Bran what are they for? Bran - what is it and how to use it correctly? Bran bread: benefits

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25.04.12

Bran is a combination of dietary fiber that is not digested by enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract, but is successfully fermented and participates in the nutrition of microflora in the large intestine. The complex effect on the digestive system is to increase peristalsis (mechanical irritation of the walls of the stomach and intestines during swelling), improve bile secretion and enzyme secretion.
The swelling of fibers begins already in the stomach: by irritating the nerve endings of the stomach, fibers create the illusion of satiety and reduce appetite.

Types of bran

Bran can be wheat, barley, corn, oat, etc. Wheat bran contains a complex of B vitamins necessary for humans, including B1, B2, B6, PP and others. Provitamin A (carotene) and vitamin E were also found. Bran is rich in minerals. Among them are potassium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, copper, selenium and other trace elements. Thanks to this composition, bran is an indispensable dietary product. Rich in insoluble fiber and may be beneficial in reducing the risk of colon cancer.
Barley bran is high in soluble fiber and helps lower cholesterol.
Corn bran is rich in insoluble fiber and helps reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Oat bran is rich in soluble fiber and also helps lower cholesterol. Research has shown that taking just two ounces (about 60 grams) of this bran daily can lower cholesterol by 7 to 10 percent.
Rice bran is the outer layer of the brown rice grain that gives this variety of rice its color and smell. Rice bran contains thiamine, niacin, B vitamins, various microelements (iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium) and fiber. They are used for the preparation of dry grain mixtures, bread, biscuits, as well as for the production of vitamin concentrates. Rice bran is rich in soluble fiber and may also be beneficial for lowering cholesterol. Their effect is similar to that of oat bran, with the only difference being that it requires less rice bran: 2 tablespoons of rice bran will provide you with the same amount of soluble fiber as half a cup of oat bran.

Benefits of bran

Bran is useful for normalizing the functions of the digestive organs, especially with dyskinesia and atony of the intestines, gall bladder, bile stagnation, and constipation. Scientists have found that when consumed regularly, bran helps remove microbial toxins, toxic salts of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury), and cholesterol from the intestines.
Due to the high content of magnesium, potassium, trace elements and vitamins, bran helps normalize blood sugar levels in diabetes mellitus, lower blood pressure, and limit obesity. The optimal daily dose of bran ranges from 20 to 40 g, and their amount should be divided into 3-4 doses per day. To maximize the effect of taking bran, you need to consume it with a sufficient amount of water or other liquid. Usually the bran is brewed with boiling water, allowed to steam and swell, and after 20 minutes the excess liquid is drained.

Contraindications to the use of bran

In case of any digestive problems, taking bran should be agreed with your doctor. For gastritis, enteritis, colitis or peptic ulcers, they should be used with extreme caution, and during periods of exacerbation, stop taking them completely.
We should also not forget about the maximum permissible amount of bran that can be consumed during the day. Excessiveness, which is often a consequence of the desire to lose weight as quickly as possible, can lead to intestinal dysfunction, flatulence, bloating, and hypovitaminosis, since nutrients will not have time to be absorbed by the body.

Bran in cooking

Bran can be successfully used in baking. The recommended amount of bran in bread dough ranges from 60-100 grams per 500 grams of flour.
Dishes prepared with the addition of bran are one of the most important ways to enrich the diet with plant fiber. Bran can be added instead of flour to cutlet masses made from vegetables, meat, fish, cottage cheese dishes, instead of rice, added to meatballs, stuffed vegetables, instead of semolina - to puddings and casseroles, sauces, soups, jellies, jelly, and compotes, while for To obtain a homogeneous consistency, we recommend straining the finished drinks. Bran is an excellent addition to dairy, fish, pumpkin soups and salads.
To improve the taste, it is recommended to fry wheat bran in the oven before use, grind it in a coffee grinder (or pound it in a mortar) and sift it.

How to choose bran?

Bran can be purchased in almost any store in the “Dietary Products” department. On sale you can find wheat, rye, rice, etc. bran from the same manufacturers with completely different descriptions. There is no difference in them, you can buy even the cheapest ones and they will meet all organoleptic indications for a given species.

On the market you can find bran in the form of chips, tablets and “corn sticks”, which have different taste qualities. It is worth understanding that they are given their shape due to the gluten in the flour, i.e. This is no longer pure bran, but a mixture of flour and dietary fiber.
Manufacturers often produce bran with various ingredients that improve the taste. You can safely leave such bran on the shelf and turn your attention to bran without impurities and additives, the benefits from them will be much greater.

It has been known for a long time. They perfectly cleanse the body, remove toxins and stimulate the intestines. Bran - what is it? These are by-products that appear during the flour milling process. They are rich which are very beneficial for our digestive tract.

How are they made?

Bran - what is it? This is a product that appears when grains are ground. Simply put, these are grain shells and unsorted flour. It would seem like production waste. But in reality this is far from the case!

Despite their not very attractive appearance, this is a very useful and valuable product - bran. Their composition is simple - ground grain shells. But the benefits are enormous.

What types of bran are there?

So, we found out what bran is made of and what it is. Since flour is made from different grains, bran comes in different types, namely:

wheat;
corn;
barley;
rye;
oatmeal;
buckwheat;
rice and others.

All of them, regardless of type, contain such an important element as fiber - dietary fiber.

What are the benefits of bran?

They have not yet thrown away the waste that was obtained after grinding flour. They ate them and noticed undoubted beneficial properties.

Bran is primarily a large amount of dietary fiber. And they are very useful for the human body. It is these fibers that perfectly regulate intestinal function, and this is very important for those who suffer from constipation, diarrhea, and flatulence.

What else is useful about bran?

They perfectly restore the microflora of the colon.
They help remove harmful cholesterol from the body.
They are great for helping you lose weight.
They normalize blood sugar levels.

Several reasons to include bran in your diet

Many people suffer from chronic diseases of the digestive tract for years, but as soon as they add bran to their diet, the body begins to heal itself.

Those who, for example, took oat bran for six months leave only positive reviews. The body gradually gets rid of accumulated toxins, toxins leave the blood, and a person begins to feel lighter and freer. Fiber makes the intestines work like clockwork.

Not only does bran perfectly help normalize weight, fiber binds fatty acids and reduces bad cholesterol in the blood.

It is also worth remembering that bran is dietary in nature. In addition to their high fiber content, they include:

B vitamins;
vitamin E;
provitamin A (carotene).

Also, all types of bran are useful:

as a choleretic drug;
in case of liver dysfunction;
in case of malfunction of the pancreas;
improve the treatment of peptic ulcer;
Great for gastritis.

Regulation of the metabolic process.
Improvement of colon peristalsis.
Increased intestinal motility.
Reducing the level of fat breakdown.
Reducing carcinogens in the body.

So it’s difficult to exaggerate the beneficial properties of bran. One thing is clear - this miraculous product will definitely not be superfluous in your diet.

Pantry of trace elements

Bran - what is it? It is also a storehouse of various microelements that our body needs so much. The composition of bran includes:

copper;
zinc;
selenium;
potassium;
chromium;
magnesium.

So adding this product to your diet significantly enriches the body with valuable nutrients and microelements.

Patients with diabetes who consumed oat bran for a sufficient amount of time left the following reviews - almost all of them had a drop in sugar levels after just a week of regular use.

Why is this happening? Because bran significantly slows down the process of starch breakdown. Thus, blood sugar levels decrease.

This product, rich in fiber, also creates the effect of a full stomach in a person. Appetite decreases significantly, and weight, accordingly, slowly but steadily begins to decrease.

For those who have skin problems, bran will provide a wonderful service. After all, they miraculously cleanse the body of toxins. Consequently, your skin will become softer, acne and inflammation will disappear.

Despite the fact that almost all bran contains approximately the same amount of fiber, each type has certain characteristics.

Barley bran. The soluble fiber content is very high. Excellent for reducing bad cholesterol levels.
Corn bran. The richest in insoluble fiber. Eating them reduces the risk of colon cancer.
Rice bran. They also contain a high percentage of soluble fiber. Good for those who have problems with the gallbladder and who experience
Oat bran. Indispensable for patients with diabetes. Just 60 grams of oat bran per day and your cholesterol levels will drop by 7-10%.
Wheat bran. Indicated for those who have a predisposition to tumors in the colon.

When choosing bran, it is important to understand what effect you want to achieve - lose weight or make your intestines work more actively, relieve pain due to gastritis or normalize liver function. In addition, it is worth paying attention to taste preferences - some people will not like corn bran, but rice bran is perfect.

Caution doesn't hurt

It is also important to remember to use this product correctly. Then you certainly won’t harm your body. No matter whether it is corn, rye, or rice, harm to the body can be caused by improper use of this product.

The most important rule is that it is not recommended to eat them dry. Be sure to dilute them with water. True, now there are special dry bran in capsules. So they can be consumed without first diluting with water. It is better to brew regular bran first.

Some people like to add bran to kefir or juices, and also sprinkle them on salads. With this use, the positive effect will be significantly reduced.

Oat, rice or rye bran - how to take them to get maximum benefit? It is best to pour boiling water over them and leave them to swell for half an hour. Then the excess water must be drained. You can add milk, fruits, raisins to the resulting slurry and eat it. An important recommendation is to wash down this meal with plenty of water or tea.

Ready, steamed bran (not dry) can be added to cutlets, meatballs, porridge, puddings and casseroles.

Remember that a large amount of bran can contribute to your feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the stomach. Therefore, it is recommended to start taking it with a small dose - 1-2 teaspoons per day. Gradually, if you do not experience any problems, increase the amount to 30 grams per day.

Do not forget that bran loves water very much, and you should increase the amount of liquid you drink per day.

To whom are they contraindicated?

Bran is a dietary and healthy product, however, there are certain restrictions on its use. You should not take them during periods of exacerbation of gastric diseases. If your colitis, enteritis, gastritis or peptic ulcer has worsened, wait until the inflammatory process subsides. And only then can you introduce bran into your diet in small doses.

If you have an infection or diarrhea, you should also not consume bran during this period. They can significantly distort the picture of the course of an infectious disease. It’s better to get completely cured first, and then change your diet.

Remember that a large amount of bran will not make you healthier faster. On the contrary, you can get flatulence, bloating, intestinal dysfunction, and hypovitaminosis.

Be careful with medications

If you are undergoing treatment and are prescribed medications, remember an important rule. You cannot take bran and medicine at the same time. Fiber will quickly absorb the active substance of the medicine and will not allow it to completely dissolve in the body. You will not benefit from either the bran or the medicine. The pause between taking medications and consuming bran should be at least 6 hours. And it is best to completely stop taking bran during drug treatment.

Healthy buns

If you love baking, but it is contraindicated for you, bran flour will come to the rescue. It is less sticky, and its composition is more useful than fine flour. Don’t be afraid to add it to any dish - pancakes, pies, pancakes. Remember that bran flour is more sticky, so add more water to the dough.

If you decide to add bran to your diet, remember that you need to take it regularly and for a long time, for several months. Only then will you achieve the expected result.

Many people ask whether it is possible to give bran to children. Of course, but in the right doses. Starting from 10 months, a child can add brewed bran to porridge. It is important to remember that the daily dose should not exceed 1-2 teaspoons. Also, be careful to ensure that your baby does not have an allergic reaction.

Bran is the crushed hard shell of grain. It contains vitamins PP, B1, B2, E, selenium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron and other useful microelements. But most importantly: bran contains a huge amount of fiber, slow carbohydrates and protein.

How do bran affect our body?

Bran is coarse dietary fiber that our intestines use as an absorbent. They absorb excess water, toxins, fats, heavy metals and push digested food further along the intestinal tract. As a result, the functioning of the digestive system improves. Bran is often prescribed for stagnation of bile, poor intestinal motility, and constipation.

In the intestines, bran binds bile acids and thus reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. This is a good prevention of atherosclerosis. If you don't mind eating spicy and fatty foods, be sure to add bran to your diet.

Coarse fiber is the favorite food of beneficial bacteria living in the intestines. By absorbing it, they release B vitamins, which are essential for the nervous system, metabolism and immunity.

As beneficial microflora grows, the condition of the skin, nails, and hair improves. We become more beautiful and feel happier.

In the stomach, bran swells and creates a feeling of fullness. In addition, they reduce the calorie content of foods and help lower blood sugar levels. If you are prone to obesity, regular consumption of bran will help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid diabetes.

How much bran can you eat per day?

The recommended amount of bran is no more than 30 grams, that is, approximately 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 or 2 teaspoons per day for the first week and gradually increase the dosage. Don't forget to drink 2 liters of clean water a day, because bran is still a dry product.

What happens if you eat too much bran? This can lead to various digestive problems: bloating, flatulence, and even exacerbation of chronic diseases. Keep everything in moderation. If you are taking any medicine, at least 6 hours must pass between taking it and consuming bran.

How to eat bran correctly?

If you've tried bran before but ended up throwing out the whole bag, then you most likely failed to cook it properly. Yes, yes, you can cook a lot of tasty things from bran, but first things first.

Bran should never be eaten dry.

Wash them down with juice, tea or water. Ideal snack: add bran to a glass of low-fat kefir or yogurt. A great alternative to expensive bottled yoghurts with crazy amounts of sugar and grains of unknown origin.

If you want something tasty, healthy and right now, you can make the famous one from bran. Grind 2 tablespoons of bran in a coffee grinder and use it instead of regular flour.

Bran is best eaten before lunch. Have breakfast with porridge: brew bran in a bowl with hot milk or water, leave for a couple of minutes and add sweetener, berries and pieces of fruit to taste.

When should you not eat bran?

Bran should not be eaten during exacerbations of gastritis, ulcers, colitis and infectious enteritis, as well as vitamin deficiency.

How do bran affect our body?

Coarse fiber is the favorite food of beneficial bacteria living in the intestines. By absorbing it, they release B vitamins, which are essential for the nervous system, metabolism and immunity.

As beneficial microflora grows, the condition of the skin, nails, and hair improves. We become more beautiful and feel happier.

How much bran can you eat per day?

How to eat bran correctly?

If you've tried bran before but ended up throwing out the whole bag, then you most likely failed to cook it properly. Yes, yes, you can cook a lot of tasty things from bran, but first things first.

Bran should never be eaten dry.

If you want something tasty, healthy and right now, you can make the famous one from bran. Grind 2 tablespoons of bran in a coffee grinder and use it instead of regular flour.

Bran is best eaten before lunch. Have breakfast with porridge: brew bran in a bowl with hot milk or water, leave for a couple of minutes and add sweetener, berries and pieces of fruit to taste.

When should you not eat bran?

Bran should not be eaten during exacerbations of gastritis, ulcers, colitis and infectious enteritis, as well as vitamin deficiency.

They say that previously only animals were fed bran, and people began to eat it recently as a healthy food product - but this opinion is wrong. Healers and doctors of antiquity were well aware of the medicinal properties and benefits of bran, and the great Avicenna himself, one of the “fathers of medicine,” used it to treat constipation in his patients - he knew that bran perfectly cleanses not only the intestines, but the entire body, if you use them correctly. Is bran really good for our body? Today we want to talk about exactly this: we will look at the most famous types of bran and what health properties they have.

What it is

What is bran called? Some consider them to be waste from flour milling, and others consider them to be a by-product, but bran consists of the most valuable thing in cereal grains - grain shells and seed germs.

These parts of the grains contain all the biologically active and beneficial substances given to grains by nature - we could get more than 90% of the benefits from them if they were not sent to this very “waste” during the production of flour; there is nothing useful in white flour, especially the highest grade - as a food product, it is lifeless and dead. Of course, synthetic vitamins are added to it, and after that the flour is called fortified, and there are also enough empty calories in it - but today we are talking about bran.

Our ancestors may have rarely used bran in its pure form for food, as is fashionable today - but they ate bread and pastries made from white flour only on holidays, and aristocrats also loved wholemeal bread.

Types of bran

Most often we talk about wheat bran, but they come in different types: rye, buckwheat, oat, barley, millet, rice, etc. There is a lot of fiber in all bran - that’s why they became popular: scientists finally declared that dietary fiber in quantity We simply need 25-30 g per day - and we are used to believing scientists.

This could have been understood earlier: in meat, fish, and other animal products there is no fiber (dietary fiber) at all, in plant products there is, but there is not much of it, and we are unlikely to eat kilograms of fresh vegetables and fruits, especially in winter whether we can.

Rich composition

Bran contains up to 80% fiber, and at the same time they are distinguished by a rich composition - in the sense that they contain a lot of useful and nutritious substances. Bran is quite high in calories - from 165 kcal (or more) per 100 g, so you can easily fill up on it - although not everyone likes the taste of bran, but more on that later.

What are the benefits of bran for the body? Bran contains a lot of vegetable protein and carbohydrates, there are fats - including saturated and unsaturated fatty acids; vitamins – carotene, E and group B; macro- and microelements, and in large quantities - potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron; there are also compounds of chromium, selenium, copper, zinc and other elements.

Benefits of bran

Why do we need bran so much? Most of us know firsthand about digestive problems in modern life, and all these problems result not only in chronic diseases, but also seriously worsen our appearance: the skin fades and turns pale, hair becomes dull, and nails break.

What do doctors prescribe to us? A variety of medications, including potent ones, and constipation after this (and we are talking about them) only gets stronger, becoming a habitual problem - how can this be allowed?

When bran enters our body, it begins to act like a vacuum cleaner: it collects and removes toxins, cholesterol, radionuclides, heavy metal salts, and harmful substances do not have time to be absorbed - the state of health begins to quickly improve.

The benefits of bran for the intestines have been proven, its work improves literally in a few days, you just need to include bran in your diet: constipation subsides, and the amount of beneficial microflora increases, as it begins to actively feed on fiber, multiplies and does its job “perfectly.” It is clear that our appearance also improves: skin, nails and hair are restored and revived.

As we said above, the main advantage of bran is its high content of dietary fiber, which regulates intestinal function, improves the microflora of the colon, helps eliminate cholesterol, and lowers blood sugar. The dietary fiber contained in bran lowers cholesterol by binding intestinal bile acids, which have a certain atherogenic activity, so bran can be used to prevent atherosclerosis.

Bran also has medicinal properties for diabetes. This is due to the slowdown in the breakdown of starch and the ability to influence the glycemic index of other foods.

Since ancient times, people have been using the healing properties of bran to prevent and treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Bran adsorb bile acids, toxins, bind and remove nitrates from the body that enter the body with vegetables and fruits. Helps detoxify the body.

Quite recently, a new property of bran was discovered - it is able to regulate metabolism in the body. Fiber does not burn fat, does not affect the visible consequences of excess weight, but affects the cause itself - a violation of metabolic processes in the body. Bran helps improve colon peristalsis, acting as a stool-forming factor and a surefire remedy for constipation. They create a large soft mass, which accelerates intestinal motility and, diluting itself, lowers the levels of fat breakdown products associated with the formation of carcinogens.

Who needs bran

Who else needs bran? With hypertension, atherosclerosis, atony of the gallbladder - when bile stagnates; For biliary dyskinesia, bran helps greatly in relieving the condition, but healthy people also need it - to stay healthy in the future.

Wheat bran is useful for everyone: wheat contains many substances that fill us with energy - once in the stomach, they begin to produce heat and mucus, so the liver and gall bladder work perfectly. For stomach and duodenal ulcers, they reduce pain - although in many cases they are contraindicated for these diseases, and for diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract they have a cleansing and diuretic effect - they are especially useful for men with prostatitis.

How to take it correctly

How should you take bran correctly to get the maximum benefit and not harm your health? The bran is pre-steamed with boiling water, and after 20-30 minutes the liquid is drained. After this, bran gruel can be added to almost all dishes or taken with water. Once in the stomach, bran does not undergo any changes and, retaining water, enters the intestines, accelerating the movement of waste.

For an adult, it is enough to take 1 teaspoon of bran for 2 weeks, and then 1 tablespoon 3 times a day. When the intestines begin to function normally, continue to take 2 teaspoons of bran per day for some time or replace them with bread baked from whole flour. Bran can be taken with food, added to dishes, or outside the main meal, with milk, kefir, yoghurt or other dairy products, 3-4 times a day. The daily dose of bran is 30 - 50 grams.

There are few contraindications!

In general, bran has few contraindications: apart from those mentioned above, they cannot be used for acute gastritis. If there are no contraindications, there is no need to eat them with spoons either - this can cause colic and bloating, and even upset the balance of vitamins and minerals in the body. Therefore, you should start with small portions - 1 tbsp. coarsely granulated bran per day - such bran is called coarse bran.

There is also finely ground bran - they are called thin. There is no need to eat unsoaked, dry bran: wash it down with milk, kefir, tea, juices or just clean water; add to jelly, salads, soups, cereals, puddings, casseroles, vegetable cutlets, baked goods and other dishes.

Of all types of bran, the easiest to buy is wheat, less often rye, but there is a lot of bran with fillers that increase their usefulness.

Bran with carrots is recommended for skin diseases and frequent colds; with apples – for anemia, gout, a tendency to form kidney stones; beetroot will help cope with arrhythmia and hypertension, as well as lose weight; Milk thistle bran is useful for prostatitis, liver and biliary tract diseases. There are brans that help alleviate the condition of diseases of the endocrine system: in case of dysfunction of the thyroid gland, you need to eat bran with seaweed, and for patients with diabetes, bran with Jerusalem artichoke is suitable.

Traditional treatment recipes

You can prepare bran for yourself in advance: pour boiling water over the daily amount, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then drain the water, and eat the bran in its pure form throughout the day, between meals, or add it to dishes.

Bran can be used to treat various diseases - of course, they should not replace the treatment prescribed by a doctor, but only complement it.

To restore strength after a serious illness, for the elderly and weakened children: 1 tbsp. Pour 2 cups of water over a spoonful of bran and boil for 30-40 minutes, stirring. Add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey after the bran is removed from the heat and cooled. Take 50 g 3-4 times a day, warm and cold.

For dysbacteriosis, atony of the gallbladder and constipation, you should take 1 tbsp 3 times a day. soaked bran before eating, or add it to soups and other prepared dishes.

They also take bran if they want to get rid of excess weight, but 2 tbsp each. and 20 minutes before meals.

For bronchitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, pneumonia, it is useful to take a decoction of wheat bran. Bran (400 g) is washed, poured with boiling water (1.8 l) and simmered over low heat for 10 minutes. The broth is filtered, burnt sugar or honey is added, and taken 3-4 times a day, ½ cup, hot. You can drink the decoction like tea throughout the day.

A similar decoction is taken as a general tonic, but it is prepared a little differently: 1 tbsp. bran is poured with boiling water (2 cups), brought to a boil, and simmered for 30-40 minutes over low heat, then add 1 tbsp. honey, and take 50 ml 3-4 times a day - the decoction gives strength and energizes.

Bran in cosmetology

For sensitive skin prone to allergic reactions, it is useful to take a bath with bran: put 2 cups of granulated bran in a gauze bag, put it in a bath of warm water, hold it for 30 minutes so that it softens, add hot water to the desired temperature, squeeze out the softened bran through the bag, and take a bath for 10-15 minutes.

Bran and its decoction are successfully used in home cosmetology. To prolong the youth of your skin, you need to regularly make a mask with finely ground wheat bran (5 tsp) and raw egg yolk. The bran is mixed with the yolk, a little warm water is added and the mass is left to swell, and then ground to a homogeneous paste and applied to the face for 15 minutes. Wash off with cool water.

If you feel like eating before going to bed, soak 2 tsp. bran in a glass of kefir, and eat it instead of a sandwich with sausage - you will be full, fall asleep peacefully, and wake up in a great mood in the morning.