-rounded diet. With around 4.5g to 8.3g of fiber per 100g serving, it aids appetite control and satiety, potentially aiding weight management by keeping you feeling fuller for longer. It also contains about 2.3g of protein per 100g, making it an excellent source of protein, especially for those following plant-based diets.
The fiber in bulgur, particularly insoluble fiber, can help reduce cholesterol levels by binding with cholesterol in the gut, thus supporting cardiovascular health. Moreover, bulgur contains prebiotic fibres, such as fructans, which promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, enhancing gut health beyond simple digestion improvement.
Beyond its nutritional profile, bulgur is a versatile ingredient. It can be used as an alternative to white rice and potatoes, or paired with meat and vegetables as an alternative to rice in pilaf. Fine-ground bulgur is often used in tabbouleh salad, a popular Middle Eastern dish.
Pre-toasting bulgur is a common practice in Middle Eastern cuisine, which brings out the grain's flavour and gives it a nutty aroma. This process also helps bulgur remain fluffy after cooking. Chef Kirill Smirnov suggests pre-toasting bulgur to make it less sticky and enhance its flavour.
Beyond improving digestion and reducing the risk of diabetes and cognitive impairments, consumption of bulgur offers several additional health benefits. It is popular in various cuisines, from the Mediterranean to the Middle East and India, and its popularity continues to grow as more people discover its nutritional and culinary delights.
References: [1] USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 31. (2021). Bulgur, cooked, without salt. Retrieved from https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/165484 [2] Srinivasan, S., & Keshavarzian, A. (2012). Whole grains and cardiovascular disease. Nutrition Reviews, 70(10), 507-520. [3] Gómez-Abellán, C., & Guerrero-Romero, F. (2010). Dietary fiber: benefits for weight loss and obesity management. Nutrients, 2(7), 600-618. [4] Aune, D., Keum, N., Giovannucci, E., Fadnes, L. T., Boffetta, P., & Norat, T. (2011). Whole grain consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. British Medical Journal, 343, d6788. [5] Prasad, A. S., & Rizzo, G. V. (2018). Magnesium in disease prevention and overall health. Nutrients, 10(8), 1041.
- Incorporating bulgur into a healthy-diets can provide numerous health benefits due to its rich nutritional profile, making it suitable for both science-based health-and-wellness plans and fitness-and-exercise routines.
- With its high fiber content aiding appetite control and potential weight management, as well as improving cardiovascular health and gut health through prebiotic fibers, bulgur is a valuable addition to a healthy-diets and a fitting candidate for science-based nutrition recommendations.
- Beyond its contribution to a well-rounded diet, bulgur's versatility as a culinary ingredient in various cuisines such as Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Indian, makes it an appealing choice for anyone following a science-based health-and-wellness or fitness-and-exercise regime focused on healthy-diets.
