It is without a doubt that biryani is a dish that is loved all over the world. The flavored rice, spices, and seasonings that blend together to prepare this dish have people craving for more. Before diving into its health facts, let’s take a look at its popularity:
Biryani isn’t only praised in the Southern region of Asia but is branching out to Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia etc.
Moreover, due to the amount of Pakistanis moving abroad, there are many restaurants in western countries serving biryani. Hence, this dazzling dish has captured the hearts of foreigners as well. The reason for its utmost popularity has a lot to do with the fact that this dish is a complete meal.
It isn’t only about the meat and the rice but the way they mix together to create a harmonious twist of flavors. Without a doubt, one can admit that biryani is hands down the best invention of this subcontinent.
However, as we are approaching an era where the importance of healthy food is highly emphasized, people are looking into the health benefits of biryani.
Why Is Biryani Unhealthy?
This is a question that a lot of Pakistanis are curious about because biryani is a dish thoroughly loved all over the country. It is served during celebrations and important occasions like weddings and birthdays. So there truly is no way to escape its flavorful smell and spicy taste. But the concern of whether biryani is healthy or unhealthy is drastically increasing.
First of all, biryani is packed with calories. It is for sure that it has 400+ calories in one serving because it is prepared in plenty of oil and meat. These two components are what can make it potentially unhealthy.
Source: ukgt.co.in
Biryani often has a lot of red meat. A diet that it is rich with red meat can lead to a series of health complications. Beef and mutton and filled with saturated fat that easily raises the cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of developing of heart disease.
All the while, too much fat can increase your chances of becoming obese or overweight. The right solution to this problem is to either prepare biryani with lean meat like chicken or avoid consuming the dish every single day.
The Health Benefits Of Biryani:
Despite how biryani has the potential to be harsh on the health, a lot of facts suggest that this dish has numerous health benefits as well. Some of these benefits are obvious while the others are a bit surprising! Here are some of the various health facts surrounding biryani that prove biryani can be healthy as well:
It Detoxifies The Internal Organs:
Believe it or not, biryani can serve as an antioxidant for your organs. The flavor that this dish possesses isn’t only through a two or three spices. There are an endless number of spices that are mixed together with the meat and rice. And every single one of them is just as healthy as the next.
Source: Healthline
Some of these spices include cumin, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, garlic etc. It seems that cumin contains properties that decrease inflammation and cleanse the inner system.
Moreover, the usage of ginger is just as healthy as this plant reduces sickness and muscle pain. All the while, the other spices have a lot of antioxidant qualities as well. Turmeric, for instance, is full of anti-inflammatory properties which are necessary for preventing or avoiding harmful, chronic illnesses.
It Helps With Digestion:
Source: Immunolabs
Once again, the spices in biryani play a vital role in improving the digestive system of the body as well. The various spices, especially cumin, turmeric, and ginger, have the capability to ease the digestive process. Cumin can speed up the digestive enzymes, turmeric helps reduce gas and treats irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) , and ginger prevents nausea and other irregularities in the body that make one sick.
It is Nutritious:
Source: Taste of Asian food
Biryani is packed with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. All of each are necessary nutrients for the body. But chicken biryani that has a generous serving of vegetables is even more nutritious because it isn’t relying on red meat as a source of protein.
Biryani is a big dish that can have a variety of things added to it. So including a good mix of vegetables is utmost necessary as through that the body receives all the right minerals too.
It Is An Amazing Source of Vitamin B3 And Selenium
Keeping the beef and mutton biryani aside, chicken biryani is much healthier. The reason is that chicken is a great source of niacin or vitamin B3. This component has the capacity to protect the body from irregular cholesterol levels and can even detoxify. Moreover, niacin is also powerful enough to combat mental illnesses like depression, insomnia, and even schizophrenia.
Source: Alive
Chicken meat is also a source for selenium, which is a component that helps profoundly with the immune system. Not to mention, chicken biryani is rich in vitamin B-6 which improves the brain health, help with depression, and overall lower the risk of developing heart diseases.
If you’ve read till now, it is for sure that it must be apparent that ordering chicken biryani is better than ordering biryani ridden with red meat. The health benefits of biryani are nothing if you’re not being cautious with the way you cook.
Try to make sure that the oil quantity remains at a low while lean meat is used to prepare the dish. If you’re eating beef or mutton biryani, eat it with a week’s gap rather than daily or with less breaks.
Also, don’t indulge in cold drinks while eating biryani. Only drink them moderately as cold drinks are supposedly the leading cause for diabetes and heart diseases. Nevertheless, biryani can be healthy or unhealthy on the basis of how it is cooked, and what you consume it with.
Therefore, it is important to increase the quantity of vegetables and rely on the spices for a healthy biryani adventure!
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