Is Canaryseed good for Weight Loss? What the Science said?

Canaryseed has been traditionally used to treat diabetes and hypertension (1). It was also very common to use it for feeding birds. Currently, its use for human consumption is authorized and it is also being used in slimming diets. But, is it really useful to lose weight? Does taking canaryseed help to lose weight?

There is no need to stress if you want to lose weight, there are always new healthy options on how to achieve it. Remember that every organism reacts differently to different factors and what was good for one may not be 100% good for you.

What is canaryseed?

Canaryseed is a cereal whose scientific name is Phalaris canariensis L. This cereal has been cultivated for centuries in the Mediterranean area and currently the largest producers are Mexico and Canada.

In the Canary Islands, Italy and North Africa, it is a commonly consumed food. In Mexico, it is also taken as a food, and is usually consumed in the form of atole (2).

Like all cereals, the part that is used are the grains or seeds, whose nutritional properties are interesting for slimming diets. It can also be consumed as canaryseed flour or “canaryseed milk“.

Nutritional content of canaryseed

As for its nutritional value, 100 grams of canaryseed provide the following nutrients (3):

Energy	315 kcal
Protein	13.52 g
Fat	4.29 g
– Saturated Fat	0.554 g
– Polyunsaturated Fat	2.708 g
– Monounsaturated fat	0.84 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Carbohydrates	56.58 g
– Dietary Fiber	0 g
– Sugars	0 g
Sodium	4 mg
Potassium	1201 mg
Iron	3.1 mg

As we can see, canaryseed provides plenty of energy, is rich in protein, carbohydrates and low in fat. It does not contain cholesterol and if you eat the peeled seed or the extract it does not contain fiber either.

As for its mineral content, we can see that canaryseed is rich in potassium and also contains significant amounts of sodium and iron.

Therefore, we can consider it a good food, nutritionally balanced, that can be included in a balanced diet.

Canaryseed for human consumption

One question that immediately comes to mind is, how am I going to consume a food that pigeons and little birds eat, will it do me any good?

Although the canaryseed we are referring to is the same and it is ruled out that it comes from different plants, to be consumed by people, it must go through a special process that removes the elements that are not beneficial to our health, such as the superficial shell that is characteristic of this herbaceous plant.

It is better to acquire the powder or flour of canaryseed from reliable sales centers and that indicates that it is for human consumption, and like any other food, it must have an expiration date and sanitary registration.

Benefits and properties of canaryseed

As mentioned above, canaryseed has been used historically and traditionally against diabetes and high blood pressure. Later, the benefits of this food against these two diseases have been confirmed by several scientific studies (4, 5, 6).

There is also a study that states that canaryseed flour and canaryseed milk have antioxidant properties and that they help reduce blood pressure (7). These antioxidant benefits would be superior to those of wheat or oats (6).

In addition, canaryseed grains have also been shown to be beneficial in stimulating the immune system, neurons and blood circulation (6).

Is it also good for weight loss?

A scientific laboratory study has shown that canaryseed seeds or grains inhibit the absorption of certain fats and carbohydrates, which helps fight obesity and type 2 diabetes (8).

Another scientific study on mice showed that daily canaryseed consumption reduced weight in obese mice without affecting food intake. That is to say, the mice continued eating the same thing, but they were losing weight. The diet with canaryseed managed to reduce the accumulated fats and the weight (9).

More studies are needed, but these results are very promising and everything seems to indicate that this plant would also have the capacity to fight obesity in people.

How to take canaryseed to lose weight

You must take the birdseed on an empty stomach or before going to bed. Dissolve in a glass of water, a spoonful of this powder and then drink it.

Another way is to add it to a fruit salad, to soups, seconds or vegetable salads. Some people also add it to their soft drinks. Take it the way you like it, once a day.

However, there are those who, depending on their obesity, consume it when they get up and when they go to bed. For this it is better that you can consult a nutritionist or a naturist doctor.

Canaryseed milk recipe

Here’s a recipe for making canaryseed milk for weight loss:

Fill the blender with 250 ml. of water and add the canaryseed, then beat it until you get a soft and foamy milk texture, you can add more water up to 500 ml.

This milk is taken in the morning at breakfast and also one hour before dinner.

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