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Rye

For a hearty salad, combine cooked rye berries with sliced fennel, tomatoes, and chopped basil.

Rye is a hearty cereal grass able to endure a variety of climates, surviving even in subzero temperatures. Originating as a grain-field weed in Asia Minor, rye became the most productive crop in the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe and Russia, where it’s still widely grown and known as peasant’s “black wheat.”

Varieties

Rye is found in cereals and in baked goods like crackers and breads. It is also available flaked, cracked, or as a whole grain or flour. Dark and coarsely ground rye is called pumpernickel flour.

Buying and storing tips

Find prepackaged rye in most natural foods or grocery stores; buy it in bulk for maximum savings. Store rye in a cool, dry area in a sealed glass or plastic container, because air, moisture, and sunlight can cause the oils to go rancid.

Availability

Rye is available year-round.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Serve cooked rye flakes with maple syrup and sliced bananas as a hearty breakfast cereal, or combine cooked rye berries with sliced fennel, tomatoes, and chopped basil for a delicious, unusual salad. Rye flour contains less gluten than wheat flour, so it won’t produce a well-risen loaf of bread without the addition of some higher-protein flour.

Nutritional Highlights

Rye, 1 cup (120g)
Calories: 566
Protein: 25g
Carbohydrate: 117g
Total Fat: 4.2g
Fiber: 24.7g
*Excellent source of: Iron (4.5mg), Magnesium (204mg), Selenium (59.6 mcg), Riboflavin (0.42mg), and Folate (101mcg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Health benefits and concerns

Celiac disease

Celiac disease (also called gluten-induced enteropathy) is an intestinal disorder caused by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. While oats contain a substance similar to gluten, modern research has found that eating moderate amounts of oats does not appear to cause problems for people with celiac disease. In one of these reports, approximately 95 percent of people with celiac disease tolerated 50 grams of oats per day for up to 12 months. Strict avoidance of wheat, barley, and rye usually results in an improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms within a few weeks, although in some cases improvement may take many months.

Tests of absorptive function usually improve after a few months on a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease is associated with various degrees of osteoporosis and bone mineral loss. Long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet ensures normal bone density and is an important preventive measure in young people with celiac disease.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Limited research has suggested that fiber may help people with IBS. However, most studies have found that IBS sufferers do not benefit by adding wheat bran to their diets and some feel worse as a result of wheat bran supplementation. It has been suggested that the lack of positive response to wheat bran may result from wheat sensitivity, which is one of the most common triggers for food sensitivity in people with IBS. Rye, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, vegetables, and psyllium husk, all good sources of fiber, are less likely to trigger food sensitivities than is wheat bran. However, except for psyllium, little is known about the effects of these other fibers in people with IBS.

Psoriasis

Anecdotal evidence suggests that people with psoriasis may improve on a hypoallergenic diet. Three trials have reported that eliminating gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) improved psoriasis for some people. A doctor can help people with psoriasis determine whether gluten or other foods are contributing to their skin condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

In one trial lasting 14 weeks, a pure vegetarian, gluten-free (no wheat, rye, or barley) diet was gradually changed to permit dairy, leading to improvement in both symptoms and objective laboratory measures of disease.

Health benefits and concerns for grains
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other grains. Read about health benefits and concerns for grains for a full description.