Bulgur

Bulgur is a cereal food obtained from durum wheat that, after steaming, is air dried and then coarsely milled. It has a very ancient origin, it seems indeed that bulgur was appreciated already by Babylonians and Hittites. It has the same characteristics as whole grain wheat, contains mineral salts such as potassium, iron and phosphorus, vitamins such as E, group B and PP, and fibers, useful for the proper intestinal functioning and to counteract constipation. Moreover, bulgur is a high energy food, satiating and anti-inflammatory thanks to the presence of a substance, the betaine, that, according to scientific studies (Detopoulou et al, on The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2008), is able to decrease the markers of the inflammatory conditions such as C-reactive protein and homocysteine, related to diabetes, Alzheimer, heart diseases and osteoporosis. Finally, bulgur should also play a role in soothing the effects of menopause. Indeed, on the basis of a study published in 1995 on the journal Maturitas, menopausal women that have introduced in their daily diet 45 g of non-refined flour or bulgur have observed, after 12 weeks, an improvement of hot flashes, also 50% less, and of other symptoms related to menopause. In order to cook bulgur you can pour on the cereal boiling water equal to twice the volume of the bulgur and wait that the grains absorb the water, about 30 minutes. There is also raw bulgur, that is durum wheat minced without the steaming process, in this case you should bring the water to the boiling point and cook the bulgur for 15-20 minutes. Serve the bulgur with vegetables or salads. Since the bulgur contains gluten, it isn’t suitable for inclusion in diet of those people who suffer from celiac disease.