Are Grits Good For You?

Grits have vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can provide health benefits, including: Reduced Risk of Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes, and Some Cancers As a whole grain, grits provide several antioxidants that help mitigate cellular damage from free radicals, unstable atoms in the body.

Grits are also high in B vitamins, such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and folate, either naturally occurring in the corn kernel or added back in after processing. B vitamins help keep metabolism, cells and energy levels healthy. Grits are also rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that keep eyes healthy.

Grits contain powerful antioxidants — including lutein, zeaxanthin, caffeic acid, 4-OH benzoic acid, and syringic acid — which have been linked to powerful health benefits (7).

Grits are quite nutritious, thanks to the oatmeal they’re made with. For instance, they’re an excellent source of folate. Also called vitamin B9, folate is important in red blood cell formation and the healthy growth and function of these cells.

Grits can offer a variety of nutrients. Iron is the most important of these, as iron is essential for the production of red blood cells and many people aren’t getting enough of it. Some of the other nutrients include folate, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, and zinc. Each of these nutrients helps to keep your body functioning well.

Nutritionists often praise oatmeal for being high in fiber, low in calories and rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, but you can also get nutritional benefits from eating enriched grits for breakfast. Once again, eating it plain is the healthiest way, but there’s a great number of people that add milk, spices, butter and/or sugar.

The way that grits are processed also affects your blood sugar. Grits products differ in their amounts of fiber, an indigestible carb that passes through your body slowly and helps lower blood sugar (3). The more fibrous your grits, the healthier they are if you have diabetes.

While grits contain protein, fiber and a range of vitamins and minerals, they’re not naturally a good source of any nutrient except selenium. The good news is that most brands of grits are enriched, so you can count on a boost of B vitamins and iron. Grits, corn grits and hominy grits all refer to the same food, but plain hominy is different.

• They taste like tofu, but more often, they soak up the flavor of the food they are mixed with.
• In addition to contributing to Livestrong.
• Often vitamins and minerals are added back in, so you may see “enriched” on the ingredients list.
• A report by Purdue University shows that the history of grit is almost 5, years old.

What Are the Health Benefits of Grits Vs Oatmeal

• Calories and Fat. Grits are made of dried kernels of corn, treated with an alkali to remove the hull and germ, and then ground like regular cornmeal.
• Vitamin B-6. Getting an ample amount of vitamin B-6 may help prevent carpal tunnel, rheumatoid arthritis or vision problems, such as macular degeneration.
• Folate Content.
• Nutrition For Athletes.

• Oats: Cal 390, protein 17
• Couscous*: 376, 13
• Cream of wheat: 370, 10.5
• Polenta: 361, 7