Teff: The New Low Carb Super-Grain

Teff, the world’s tiniest grain, is gluten-free and simply delicious. Recently made popular by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow, it has an array of health benefits which are hard to match. Tracing it back to its roots, you’ll find teff flatbread and porridge in the homes of most Ethiopians, where it’s been used as a staple food for hundreds of years.

Blood Sugar And Insulin Balance

Like many low carbohydrate, high protein fibrous foods teff helps to slow the release of insulin into the bloodstream. The blood sugar stability it promotes helps to prevent diabetes and weight gain. A stable blood sugar level is also essential for balance hormones, healthy brain chemistry and great energy levels. One cup of teff provides your daily requirement of manganese. This mineral has been shown to help prevent high blood sugar levels that can contribute to diabetes.

Teff Supports Digestion

Because of teff’s high fiber content, it helps to feed our gut bacteria and keep our digestive system regular. Fiber also has the important role of gathering and binding toxins, waste, and redundant fat particles as it passes through the gut. In this way it is crucial to our detoxification needs and weight balance.

The thiamine in teff also aids digestion. Today low hydrochloric acid levels are quite common and can cause bloating and even heartburn. Teff increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid, promoting the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from food.

Energy Boost

Teff is a fantastic source of bioavailable iron, which is needed to maintain healthy oxygen levels in the blood, muscles and organs. Iron is used to produce hemoglobin, a type of protein found in red blood cells, which carries oxygen from your lungs and transports it throughout your body to your cells. Considering the most common global nutrient deficiency is iron, teff might be a good addition to most pantries.

Oxygen is the form of raw fuel taken in from the outside and used by the body. Adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) is the raw fuel produced within the body by the mitochondria present in each cell. Teff is a good source of phosphorus and copper, the minerals needed for ATP production. Copper also makes protein more available to the body by freeing up circulating iron to be used by cells.

PMS, Fertility And Menopause

Teff grain has been known as an anti-inflammatory and menstrual soothing agent for generations. Its high levels of iron, phosphorus, calcium, manganese and protein certainly give the body an abundance of hormone making nutrients. Plus its ability to balance blood sugar levels, make it the perfect hormone food.

Strengthens The Immune System

Unlike most grains, teff has the unusual value of being a good source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a crucial part of our immune system; it supports the adrenal glands and stimulates the production and activity of white blood cells. Because teff is a high source of B vitamins and essential minerals, it helps to nourish the immune system. Thiamine (vitamin B1), for example, helps maintain the muscle tone along the walls of the digestive tract, where the bacterial side of our immune system (microbiome) is housed.

Sound Bone Health

Teff is a great source of manganese and an impressive source of calcium. Two minerals that are vitality important for bone health. Many calcium supplements have been found to be redundant in improving bone mass, but as teff is a food, the calcium is easily bioavailable. Calcium and manganese are needed for bone growth and development. After 30 years of age we generally begin to experience low levels of bone loss, whole food sources of calcium and manganese help to slow this process down and sustain bone mineral density as we age.

Teff Loves Your Heart

The unusually high percentage of iron in teff has been shown to effectively reduce blood pressure in research studies. Lower blood pressure in turn reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, teff is commonly recommended for people suffering from anemia. Iron is a key element in our red blood cells. When there is an iron deficiency in the body one can easily experience weakness, dizziness, fuzzy brain, muscle cramps, and headaches.

Teff is also rich in vitamin B6, which the body uses to maintain healthy blood vessels, reducing the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B6 regulates the compound homocysteine, a type of amino acid. High levels of homocysteine in the blood is commonly linked to inflammation and the development of heart conditions.

Teff Aids Strength And Repair

Protein keeps our metabolism running, our energy up, builds muscle mass, makes hormones and supports mental function. This is because our bodies use protein to create new cells, repair old ones. With eight different amino acids, including lysine, teff can provide good fuel for cellular growth and repair. While our minds jump to meat and dairy when we think of protein, our bodies can more easily break down plant proteins into their constituent amino acids. Whether you eat meat or not, we all need a good variety of plant proteins to stay healthy.

Gluten-Free Grain

As more and more people around the globe are suffering from gluten sensitive, autoimmune diseases and celiac disease gluten-free grains like teff are a fantastic option. Some common symptoms of gluten intolance, leaky gut or celiac disease include abdominal bloating or pain, anxiety, joint or bone pain, constipation, diarrhea, infertility, skin rashes and nausea.

No matter what eating style you choose teff certainly appears to be a grain suitable for everyone. Grab yourself a packet and begin experimenting in the kitchen, you never know what delicious recipe you will discover.