15 PROPERTIES OF COUSCOUS THAT PROMOTE HEALTH - NUTRITION - 2025

The couscous has properties that enhance health: it is energy, prevents constipation, protecting cardiovascular health, among other benefits. Couscous is a traditional Moroccan and North African Berber dish. It is made with wheat semolina, vegetables, chickpeas and red meat.

It is the most important dish in several African towns in the north. In addition, it is linked to religious themes. For example, Couscous is cooked every Friday, as a kind of culinary ritual for Muslims.

In the Arab gastronomy we can appreciate this food in different preparations, whether they are salads, main dishes or soups, which have a great historical tradition.

This food is made with semolina from the hard part of ground wheat, which has not been converted into flour. These grains are cooked and tend to swell until they increase in diameter and consequently obtain their particular yellowish shape and appearance.

Today, it is marketed throughout the world through pasta brands and in packages, as non-perishable food. In the following lines, I invite you to read the health benefits derived from regular consumption of couscous.

15 properties of couscous that promote health

1- Protects the immune system

This food strengthens the immune system. This is because of the antioxidant qualities of selenium. This micronutrient present in couscous, helps to fight against the proliferation of free radicals and other toxins in the body and the bloodstream, which strengthens the body's defenses.

Selenium, according to the Organic Facts website, stimulates the regeneration of vitamins C and E, which play an important role in protecting the body. Couscous, as it has these nutrients, contributes greatly in this matter.

2- Strengthens the muscles

For the development of muscle mass, selenium plays a preponderant role, since it strengthens the body's protein metabolism and contributes to the development of muscles.

Studies have shown that selenium deficiency in the body is one of the main causes of muscle weakness, abnormal fatigue, tiredness, or general body weakness.

Consequently, because this nutrient is difficult to acquire naturally, couscous may be one of the best sources to obtain it. In this way, you will improve the muscle mass of your body.

3- Contributes to a good digestion

Couscous contains almost 10% of the daily fiber intake, which the body requires, considering one cup of this food.

As it contains fiber, it contributes to the good digestion of foods eaten by people and provides benefits to the gastrointestinal system.

In addition, this element helps to give volume to the peristaltic movement of the intestine, which are the contractions of the smooth muscle through which food moves throughout the digestive tract.

As if that weren't enough, fiber also works as a scraper or cleaner for the arteries, removing harmful LDL cholesterol from the body and retaining the good one, HDL.

This reduces the chances of constipation, preventing harmful intestinal conditions, particularly stomach and colorectal cancer.

4- Prevents cancer

Selenium, present in couscous, has an even more health benefits.

It stands out as being a catalyst in metabolic pathways, which lead to the proliferation or protection of certain types of cancer.

Recent studies have even linked a selenium deficiency in the body to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Therefore, according to Organic facts, adequate amounts of selenium in the body will translate into antimetastatic qualities and better overall prevention against cancers. In fact, selenium would, in turn, be associated with lung cancer prevention and carcinogenesis for smokers, when combined with vitamin E and vitamin C.

Prostate cancer has gotten the attention of experts so far, but studies, linking couscous and selenium to other cancers, are still ongoing.

In this list you can know other anticancer foods.

5- Strengthens wound healing

It is difficult for the body to recover after an injury, illness or surgery, since the reconstruction of the skin, due to the damaged cells, takes time. As well as the normal function of the body.

Couscous can be of great help during this recovery period, as it provides large amounts of protein.

This nutrient is an integral part of wound healing, as well as the metabolism of enzymes that help repair the body, both internally and externally.

More than 15% of the human body is made up of proteins. Any food source rich in this element, such as couscous, is something positive for the body.

6- Protects cardiovascular health

Selenium is a very difficult trace mineral to find in food sources, but it is an essential mineral in the human body.

It should be noted that a single serving of couscous has more than 60% of the recommended daily intake of selenium, so this food is powerful in that area.

Regarding heart health, selenium is an antioxidant that acts mainly in the blood vessels to reduce the accumulation of plaque and the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, dangerous in the arterial walls.

In this way, couscous protects the body from developing diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.

On the other hand, couscous contains potassium. This nutrient also reduces blood vessel contraction, blood pressure, and helps patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. It also helps in the normal beat of the heart, and prevents cardiac arrhythmias.

7- Protects bone health

Couscous, as it contains calcium, is a food that protects the bones. It alleviates the wear and tear that occurs on the skeleton over time, with body movement, or with possible bone fractures.

This element is also important for the health of the teeth and prevents osteoporosis. With calcium, in addition, according to the Zliving site, healthy skin is maintained and blood pressure is reduced. Calcium also helps prevent insomnia.

8- Good source of vitamin B

This food is whole grain and, therefore, is a good source of B vitamins, necessary for our body to stay healthy, says the Livestrong site.

Couscous, specifically, provides thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, B6, folate, and pantothenic acid.

These nutrients help metabolize energy, maintain healthy red blood cells, prevent certain birth defects, and maintain healthy skin, blood, brain, nervous system, heart, and immune system.

9- It is an energy food

Couscous, thanks to its high content of carbohydrates, such as starch, and vitamin B1, is a food that provides energy.

For this reason, it is a recommended meal for those who practice sports and require an injection of energy before and after working with the muscles.

10- Control the weight

For those who want to lose those extra pounds, especially in the abdominal area, the consumption of couscous is recommended, according to the Fawesome Ifood website.

The above is explained because this food is low in fat, even less than rice or pasta.

In this sense, replacing noodles or noodles with couscous is a good measure to reduce sizes and, incidentally, obtain nutrients from this meal. It can be consumed a cup of couscous a day, in salad, soup or accompanied with a piece of meat or tuna.

11- It is a good antioxidant

Like quinoa, couscous is a good antioxidant for the body. It is made up of flavonoids (polyphenols), quercetin, and keampferol, which prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

This is because they block free radicals, molecules that damage the body's cells and multiply, according to a study The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, regarding polyphenols.

12- It is a good antibacterial

Since couscous, as mentioned above, supports the immune system, it is also a good antibacterial and antiviral agent.

It had already been considered that it is a strong deterrent against cancer cells, but in addition, it is added that it fights cold sores, herpes zoster and the herpes virus, as the Revelations Twelve page alludes to.

13- Regulates body fluids

The human body is known to be made up of more than 90% water. The proper balance of this vital fluid in organs and cavities of the body is of utmost importance for the normal functioning of the body.

Well, the potassium present in couscous helps to achieve this regulation of fluids within the body.

This balance controls the digestive system and normal urine output, in addition to keeping blood pressure normal. These actions induce the prevention of conditions such as atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular accidents.

14- Good source of manganese

Couscous is a rich source of manganese. One cup of this semolina provides approximately 7% of the daily value that the body requires of this mineral. A mineral that helps maintain healthy blood, bones, nerves, hormones, and the brain.

It also helps regulate blood sugar and metabolism. Manganese, moreover, is an antioxidant, protecting the body from free radicals and the damage caused by them.

15- It is low in calories

Another reason to include couscous in your diet is that it is low in calories.

It's easy to make and you will get less than 200 calories from a cup of couscous, according to the New Health Advisor website. This fact makes this semolina an even better option than other cereals such as rice or quinoa.

As I said before, this food has proteins. Something that also serves to burn body fat. It's also low in cholesterol and, as I said above, it's low in saturated fat and sodium.

Nutritional value of couscous

According to Gabriela Sarrat, an academic at the School of Nutrition and Dietetics of the Andrés Bello University of Chile, quoted by La Segunda newspaper, couscous: “is made of steamed durum wheat semolina, grainy, yellow in color, which contains the nutritive substances of the whole grain and an important fiber content, especially in its whole variety ”.

The Steadyrun site provides the nutritional characteristics contained in this food. The components listed below are based on the amount of 100 grams of food.

Components

• 112 calories
• 0.2 g total fat
• 0.1 g of polyunsaturated fat
• 5 mg of Sodium
• 58 mg of Potassium
• 23 g of total carbohydrates
• 1.4 g of dietary fiber
• 0.1g sugar
• 3.8 g protein
• 2% Iron
• 5% Vitamin B-6
• 2% Magnesium

How to make couscous salad

Ingredients:

• 100 g of couscous.
• 200 ml of hot vegetable broth, low in salt.
• 2 spring onions.
• 1 red pepper
• ½ cucumber.
• 50 g of feta cheese, cubed.
• 2 tablespoons of pesto.

preparation:

1. Place the couscous in a large bowl containing the vegetable soup.
2. Cover and leave for 10 minutes, until fluffy and all the broth has been absorbed.
3. Meanwhile, cut the onion, pepper and cucumber into a square.
4. Add these to the couscous, plus the two tablespoons of pesto, feta cheese, salt to taste and it's ready to serve.

Side effects

According to the Happy Dieter site, the couscous, being similar to rice and pasta, cannot be eaten by a person with celiac disease.

Being made from durum wheat, it is not gluten free. It may seem that a whole grain does not contain it, but it is actually a small pasta, a staple of some countries, that is used to accompany meat stews.

If you have a wheat allergy, you should not consume semolina, such as couscous. Common symptoms include hives, sneezing, runny nose, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, or asthma. In severe cases, anaphylaxis causes shortness of breath and the body goes into a state of shock that can be fatal.

If you are sensitive to gluten, side effects include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. Joint pain and headaches may also be experienced. Other symptoms are changes in behavior, such as poor attention, hyperactivity, or depression.

References

1. Study: "Couscous, a traditional Turkish food product: production method and some applications for the enrichment of nutritional value" (2004). İlyas Çelik, Fatma Işık and Oğuz Gürsoy. Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Pamukkale, Çamlık-Denizli, Turkey.
2. Study: "Molecular basis for the role of selenium in muscle development and function" (2008). Alain Lescure, Marzanna Deniziak, Mathieu Rederstorff, Alain Krol. Unité Architecture et de l'Réactivité ARN, Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg, France.
3. Study: "Production of couscous, using the traditional Turkish method vs couscous in the rest of the world" (2013). Scientists from the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
4. Study: "Polyphenols: antioxidants and beyond" (2005). Scalbert Augustin, Ian T Johnson, and Mike Saltmarsh. Article of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, United States.