Eating right: bran for health and beauty

Bran is a by-product of flour production. This is a shell that envelops the grain, protects it from external influences, and accumulates useful nutrients and vitamins.

The specificity of bran depends on the grain from which the product was isolated (buckwheat, rice, millet, barley). The product is classified not only by grain, but also by the degree of grinding of the bran: coarse (large, reminiscent of whole grain flakes) and fine (small, similar to flattened and ground grain).

Nutritional value of the ingredient

Initially, the bran was separated from the grain in order to increase the shelf life and preserve the taste of the flour. Excessive amounts of bran, due to the high content of fatty acids, impart bitterness to the grain and reduce its digestibility. A small amount of the hard shell of the grain provides the exact opposite effect: the taste becomes richer and “breadier”, intestinal motility improves, and satiety occurs faster and better.

Content:

• Nutritional value of the ingredient
• Beneficial features
• Chemical composition
• Use in cooking
• Side effects and contraindications

Brief historical background

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the hard shell of grain was completely excluded from the diet of the then Europe. Bran was considered a cheap waste by-product, which the milling industry dumped and burned in tons. By that time, scientists had already acquired some equipment, carefully studied the composition of bran and recognized its high nutritional value.

The end of the twentieth century was marked by a return to origins. Grains are no longer meticulously cleaned, thereby depriving them of beneficial vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Oat bran was the first to return to the diet. They were recognized as a valuable source of dietary fiber, they began to be added to ready-made breakfasts, introduced into low-calorie diets, and added to nutrition programs for those who were trying to lose the hated pounds. A similar practice can still be observed today: bran is popular among vegetarians, adherents of proper nutrition, athletes and those losing weight.

Nutritionists support the desire of the masses for rational nutrition. Fashion trends classify bran as a “superfood” (plant products enriched with vitamins and nutrients) and introduce everyone to good eating habits.

Options

On bran and water

Duration: no more than 3 days. A strict diet that is difficult to maintain. Daily consumption of the main product is 2 teaspoons. One in the morning, the second in the evening. For breakfast, the grain is steamed with a glass of boiling water and eaten after 20 minutes. For lunch, pour a glass of low-fat kefir + you can consume 400 ml of any liquid dish. It can be puree soup, broth, smoothie or cocktail. For dinner, 400 ml of liquid dish is repeated.

On oat bran

They contain the maximum amount of fiber, so experts recommend choosing this type of cereal for weight loss. In 2 weeks, the level of bad cholesterol decreases by 8%. They are an excellent ingredient for porridges and flatbreads. Calorie content - 236 kcal.

On rye bran

Rye bran is good for the diet because it tastes good, unlike other grains. They can be added to any dish, but it is best to make dietary bread from them. Calorie content is 221 kcal.

On bran and kefir

It is recommended to eat 3 teaspoons of grain before going to bed, first pouring them with a glass of kefir. Kefir does not allow fiber to disrupt the intestinal microflora after a total cleanse.

Learn more about how to use it correctly and what effect to expect from this tandem.

Beneficial features

The benefits of bran are determined by the high content of dietary fiber. They regulate intestinal function, normalize stool, and restore the microflora of the internal environment.

Other benefits of dietary fiber:

1. Remove cholesterol from the body.
2. They reduce weight due to faster and longer saturation (do not forget about the nutritional value of the ingredient). Bran accelerates metabolism and helps the gastrointestinal tract more easily absorb useful micro- and macroelements.
3. Normalize blood sugar levels.
4. They have a detox effect.

How bran normalizes cholesterol levels

The product “binds” dietary fiber and bile acids of the stomach. In this way, the degree of activity of the acid is regulated, the level of its aggressiveness in relation to the internal environment is normalized. In addition, bran stimulates the production of B vitamins. Intestinal bacteria, “bound” by dietary fiber, begin intensive production of the vitamin, which supports the functioning of the entire body. Bran slows down the level of starch breakdown and affects the glycemic index of the product (adjusting it to the needs of the body at the moment).

The role of bran in weight loss

Bran contains a high percentage of fiber. Fiber, in turn, is one of the most important products for losing weight and athletes. It is absorbed more slowly, causing the body to feel full for several hours longer, and improves intestinal motility. Fiber minimizes the percentage of nutrient absorption and, thereby, reduces the total caloric intake of the meal. Food enters the body, stimulates satiety, but is only partially absorbed. Unprocessed foods are simply eliminated from the body, rather than remaining as extra inches on the sides.

Fiber does not break down fat deposits, but fights the cause of their accumulation. The substance stimulates the digestive system to work faster, better and more efficiently. Only with this principle of losing weight can you achieve real success.

What is detox and how does bran affect it?

Detox can be compared to the reset button on your phone. We feed the body with toxins through food, bad habits, and an aggressive external environment. Internal cleaning systems simply cannot cope with the entire amount of pathogenic microflora and allow some particles to pass through. These missed particles accumulate and grow, causing disease. Detox presses the reset button, renewing your natural cleansing processes and making them work several times harder, faster and better.

Bran stimulates detox and does a great service to the entire human body. The ingredient breaks down and removes waste, toxins, heavy metals, excess liquid, and pathogenic food breakdown products.

Diet with bran for weight loss

When consumed, bran saturates the body, swells inside and eliminates toxins and harmful substances. By taking ground grain shells, a person will not feel hungry for a long time, and the food eaten will be eliminated faster. For bran to work more effectively, you should drink more than 2 liters of liquid every day, or better yet, clean water. Sample diet with bran:

1. For breakfast – 200 g of water with ground grain shells.
2. For lunch – a drink with ground grain shells (kefir) and 400 g of liquid.
3. For dinner – 400 g of water and a drink made from fruits and cereals.

On oat bran

A dietary diet containing oat bran includes the use of dry, non-granular by-products. To prepare the body for a new diet, you should first consume a spoonful of ground grain hulls. The minimum dose normalizes the condition and helps to avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract. The portion is gradually increased to 2 tablespoons. How to properly prepare oat bran for weight loss? You need to pour boiling water over 1 serving of raw materials twenty minutes before your next meal. Leave for about five minutes until they swell.

On bran and kefir

The raw material swells if it is filled with any liquid. The ideal option is a fermented milk product such as kefir, which will increase the beneficial properties and saturate the intestinal microflora with prebiotics after the bran removes all toxins from the body. There will be not just a cleansing of the body, but also its healing. A diet containing bran and kefir eliminates problems with the digestive tract and the absorption of beneficial components. The best option for such a diet would be to consume kefir with 3 tablespoons of raw material at night.

On wheat bran

Up to 90% of the valuable elements of whole grains are found in milled wheat shells. Important substances include fiber, potassium, and B vitamins. By eating this product, a person not only loses weight, but also improves intestinal function, restoring its microflora. On a diet with wheat bran, people lose up to 5 kg, which is facilitated by following the rules of taking the product:

1. One spoon of bran is poured with hot water.
2. After 15 minutes, the liquid is drained.
3. The product is added to a regular dish.

Chemical composition

Nutritional value (per 100 grams of raw bran)

Nutrient balance (in milligrams per 100 grams of raw bran)

Use in cooking

Bran has taken the position of “superfood” in cooking; it is used in the niche of healthy balanced nutrition. How to eat bran:

1. Porridge. The bran is placed in boiling water for 20-30 minutes. The product swells, has time to absorb water, and becomes softer and more pliable. The liquid is drained and a coarse, tasteless slurry is obtained. It can be added to desserts, first and second courses, or eaten separately with your favorite sauce or dressing.
2. Salad dressing. Bran is added to vegetables in its pure form or mixed with herbs, Greek yogurt or sour cream. It turns out a real vitamin bomb from plant products that have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, well-being and external beauty.
3. Ingredient for desserts. You can make flour with bran, and from it the right pies, cookies, bread or crispbread. Bran is added to sweet yoghurts and even sweets.
4. As a breading. Breadcrumbs are not a proper and healthy ingredient. Bran is an excellent plant-based substitute for a high-carbohydrate product. The frying process is similar and will not cause difficulties even for a beginner. It is recommended to fry bran products in a non-stick frying pan without oil or with a drop of coconut oil.

The maximum benefit of bran is achieved only in the presence of liquid. The product “works” only when it swells in water/milk, absorbs the required percentage of liquid and becomes soft.

Bran pancakes recipe

Nutritional value (per 1 serving of prepared dish)

We will need:

• bran (to taste from any grain) – 2 tablespoons;
• soft paste-like low-fat cottage cheese (sold in briquettes) - 1.5 tablespoons;
• chicken egg – 1 pc.

Preparation

Bran pancakes are the main dish of the Dukan Diet. According to the principles of the diet, such pancakes can be eaten at any time of the day, regardless of the quantity. Low-calorie pancakes are especially loved by French women. Any chain store in France sells vacuum-packed healthy pancakes, which need to be slightly warmed up and safely added to your diet.

Mix bran, egg (you can use a whole egg or just the white) and cottage cheese in a deep container. Heat a non-stick frying pan, pour the batter onto it and form a pancake. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately after preparation with your favorite sauce or topping.

Apple Nut and Seed Cookies Recipe

Nutritional value (per 1 serving of prepared dish)

We will need:

• bran (to taste from any type of grain) – ¼ cup;
• instant oatmeal - ¾ cup;
• applesauce (it is recommended to prepare it yourself from fresh apples) – 250 g;
• almonds – 30 g;
• walnuts – 30 g;
• sunflower seeds – 30 g;
• dried fruits – 100 g;
• nut butter – 2 tablespoons.

Preparation

Finely chop nuts, seeds, dried fruits. Take a deep container and combine all the ingredients in it. Mix the mixture thoroughly and refrigerate for 30-50 minutes (to make the mixture more plastic and pliable). Take out the cooled mass and form several cookies out of it. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with special baking paper that can be used without oil. Place the cookies on baking paper and place in the oven for 40 minutes at 160°C. Serve immediately after cooking or store in a suitable container for 3-4 days.

Contraindications

Despite all its benefits, this product should not be abused. Especially people suffering from:

• adhesive disease;
• diarrhea;
• acute colitis;
• gastritis;
• hepatitis A;
• gastrointestinal diseases;

It is strictly forbidden to give bran to children under one year of age. Cannot be combined with taking any medications.

The danger lies in the fact that if used uncontrolled, they can remove beneficial substances from the body.

The beneficial properties of bran are obvious, but they must be used wisely. Bran diets cleanse the body not only of toxins and waste, but also remove a certain amount of beneficial bacteria from the intestines, so you should not indulge in bran for longer than 3-4 weeks in a row. Next, you need to take a break for several months and only after that you can return to taking bran.

Due to the fact that bran has a mechanical effect on the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, its use is contraindicated for people with erosive lesions of the gastric or intestinal mucosa, even in remission. When taking bran, you should also take into account that their active components can bind and remove zinc and iron from the body, as well as weaken the effect of certain drugs.

Side effects and contraindications

The ingredient is prohibited from being introduced into the diet for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract at the stage of exacerbation of the pathology. As soon as the inflammatory process goes into remission or disappears completely, it is necessary to examine the body and wait for the doctor’s decision. The specialist will assess the possible risks, draw up an approximate diet and indicate the permissible dosage of bran in the daily nutrition plan.

Remember that excessive passion for even the healthiest and most wholesome foods is fraught with pathology. An imbalance occurs in the body (albeit healthy substances), which leads to unstable functioning of all body systems.

What can uncontrolled consumption of bran lead to:

1. Development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Transition of pathologies from a state of remission to an exacerbation stage with additional manifestations and deteriorations.
2. Bloating, flatulence.
3. Malfunctions of the intestines.
4. Hypovitaminosis or “vitamin deficiency.” An imbalance of vitamins and nutrients occurs in the body. A huge hole is formed between the consumption and supply of nutrients, which cannot be filled without therapeutic intervention.

Possible consequences of eating superfood

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Even if a person is absolutely healthy and full of energy, there is a risk of not getting enough fiber from traditional plant-based foods in the daily diet. Patients often, without a doctor's prescription or apparent reason, administer fiber on their own, without controlling the dose and without monitoring the body's reaction. What this could mean: increased gas formation, nausea/vomiting, bloating, bowel irregularities, disruptions in the level of absorption of some beneficial nutrients.

An adult needs 2-3 tablespoons of fiber per day. There is no need to consume the product in its pure form (this is both problematic and absolutely unappetizing). Use bran instead of harmful breadcrumbs, add it to baked goods and add to salads. Combine the product with a high-quality healthy diet, and if there is the slightest malfunction in the body, consult a doctor.

Combination with medications

It is forbidden to use medicines together with bran. The product acts as an active substance that is capable of breaking down elements of the composition of medications. Bran will simply block the drug and deprive the body of the necessary help. The minimum time interval between food intake (with the addition of bran) and medication should not be less than 6-7 hours.

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Strict bran diet. Bran diet

The health benefits of bran are undeniable: fiber, which they are very rich in, is the main guarantee of high-quality functioning of the stomach and intestines, and a bran diet is very effective. All this is thanks to the magical effect of this product on metabolism.

The essence of the diet

On average, if you make bran the main dish and consume it without a break for 10 days, you can neutralize unnecessary 3-4 kilograms. Unlike many other products, bran is a complete food product, containing not only valuable fiber, but also a complete complex of all the most necessary vitamins and minerals, therefore, after completing a ten-day diet, the body will forget about the deficiency of nutrients.

To promote weight loss, eat bran 3 times a day, eating a spoon and drinking water (up to 2 glasses are required). After taking bran, you should not eat for 3 hours. After this time, it is allowed to eat a maximum of unprocessed vegetables, fruits, meat and dairy - only low-fat ones. Between main daily meals, snacks consisting of low-fat yogurt and bran bread are allowed. A good option for breakfast or a light dinner during a bran diet is to add 10-20 g of this healing product to yogurt and eat it in the morning.

On some days, you can unload the body by eating only low-fat yogurt with bran bread all day long. Before such a fasting day, it is recommended to eat 3 tablespoons of bran at night, washed down with 3 glasses of water. And the next day, distribute kefir over several meals (1.5 liters are required) and an average of 3 tablespoons of bran for breakfast, lunch and dinner (each dose of bran is washed down with water).

Another variation of the diet is to add 2-3 tablespoons of bran to soups.

The effect of losing weight, especially in the abdominal area, is ensured by consuming bran with water, apple cider vinegar and honey: take a spoonful of bran and a teaspoon of vinegar and honey per glass of water.

As a rule, during such a diet the average daily caloric intake is reduced to 1200-1300 kilocalories. In addition, the development of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases is reduced.

Disadvantages of the bran diet

Despite the enormous benefits of bran, you should not stick to it for longer than 10 days. This is largely due to the fact that large amounts of bran help reduce the amount of calcium in the bones. For this reason, during the bran diet, you need to drink a sufficient amount of kefir, rich in calcium. Moisture may also be washed out of the body; for this reason, bran is washed down with plenty of water. For those who cannot drink a lot of liquid at once, it is recommended to soak the bran overnight.