Why You Should Fall In Love With Spelt?
History of Spelt
Spelt is an ancient form of wheat that is mostly being cultivated without chemical fertilizers because of its immunity to fungus and pests. It has been widely popular in Europe and in the Middle East since thousands of years ago. Spelt was the common grain used for baking in early times however it was almost abandoned for modern commercial wheat, which yielded slightly more and threshed out more completely in the field harvesting process. In more recent times spelt has regained popularity due to its nutritional value and health benefits. The healing properties of spelt were glorified by the German nun Saint Hildegarde von Bingen. Saint Hildegarde was the founder of scientific natural history in Germany in the 12th century.
Nutritional facts of Spelt
Compared to modern grain varieties, spelt has more nutritional value. In fact, spelt has almost 58% carbohydrates, 17% protein and 3% fat. Apart from that, spelt consists of both dietary minerals and vitamins. However, since spelt consists of gluten, it may not be the best option for those who have celiac disease. Still, spelt is a better option than the common wheat.
One serving of cooked spelt contains 246 calories, 51.3 g carbohydrates, 10.7 g protein and about 40 g starch. Spelt naturally comes with low fat levels (approximately 1.6g per serving).
One cup of cooked spelt has 7.5g of dietary fiber. High fiber diets can significantly reduce constipation, control blood sugar levels and decrease LDL cholesterol.
Each serving comes with 3.25mg iron. This is an ideal solution for iron deficiency. Apart from iron, spelt has 290mg of phosphorous, which is an essential mineral for every cell in your body.
Spelt is a very healthy grain to consider if you need to control your blood pressure; spelt has more potassium (277 mg) and low sodium (10 mg) which is an ideal combination in terms of controlling blood pressure.
General health benefits of spelt
In addition to the variety of nutritional values, there are numerous other health benefits associated with this grain. One of the most effective uses of spelt are hulls. Spelt hulls are completely natural and nontoxic. Spelt filling has breathable characteristics; you can use a spelt pillow even during hot summers without experiencing any sweat.
One of the most important benefits of spelt hulls is that they don’t tolerate microorganisms. In general, spelt hulls are perfectly cleaned and vacuumed, so they don’t provide ideal condition for mites and other organisms to grow.
Spelt has an anti-inflammatory properties, it helps with muscle and joint pains. It is a sun wheat so it retains its power with the help of sun energy. It grows in acid soil, therefore it contains crystals of flint acid that are stored in hulls. Flint acid has a positive effect on our skin, similar to clay and other silicates.