What are the benefits of couscous? Also discover the qualities, virtues and nutritional properties of a food that is as nutritious as it is delicious.
From the Arab gastronomy we can find delicious, nutritious and well-known dishes, which in fact have a great historical tradition. Among them, without a doubt, the one known as couscous or couscous stands out, a traditional Berber dish whose name comes from the words seksū or kseksū, which mean “round” or “well round”.
It consists of a traditional Berber dish that is made from durum wheat semolina, which after cooking has an average size of just one millimeter in diameter. More specifically, it is a dish that is traditionally made with semolina corresponding to the hard part of ground wheat, but which has not been converted into flour.
Nutritional benefits of couscous
From a nutritional point of view, the truth is that couscous is a very nutritious food, thanks to the fact that it provides a large amount of carbohydrates, especially starch. Therefore, it is an ideal food to provide energy to our body, which passes into the blood slowly, gradually, making it a very interesting food for people with diabetes and for athletes.
It also provides proteins, especially in the form of gluten, hence it is not a suitable food for people with celiac disease. In addition, it is a very low-fat food, while most of its fat content is in the form of the essential fatty acid linoleic, in addition to oleic (healthy fats, as you surely know).
It provides interesting amounts of fiber, essential when it comes to preventing constipation and regulating intestinal transit.
It is very rich in vitamins of group B, among which we can mention vitamin B1 or thiamine, which in combination with carbohydrates make it an extremely energetic food, given that the different enzymes that participate in the assimilation of glucose they need it. It also contains vitamin E, a recognized natural antioxidant.
Among its mineral content we can mention the following: calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium.
Properties that its consumption gives us
Taking into account the different nutritional qualities that couscous provides, we can also mention its most important properties:
- Very energetic food: due to its content in carbohydrates, especially starch, and vitamin B1, it becomes a food that provides energy, ideal for athletes and for those who need an extra energy supply (for example, for students).
- Ideal for people with diabetes: couscous is rich in complex carbohydrates, which pass into the blood slowly. Therefore, it is a useful food in the diet of people with diabetes.
- It helps prevent or treat constipation: whether in case of mild constipation or without it having yet appeared, the truth is that it becomes an ideal food, thanks to its fiber content. It is useful and suitable for regulating intestinal transit in a completely natural way.
- Rich in healthy fatty acids: it is an ideal food to take care of our cardiovascular system, thanks to its content of linoleic and oleic fatty acids.
As we can see, it is a food that is as natural as it is healthy, ideal to include in our daily diet, which is also perfectly combined with vegetables and salads. Of course, remember that it is a food rich in gluten, not recommended for celiacs.
