Biryani, the much loved, rich, flavorful dish from India is not only delicious but healthy. There are many different types of Biryani dishes across India. The Biryani dishes popular in a city, province, or region reflect the history of that region and the contributions of the local rulers and people. Let’s look at the health benefits of biryani.
Chicken Biryani
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Chicken Biryani: Chicken Bests Mutton and Beef
Chicken biryani is healthier for you than beef and mutton biryani. While all three provide you with additional protein, chicken is the healthiest because less oil is used in the chicken biryani dish. Chicken is also a leaner meat than mutton and beef, is low in calories, and is a terrific source of protein.
Chicken Biryani: Blended Spices
You benefit from the antioxidants and inflammatory properties of chicken biryani’s spices. Its spices may include ginger, garlic, cumin, saffron, turmeric, black pepper, and many others. The blended spices in chicken biryani will help you maintain a healthy digestive system. The spices’ antioxidants also detoxify your body.
Great Source of Niacin, Vitamin B-6, and Selenium
Your body gets a lot of niacin, selenium, and vitamin B-6 from chicken. Niacin helps you fight mental health problems like insomnia, depression, and schizophrenia. Selenium and vitamin B-6 also help to relieve any depression you may feel, lowers your chances of contracting heart disease, and promotes your brain’s health.
Vegetable Biryani’s Health Benefit
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Biryani contains antioxidants that protect your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are known to be a contributing factor to the development of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is associated with chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease, loss of mental faculties).
Vegetable Biryani: General Benefits
Vegetable biryani is high in calcium and vitamin C. The calcium contributes to healthy teeth and bones. As for vitamin C, it is great for boosting and strengthening your immune system and makes you less likely to get the common cold.
Vegetable Biryani: Vegetables
The dish’s mixed vegetables provide lots of nutrients and are low in carbohydrates. Since it is low in carbohydrates, it doesn’t raise your insulin levels as much when you eat it. Overall, it is effective in preventing constipation, facilitating weight loss, and it’s a terrific source of protein.
Vegetable Biryani: Tomatoes
Tomatoes have high levels of folic acid, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Together they create the conditions for a healthy heart and help your body to manufacture and maintain new body cells, in particular red blood cells.
Vegetable Biryani: Onions
Onions are a digestive powerhouse and not so secret health booster. They provide a plethora of health benefits like helping you keep your blood pressure under control, providing you with loads of vitamin C, and are really good for your eyes.
Basmati Rice: Biryani’s Health Booste
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Lower Insulin Levels
Biryani has a lower glycemic index than other kinds of rice. This means that when you eat it, your body will have a lower insulin response than it would to other rice varieties.
Maintain Your Blood Pressure
It helps you maintain your blood pressure. Its high levels of magnesium and potassium help you keep your blood pressure in check.
Promotes Healthy Bones
Basmati’s high magnesium content provides for the development and maintenance of healthy bones and a healthy cardiovascular system.
Promotes a Healthy Digestive Tract
If you have digestive problems, you should strongly consider eating basmati rice on a regular basis. The dietary fiber content of basmati rice can be instrumental in maintaining regular bowel movements and an improved digestive tract. It also relieves bloating and constipation.
Lower Your Saturated Fat Consumption
Basmati has a low caloric content and compared to other kinds of rice has a lower saturated fat content. This means your meals will have low cholesterol content and your heart will benefit from it. The lower cholesterol content makes it less likely that you have cholesterol buildup in your arteries.
Promotes Better Eating Habits and Weight Loss
Basmati rice has a high fiber content and makes you feel fuller while you’re eating and after you finish eating your meal. Feeling fuller during your meal, means that you will eat less at mean time and also consume fewer calories. Plus, fiber slowly breaks down in your digestive system and causes you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. This means that not only do you eat less at mealtime but you also eat less after your meal. You can look forward to smaller meals later on and fewer, if any, snacks. If you’re trying to lose weight, a high fiber meal can help you do that, and you won’t feel like you’re on a diet or going hungry to do it.
Less Arsenic in Your Body
Basmati rice grown in India and Pakistan has less than half the arsenic that is found in other rice varieties grown in other parts of the world. Arsenic is toxic to humans, accumulates in the human body over time, and adversely affects the health of people, mind and body.
Amylase Helps You Feel Fuller Longer
Basmati rice has high levels of amylase compared to other kinds of rice and many other varieties of food. High levels of amylase keep you feeling full for long periods of time because amylase is a carbohydrate that is difficult for the human body to digest. The consequence is that people eat smaller meals at meal time and fewer snacks between meals.
Promotes a Healthy Cardiovascular System
The fiber in basmati rice promotes a healthy cardiovascular system by lowering your chances of developing heart disease, and, consequently, it lowers your risk of having a heart attack.
Choose to be Cancer Free
Basmati rice has more vitamins than other kinds of rice. The rice’s vitamins and fiber content help to prevent cancer cells from accumulating in your body. They do this by fighting the free radicals that affect dying and growing cells. Studies have also shown that it is especially useful in fighting intestinal and colon cancer.
Wrap Up . . .
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Biryani is a healthy, rich textured, spice filled dish that feeds your body and mind. When eating it, you can savor the mouthwatering flavors of India. Furthermore, you can prevent and alleviate common health problems without causing yourself any discomfort or inconvenience. The healthiest dish to eat is vegetable biryani.
If you choose to consume mutton or beef biryani, you are advised to eat them once a week and in the interim consume vegetable or chicken biryani. If you’re not able to sample local biryani in India, order some from your local biryani cloud kitchen. While chicken biryani may be your best bet to eat, especially while ordering from your favorite restaurant, make sure that you eat in moderation to avoid consuming too many calories.
Author Bio
Aida Grigoryan is a content writer and content marketer who writes on SaaS and eCommerce marketing. She has contributed to 30+ publications with her articles and guides. The content she writes helps SaaS & eCommerce companies get better at promoting their products.
