Couscous - benefit and harm

Couscous is a product that belongs to the traditional Moroccan cuisine, from where it got to the countries of Western Europe and North Africa, where it gained great popularity and distribution. This cereal is produced from a mixture of cereals - wheat, barley, millet and rice. The production of couscous by technology is similar to the technology of pasta with the difference that the pellets of this product are very small in size. The approximate diameter of one piece of couscous is 1.2-1.5 mm.

Couscous has a high nutritional value, has a rich vitamin-mineral composition, a wide range of amino acids and other elements useful for our body. Like any other food product, couscous has its benefits and harm.

Useful properties of couscous

Couscous can be prepared only from wheat of solid varieties or a different combination of cereals. Most often on the shelves of shops there is wheat, but in specialized stores you can purchase mixed types of this cereal. Useful properties of couscous are explained by a wide list of nutrients that it contains. The biochemical composition of this cereal includes:

1. Amino acids are the building materials of all protein compounds of the human body, some of them (irreplaceable) are not produced in the body, but can enter into it only with food. Cusus contains leucine, lysine, valine, glycine, proline, arginine, aspartate, glutamic acid and other essential amino acids that provide the tissues with the necessary nutrition.
2. Vitamins, macro and microelements are the most important substances for metabolic processes. The composition of couscous contains vitamins B (B1, B3, B5), riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic and pantothenic acids, as well as a rich spectrum of minerals - potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, nickel, iron, manganese, zinc, copper.
3. Fatty acids are substances that are responsible for the energy functions of the organism and are involved in the construction of cell membranes, their significance is difficult to overestimate. Cuskus is able to replenish the reserves of palmitic, tetradecane and octadecanoic acids, which means that it can promote regeneration and recovery of cells, suspend the age-related changes in skin and hair.

Caloric content of couscous is 376 kcal in dry form, of which:

• proteins 12.8 g;
• fats 0.6 g;
• carbohydrates 72.4 g.

What is useful for couscous for the body?

Regular eating foods based on couscous helps supplement vitamins and minerals, increase blood hemoglobin in anemia, strengthen the immune system, suspend the aging of the skin and hair, restore strength with intensive training, diversify the diet.

Couscous is useful in the diet, because the basis of its composition is carbohydrates, it is perfect for breakfast or lunch, providing the body with important elements for the whole day. How often during a diet many of us feel lack of energy, increased fatigue and decreased tone, with regular use of dishes from this unique cereal you can get rid of these unpleasant companions of dietary nutrition. In addition, couscous salutarily affects the cardiovascular and central nervous system, stabilizes water-salt metabolism and improves metabolic processes in the body, which is very conducive to losing weight.

The benefits of couscous are obvious and unquestionable, but it is necessary to say about the precautions for using it for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus or an allergy to gluten-free cereal proteins.