Are you one of the fitness enthusiasts who aspire to shed those extra kilos and that too without hoping for the diet bandwagon? What if we tell you that eating grams would lead you towards your goal? You read that right, eating ‘Horse Gram’ can help you lose weight more rapidly than any other gram but there is much more to this legume. Let’s delve into details:
What is Horse Gram and where does it come from?
The discovery of Horse Gram history dates back to 2500 BC and is native to Southern Asia especially in India. It was at first cultivated in India and then its cultivation expanded from India to Myanmar. Now its production is stretched to Northern Australia.
The scientific name of Horse gram is Macrotyloma Uniflorum and is a climbing plant that grows to the height of 24 inches. This crop is temperature sensitive and does not grow in cold regions. The ideal temperature for the production of this plant is 20-30º C which means the dry season is most suitable for it.
Nutritional facts of Horse Gram
Here is what a 100 gm of horse gram can provide you with:
| Energy | 321 kcal |
| Water | 12 gm |
| Protein | 22 gm |
| Fat | 0 gm |
| Mineral | 3 gm |
| Fiber | 5 gm |
| Carbohydrates | 57 gm |
| Calcium | 287 gm |
| Phosphorous | 311 gm |
| Iron | 7 gm |
Benefits of Horse Gram
There are various advantages to this amazing legume. Let’s have a look at these tremendous benefits:
- Weight Loss: Researchers have resulted that horse gram is best for people who want to lose weight and have an ideal body weight. Also, people wishing to have a vegetarian diet in their daily routine should definitely include this gram as an essential substitute. Due to low-fat content and high fiber content, this legume does not elevate the cholesterol and fat level in the body, which makes it an amazing diet for the one who is looking after their weight and want to stay fit as well as healthy.
- Dietary Fiber: Fibers are of 2 types, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers can be mixed with water in our stomach and form a gel that lubricates the digested food which in turn reduces the cholesterol in our body whereas insoluble fibers act as roughage and make the stool bulky which makes it easier to pass out of the body easily. Fiber is very advantageous in maintaining healthy bowel movements as well. Horse gram is a tremendous source of fibers and can be great source of fiber content needed by the body on a daily basis.
- Cholesterol Levels: Cholesterol level in our blood increases when bad cholesterol LDL, accumulate in the blood vessels and block the bloodstream. A handful of horse gram, soaked overnight and consumed afterward, will remove this excess cholesterol from the vessels. Healthy lipids in horse gram, controls and manages LDL levels, and removes the blockage in the bloodstream.
- Treats Conjunctivitis: This is an eye-opener for everyone in literal terms. Horse gram is amazingly helpful in treating Conjunctivitis because horse gram soothes and calms eyes by reducing the irritation caused due to conjunctivitis. The best way of using horse gram is treating infections, is by soaking it overnight, strain the water in the morning, and washing eyes with this water. This procedure also helps in treating other eye problems as well.
- Treatment of Piles: When the blood vessels in the rectum swell, it gets painful and inflamed. This problem can be treated at home by using horse gram which is soaked overnight. The water in which it was soaked, should not be wasted and consumed along with the horse gram that should be eaten raw in the form of salad. The presence of fiber acts as roughage and treats piles very effectively.
- Constipation: Due to lack of fiber, water, as well as sedentary lifestyle, people often suffer from constipation. The main cause of constipation is when stomach and intestine lining is not in position above the duodenum which hinders the normal contraction and expansion of waste materials to let go out of the body. As horse gram is power-packed, nutrient-rich legume, it has high fiber content which aids in the treatment of constipation. The presoaked horse gram, when eaten as raw salad, assists in handling the problem of constipation.
- Menstrual Disturbances: Menstrual cycles are often painful for women. They not only leave the, restless and uncomfortable but also drain energy leaving them all lethargic. Because of excess bleeding or irregular menses, the hemoglobin level also gets disturbed which needs to be revitalized. Horse gram legumes used in the form of soups or salads aid a lot in boosting the energy and hemoglobin level in women.
- Skin Regime: With the increasing popularity of this highly beneficial legume nowadays, it is used in multiple skin regimes. Ground horse gram is used as topical face masks for the treatment of rashes, boils, and other skin disorders as well. This surprising legume has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties along with minerals and vitamins which are extremely helpful in nourishing and exfoliating the dead skin with healthy ones.
Side effects of Horse Gram
Following are some precautions that should be kept in mind while consuming horse gram:
- Patients with gastric ulcers should not consume this as it will worsen the condition.
- If anyone is taking anemia related medicines, horse gram should be avoided.
- Horse gram is not beneficial if any person is having liver issues or excess bile production.
- Tuberculosis patients should stay away from horse gram.
- Women who are expecting should also keep horse gram at arm’s length.
Final verdict
Therefore, from the above-mentioned benefits, we can conclude that horse gram is essential for our health due to its antioxidant properties and nutrient-dense advantages. But, moderation should be kept in mind. Because these are not suitable in certain situations and conditions.
