Health Benefits of Bulgur Wheat: Learn Why This Nutrition Packed Grain is One You Might Want to Add to Your Diet

Health Benefits of Bulgur Wheat: Learn Why This Nutrition Packed Grain is One You Might Want to Add to Your Diet
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What Is Bulgur Wheat?

If you say the words bulgur wheat in a group of your friends, it is very possible that your friends may not know what you are even talking about. But it is actually one of the healthiest things that you can include in your diet. Bulgur is really just wheat in its whole form. It comes in three types, coarse grind which has a consistency that is similar to that of rice and can be used in place of rice in any recipe. Medium grind is better for cereal and fillings, while fine grind is mainly used for tabbouleh.

The Health Benefits of Bulgur Wheat

The health benefits of bulgur wheat include preventing constipation, preventing cancer and reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Bulgur contains a compound called ferulic acid which can prevent nitrates and nitrites, common in many foods, from converting into nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have been linked to cancer. Bulgur wheat also contains lignans that are considered cancer warriors due to their high antioxidant properties. These super healthy lignans that are found in bulgur wheat also prevent cholesterol from being damaged by free radicals which makes it easier to stick to the artery walls. Less cholesterol on the artery walls means less chance of developing heart disease.

Bulgur wheat in your diet also adds more fiber that not only provides even more prevention of heart disease, diabetes and cancer but the insoluble fiber it contains helps eliminate wastes from the body faster making it helpful in preventing and treating constipation, diverticular disease, hemorrhoids and intestinal polyps.

Yet another health benefit of bulgur wheat is that it has one of the highest mineral contents of any food. It is rich in iron, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, selenium and magnesium. Bulgur wheat is the perfect addition to any meal that is high in nitrates like hot dogs or almost any processed food. It may not be sold at your local grocer so you may have to check a health food store or buy it online.

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