Granola has always been considered the healthiest and most popular breakfast cereal.
It's crunchy, sweet, has a nice taste and it's good for our body.
The easy-to-eat neutral taste of oats, combined with nuts, makes for a nutritious snack for overall health, making it a top snack choice for many families.
Before, when I didn't know about granola, my body was quite stagnant, especially the stomach and digestive system.
But since incorporating them into meals more often, plus a healthy lifestyle, after a testing period of about 5 months, my body has become much lighter.
So I trusted and included granola in the first meal of the day without having to think too much to waste time.
1. What is Granola?
Granola is a combination of cereal and fruit, with the main ingredient of the cereal being oats.
In a nutshell, granola is like a Vietnamese mannequin or salad.
In Western countries, granola consists of rolled oats, which have been flattened and lightly dried, along with nuts.
They are often combined with honey and baked until crispy, then you can take it anywhere, quite convenient for a snack.
Normally, granola is used frequently by people who are on the go, as well as hikers, campers, mountaineers and individuals who enjoy outdoor activities.
Nowadays, when you eat at home, there are many ways to enjoy it.
You can add a little yogurt (sugar or unsweetened), or mix it with milk or add hot water for a nutritious and warm meal for cold days.
In addition, you can also combine them with honey, bananas, strawberries and other fruits or mix with other grains to increase the nutritional value.
2. Is Granola good?
There are countless benefits of granola for your health including its ability to lower cholesterol, regulate digestion, aid in weight loss and improve heart health.
It can also help boost energy, prevent anemia, and promote organ function.
Regular intake of granola can also lower blood pressure, increase cognitive functioning, improve skin quality, build stronger bones, control diabetes, stimulate new tissue and hormonal growth and even can prevent cancer.
3. Nutritional composition of Granola
In high fiber granola, the minerals contained in this snack are varied including sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron.
Vitamins are found such as vitamin E, vitamin C, niacin and thiamin.
4. 12 benefits of Granola for your health
High fiber supports weight loss
Because it's made with oats and whole grains, granola is a high-fiber food that keeps you fuller for longer.
It can be very low in cholesterol and sodium, both of which are culprits in chronic obesity.
The fiber in granola makes the body feel full because it puffs up food and absorbs water.
Therefore, it can reduce appetite and inhibit the release of ghrelin, which is the hormone that makes the body feel hungry.
This can help prevent overeating, which is common among obese people, as well as dieters that leave them hungry at unusual times of the day.
May help regulate blood sugar
Eating fiber has also been shown to decrease how quickly the body digests sugar and carbohydrates, so the high fiber content in granola may help reduce the risk of blood sugar spikes.
In addition, granola is a food rich in manganese and the effects it can have on the body are quite impressive.
Manganese may be a regulator of blood sugar in the body and may stimulate or inhibit the release of insulin.
Whole grains, dried fruits, and nuts in granola help reduce and control blood sugar, especially for people who are obese or pre-diabetic.
May help lower cholesterol levels
Oats are the base ingredient of granola, which is an excellent source of beta-glucan.
Beta-glucan is a type of fiber known to lower levels of total cholesterol and bad LDL (bad) cholesterol, which act as a risk factor for heart disease.
It's important to reduce bad cholesterol in your blood, and lowering bad cholesterol can prevent the growth of plaque in your arteries and veins.
The soluble fiber in oats can help reduce the amount of harmful cholesterol that can circulate in our arteries, leading to increased blood pressure and stress on our cardiovascular system.
However, be sure to buy granola varieties that don't have hydrogenated oils added as they can increase negative cholesterol levels and lower positive cholesterol, thereby negating the effects of the fiber in the granola.
Many granola preparations include nuts like almonds and walnuts, which are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids (also thought to be good cholesterol, or HDL).
Promotes a healthy gut and digestive system
As a digestive aid, granola is almost second to none.
It is often consumed by people who want to increase their fiber intake because granola contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Fiber is a beneficial part of anyone's eating habits because it regulates the digestive process. It can add volume and weight to bowel movements, making stools more solid and easier to pass through the digestive tract.
It can also stimulate peristaltic movement, which is when smooth muscles in the intestinal system contract, thereby moving food farther. Simultaneously releases gastric and digestive juices, thus reducing stress on the entire system.
Soluble fiber can be good for alleviating symptoms of constipation. Insoluble fiber can harden loose stools and reduce the occurrence of diarrhea.
What's more, fiber can improve heart health by scraping arteries from dangerous LDL cholesterol or omega-6 fatty acids that can lead to heart diseases like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.
Granola includes many healthy foods that will help keep your digestive tract healthy.
The high-quality grains that you incorporate in your granola will include prebiotic fiber, which helps maintain healthy levels of bacteria in our gut.
Whole grains are rich in fiber, which not only provides good bacteria but also helps balance the digestive system.
The fiber in granola helps reduce inflammation in the gut because it tends to increase levels of healthy gut bacteria than other refined breakfast cereals.
Rich in protein, energy and many nutrients
Another reason many people use them is that it is a concentrated form of energy and will give you an extra boost when you need it most.
It does not provide your body with sugar but instead, it provides you with manganese, which is perhaps one of the least talked about but indispensable minerals in the body.
It is important for liver, kidney and metabolic activity. Granola stimulates tissues and the proper distribution of resources throughout the body.
Proper metabolic function means that your body is functioning efficiently and your energy needs can be taken into account.
In addition to providing the body with a range of healthy micronutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium and vitamins to build immunity, granola also includes a high proportion of different nuts and dried fruits. rich in protein.
Coconut and chia seeds if combined in granola also make it a great source of antioxidants for the body.
Can increase awareness
People often say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it keeps your brain active throughout the day.
That's especially true if you add granola because it lowers blood pressure in the body.
Perhaps, because it is quite high in potassium and low in sodium, granola helps lower blood pressure by acting as a vasodilator.
When blood pressure drops, the veins are relaxed, reducing strain on the system and increasing blood flow with oxygen to the brain.
This promotes cognitive function and speeds up neural responses and the formation of neural pathways.
This is also the reason you should add bananas to your granola, as bananas have always been considered a “brain food” because of their high potassium content that stimulates mental activity.
Improve brain health
Granola helps to increase the flow of clean blood and oxygen to the brain along with the rest of the body to help the brain work faster and more efficiently.
It maintains a well-established relationship between the gut and the brain.
A healthier gut promotes healthy brain function.
Can lower blood pressure
The possible effect of granola on lowering blood pressure also clearly helps with heart health.
By reducing stress on the cardiovascular system and also reducing the risk of atherosclerosis, stroke, and other potentially fatal conditions.
You should supplement the potassium content of granola by adding fresh fruit to this dish.
Improve skin health
Granola is probably a good source of vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol.
Vitamin E affects a number of body processes, which can include protecting skin from premature aging, sunburn and wrinkles, strengthening capillary walls, and improving heart health.
They also increase blood flow to the hair and nail extremities keeping their integrity.
If you get a sunburn, it can help reduce pain and redness.
Overall, the large amount of vitamin E in granola alone makes it a great breakfast option.
May help prevent anemia
Anemia is a condition that affects millions of people around the world.
But many of them don't realize they have it.
It is basically a deficiency of iron in the blood, an essential part for building red blood cells.
Anemia can lead to fatigue, headaches, cognitive problems, depression, and intestinal disturbances.
Granola with its inclusion of many minerals such as iron helps to combat and prevent many symptoms of anemia in the first place.
Provides lots of antioxidants
Ingredients like coconut, chia seeds, and Brazil nuts are good sources of antioxidants.
Therefore, when added to granola, it tends to increase antioxidant levels.
These ingredients help fight inflammation and provide gallic acid, quercetin, selenium and vitamin E.
Flexibility and convenience
One of the best parts about incorporating granola into your diet is the fun and creative recipes you can create around it.
Granola is a great breakfast or snack option, providing you with the energy to start your day, or they can also be your mid-day meal.
Compared to other healthy options, this dish is quite convenient and you don't need to prepare or prepare much, and it still tastes good and satisfies your hunger.
Granola is an extremely versatile snack and can be served with dates, yogurt or Greek yogurt.
Or you can add in smoothies, nuts and seasonal fruit, too.
5. Include these foods in your granola and daily diet
Fruits and nuts: Add all the healthy fruits and nuts you enjoy to your granola. Fruits and nuts are always an abundant source of vitamins, minerals and energy for the body.
Chia seeds: help increase Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in the blood because ALA is an important omega-3 fatty acid that can help reduce inflammation.
Sesame seeds are an excellent source of lignans, which may help improve estrogen status.
Sesame seeds: also help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of monounsaturated fats and omega-6s, and may help improve heart health and symptoms of urinary disorders.
Sunflower seeds are high in monounsaturated fats and omega-6s that help reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol levels.
Walnuts: act as a bulwark protecting our immune, reproductive, brain and heart systems. Walnuts not only help reduce the risk of prostate cancer but also breast cancer. Walnuts contain the amino acid 1-arginine, which offers many vascular benefits for people with heart disease. They help improve sperm quality, help with weight management, and support brain health and type 2 diabetes.
6. How much granola to eat?
The above can be an impressive list of granola health benefits, but granola can have some harmful effects on the body if you consume too much of them during the day of this powerful food.
For a normal body, you can use them from 1 to 2 meals per day.
You can add a little milk, yogurt or honey if you are not a diabetic.
I usually use them about 100g in boiling water for breakfast and feel quite enough for a day.
Eat granola in moderation, science and pay attention to your body.
Be patient, it's definitely good for you in the long run.
