What is psyllium, manufacturing features. Calorie content, useful properties and restrictions on use. Use in cooking and traditional medicine recipes.
Psyllium, Ispagol or Isfagula are crushed bran made from the husk of the flea plantain seeds found in India and Pakistan. Smell and taste - neutral, color - light, greyish-yellowish, milky, with a shade of brown - at home production. The grated husk of psyllium seeds is used as a remedy and in cooking.
How is psyllium made?
Flea plantain is different from the weed we are used to growing on the edges of paths and dirt roads. This herbaceous plant reaches a height of 40-50 cm, has pubescent, opposite thin leaves and small flowers forming umbrella-heads. Harvesting is partially mechanized.
The branches are cut, collected in bunches resembling bouquets. They are washed, dried, turning upside down, under the sun or in drying chambers. In this case, a directed air jet is recommended.
Some growers harvest psyllium and psyllium seeds at the same time. In this case, pallets are installed under the bundles, into which the grains fall out, although not all. Before threshing, the seeds are re-dried.
The dried twigs are fumigated to stop the vital activity of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Stones and dirt particles are removed manually. To separate the husk from the seeds, the intermediate raw materials are processed in a pneumatic aspiration unit.
Next, sifting is carried out, during which the kernels fall into the pallet of the device, and only the husk remains in the chamber. The unit resembles a winnowing machine for preparing for threshing wheat. Only at the elevator is the grain collected, not the shells.
The separated and dried inflorescences are passed through gravity separators. This process ensures high quality cleaning. It is crushed and passed through sieves with holes of different sizes until a powdery consistency is obtained. Packaged in polypropylene bags, plastic or paper containers.
The grade classification of psyllium depends on the grinding size and purity: for the first grade - 99%, for the second - 98%, for the third - 95%, for the fourth - 85%. The lower the grade, the more plantain grains are in the composition.
For pre-sale preparation, psyllium is packaged in cling film bags or dark glass bottles. Products intended for use for medicinal purposes are offered to the consumer in packages of 20-50 g, in food - 180-500 g.
It is impossible to make an original product at home, living in European territory, due to the lack of raw materials. But the bran from the husk of plantain seeds does not differ in basic properties from psyllium. The product is appreciated for its hygroscopicity. 1 g is able to absorb 45 ml of water.
You can prepare the bran from plantain panicles yourself. For this, almost faded inflorescences are cut off, the seeds are shaken out - they can then be used for medicinal purposes. The panicles are washed or treated with hot steam, dried, hanging down with their heads to spill out the grains. Exfoliate the seed coats with your fingers.
Place in a vegetable dryer or in a thin layer on a baking sheet. The oven regulator is set at 35-40 ° C, the door is opened slightly. The dried husk is ground in a coffee grinder or blender to a powder consistency. Store in hermetically sealed jars, in a dark place, for 4-6 months, until the next harvest. Use in the same way as the original product.
The composition and calorie content of psyllium
In the photo psyllium
The main value of psyllium is soluble fiber, which is 71% in relation to the rest of the constituents. For comparison, oat bran contains 5% soluble fiber. Due to this composition, the product has gained popularity among individuals adhering to a low-carb diet.
The calorie content of psyllium is 42 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 2.9 g;
- Fat - 0.1 g;
- Carbohydrates - 7.3 g;
- Dietary fiber - 70 g.
The rest is ash and organic matter.
As part of psyllium:
- hemicellulose - indigestible polysaccharides;
- arabinose - simple carbohydrates;
- xylose - a monosaccharide from the "wood sugar" group;
- glacturonic acid - an organic acid formed during the oxidation of galactose;
- a small amount of aubicin - a substance similar in structure and effect on the body to alkaloids.
This composition explains why psyllium is popular and what it is for. When combined with moisture, mucus of increased viscosity is formed - the compound binds liquid 10% stronger than starch. The property remains with an increase in acidity to pH 10, with an increase in temperature to 50 ° C, when combined with salt - in 15-18% brine. This allows the product to be widely used in the food and medical industries.
The beneficial properties of psyllium
The natural product can be introduced into the diet of pregnant women and persons with low immunity, hospital patients after operations during long-term rehabilitation. With low vital activity, it is difficult to restore digestive processes, and psyllium husk quickly normalizes metabolism.
The benefits of psyllium for the body:
- Helps to lose weight quickly. It creates a feeling that the stomach is full, which blocks the feeling of hunger for a long time.
- Psyllium accelerates the speed of peristalsis and mitigates the aggressive effects of acids and pepsin, which enter together with the food lump, on the mucous membrane lining the intestines. The risk of developing colitis is reduced.
- It liquefies the food lump moving along the esophagus, which prevents the formation of fecal stones and prevents the development of constipation.
- During food and infectious intoxication, it accelerates the elimination of toxins and pathogenic microorganisms, thereby facilitating the treatment of diarrhea.
- Creates favorable conditions for increasing the activity of beneficial flora colonizing the small intestine.
- Has an antioxidant effect, prevents the formation of neoplasms in the colon and rectum, transformation into a malignant form.
- Eliminates flatulence, odor from the mouth, prevents putrefactive or fermentative processes from developing.
- Stimulates the production of bile acids, thereby reducing the absorption of cholesterol.
- Reduces blood pressure, reduces the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke and heart attack.
Dietary fiber helps lower blood sugar levels. Psyllium recipes can be included in the diet of people with diabetes. The glycemic index of the product is 42 units.
