Gingerbread cookies: benefits and harm to the body

Gingerbread cookies are flour products of confectionery production, during the baking of which a special dough is used. Outwardly they look most often in the form of a plate, slightly convex in the middle. The shape can be rectangular, oval or round. A layer of sugar glaze is applied to the surface of each gingerbread. In some cases, you can find drawings or inscriptions on them.

The history of such a delicacy dates back several millennia, since the first mention of it dates back several centuries BC. So, even in the era of Ancient Egypt, honey cakes were popular, which were to the taste of people, and also had ritual significance, being a product of an offering to the gods. In Russia, this delicacy was in demand even before the baptism of pagan tribes. Then the gingerbread cookies were prepared with various images. On them you could find drawings of flowers, plants, animals, some mythical characters.

What is the difference between gingerbread and cookies

Gingerbread cookies and cookies are varieties of confectionery flour products, which vary in degree of satiety, size, composition of the dough, etc.

Cookies are presented in the form of a small confectionery obtained from dough. You can add various grains to this dough. The treat can take the form of a circle, square, star, etc. In some cases, cookies are made with a filling in the form of raisins, chocolate, condensed milk or cream. Also, the filling can be located between two products.

Gingerbread is flour products, for the baking of which a special dough is used. To improve taste, honey, nuts, raisins, and jam can be added to it. Most often, such a product is presented in the form of an oval, round or rectangular baking, slightly convex in the middle.

Historically, gingerbread cookies are a symbol of the holiday, as its components were not cheap and everyday.

Gingerbread cookies differ from cookies by the presence of spices, a higher concentration of sugar and water, and a lower fat content.

Spices in the form of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, ginger, honey and baking powder are also added to the gingerbread dough.

Composition and calorie content

1. Modern gingerbread cookies contain rye flour, natural honey, egg yolk, milk and water.
2. It is also possible that various additives and spices are mentioned above.
3. Additionally, nutmeg, anise, allspice, lemon zest and vanilla may be present.
4. Another popular component of such a delicacy is burnt sugar and molasses, due to which the confectionery product acquires a special taste.
5. As a filling in the manufacture of gingerbread, additives such as jam, nuts, dried fruits, jam, etc. can be used.

The caloric content of such a product purchased in a store usually varies from 300 to 350 kcal per 100 g.

What are the benefits of gingerbread

General benefit

The properties of such a delicacy depend on its composition. In order not to harm your health, it is recommended to cook such a delicacy with your own hands at home, choosing only natural ingredients for this.

Small amounts of honey gingerbread are useful for both adults and children. After all, as you know, bee honey has many advantages for the human body.This component provides the production of endorphin, which raises the mood. In addition, natural honey activates the protective functions of the body, that is, increases immunity. In addition, it contains a high level of ascorbic acid, tocopherol and B vitamins. It should also be noted that such a component has a bactericidal effect.

As you know, rye flour is used in the classic Russian gingerbread recipe. Compared to wheat, it has greater benefits. This ingredient provides bowel cleansing and helps to normalize the digestive tract.

Often, fruit and berry fillings are added to gingerbread. They help strengthen blood vessels, stimulate blood formation processes and maintain the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Another component that is often found in gingerbread cookies is raisins. This component is distinguished by its content of various vitamins and mineral compounds. So, magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, phosphorus and potassium are found here. This dried fruit with regular consumption benefits the kidneys, nervous system and intestines. Due to the high level of iron in combination with B vitamins, such fruits are effective for the prevention of anemia.

For women

Honey and berry fillings, which are part of the gingerbread, are rich in various vitamins, such as A and C. These substances provide increased immunity, maintaining normal metabolism. In addition, they activate the brain and strengthen the NS. It should be noted that even after baking, a significant part of the useful substances is stored in the products and enters the human body.

Another important advantage of such a treat is that with moderate consumption, the aging process slows down, digestion is established, and the risk of such an ailment as sclerosis is reduced.

For men

It is known that it is the male half of humanity that most often suffers from cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, it is recommended to introduce gingerbread in the diet of men. This is due to the fact that the fiber used here flour normalizes the digestion of food, reducing blood cholesterol. Minerals and vitamins from the same honey component and berry juice strengthen blood vessels and activate blood formation.

As for gingerbread, they have benefits comparable to those of garlic. So, ginger will help relieve nervous tension, activate the brain, remove toxic substances and waste, and also reduce the risk of blood clots.

A spice such as cinnamon is used in the production of gingerbread. It has been used as a healing agent for several millennia. It is known that even in ancient China, it was used for pathologies of the liver and kidneys, problems with the skin. In addition, it helps to destroy fungus and parasites, strengthen the cardiovascular system and normalize cholesterol.

During pregnancy

Since gingerbread cookies are a flour product, you need to consider that when you use them you can gain weight. For this reason, eating them is undesirable, but there is no ban on them either. The main thing is to eat them in moderation.

Gingerbread cookies can be dangerous, as very often the cheapest trans fat is used in their production. In this case, the baby from such goodies will fall only everything bad, and a certain part of them will be deposited around the waist of a pregnant woman. Therefore, it is recommended to bake gingerbread cookies at home.

Some future mothers are recommended to use gingerbread. This is due to the fact that ginger helps to cope with the symptoms of toxicosis. In its pure form and when added to tea, it has a not very pleasant taste, and in gingerbreads it is not so pronounced.

When breastfeeding

It's no secret that a nursing mother often wants to eat something sweet, but not all goodies are allowed during lactation.The high sugar content in such products can adversely affect the course of this period and the well-being of the baby. Often, a child may develop an allergic reaction, and colic will increase. Therefore, you should carefully choose sweets and eat them only in small quantities.

The composition of natural gingerbread contains rye flour, burnt sugar, honey, milk and egg yolks. As additional ingredients, glaze, chocolate, jam and nuts can be used. All these components have a high degree of calorie content and can increase the likelihood of developing an allergy, which can negatively affect both the condition of the young mother and the baby’s well-being.

Such a treat is considered dangerous when natural ingredients are replaced with synthetic ones. Today, most manufacturers use in their production various dyes, aromatic substances and other products that are contraindicated during breastfeeding.

It is worth noting that natural gingerbread is a source of carbohydrates. So, in one flour product can contain up to 80 percent of carbohydrates. Therefore, it is a hearty treat that energizes and invigorates, helps relieve fatigue and cheer up. Everyone knows that sweets have a positive effect on mental activity and condition of nerve cells, improve brain function and memory. Therefore, in small quantities, a nursing woman should consume gingerbread cookies.

You can start introducing such a product into your diet from 3-4 months from the moment the baby is born. At first, it is recommended to eat no more than 1/2 of the gingerbread and observe the reaction of the baby. If there is no allergic reaction, you can eat such a dessert from time to time.

You must also remember that gingerbread should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as well as in the afternoon. Before buying, you should carefully study the composition. It should contain only natural ingredients, without any dyes or other chemical additives.

In this case, preference should be given to the classic gingerbread without the use of glaze. This will reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes and allergies. In addition, they contain fewer calories.

To protect yourself and your child, it is recommended to cook such a treat at home. Only in this case, you can be sure of the expiration date and composition of the delicacy. This will allow you to combine in the recipe such ingredients that the baby will not have allergies.

For kids

According to the classic recipe, gingerbread is made to glaze. This protects the product from rapid staling. As already mentioned, they contain a lot of carbohydrates. This suggests that for the child they are a source of energy for the muscles. However, one must remember that excess sugar in them can adversely affect tooth enamel.

It is also important to consider that such sweets often contain honey, cocoa, ginger, etc. And, as you know, all these components are capable of provoking an allergic reaction.

When losing weight

Unfortunately, gingerbread cookies are not diet foods. Therefore, you should not consume them in large quantities, in particular to those who seek to lose weight. It must be remembered that such a sweet should not be used instead of a full meal, especially replacing it with breakfast or dinner in the presence of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Gingerbread cookies can increase appetite. This is due to the fact that in their composition digestible carbohydrates were found that provide a rapid increase in blood glucose. A large level of sugar in the body turns into body fat.

Useful properties of gingerbread

Few people know that gingerbread is a valuable source of various vitamins and minerals. It is enough to eat one such product in order to get a charge of good mood and a portion of nutrients for the human body.In addition, it contains protein, vitamins B12, PP, a number of minerals.

Ginger is an antioxidant of natural origin. It can protect the body from various bacteria, viruses. Consequently, sweetness with ginger will help strengthen protective functions.

In addition to protein, it contains fats and carbohydrates that charge energy for the whole day. It should also be noted that ginger protects the intestines from inflammatory processes. So, a gingerbread treat will help to cope with nausea, as well as menstrual pain.

It is known that the calorie content of such a treat with ginger is about 350 kcal per 100 g. However, this figure applies only to the classic gingerbread recipe using ginger root and natural honey. In this case, the product will help not only cure diseases of the common cold and viral origin, but also speed up the metabolism in the body, increase immunity.

However, you should also consider the possible harm that a gingerbread treat can cause. First of all, this concerns the high calorie content of the product. That is why such sweetness should be consumed in moderation, otherwise it will affect the increase in body weight.

It should also be noted that the danger can be spoiled foods and gingerbread that are not properly stored. They must be stored in airtight packaging, protected from moisture and odors. Shelf life is not more than 6 months.

Gingerbread cookies that are sold in stores are not recommended. In this case, it is best to cook them yourself. After all, unscrupulous manufacturers use molasses instead of honey or add sugar syrup with an aromatic component to the product.

Gingerbread cookies in medicine

Gingerbread was once a truly healthy product. Today, due to mass production and cheapening, it has become a complex of useless and sometimes even dangerous components. The benefits of such a treat are not worth the wait. To date, the gingerbread store is not a valuable sweet, but only a product that can cause serious harm to the human body. To make such a delicacy tasty and healthy, you need to cook it yourself.

With diabetes

By its nature, such a flour product as a gingerbread has a sweet taste. As already mentioned, it is able to quickly increase the amount of glucose. Therefore, such products can lead to an increase in blood sugar. Therefore, these sweets should be excluded from the diet of people with diabetes.

In the usual form, gingerbread cookies are contraindicated for diabetics. However, now in the stores you can find a treat specially designed for this category of patients. In this case, instead of regular sugar, sweeteners are used that do not affect the insulin levels in the blood. But in any case, you should initially consult with your doctor.

Important: the glycemic index of gingerbread - 65 units.

With pancreatitis

The damage from the gingerbread can also occur in relation to the pancreas. Since the treat is high in carbohydrates, it forces the gland to work more actively. As a result, the load on the organ increases. It also affects the need for the pancreas to synthesize more insulin. For this reason, in the presence of chronic and especially acute pancreatitis, eating gingerbread cookies is not recommended in large quantities.

With gastritis

Given that gingerbread cookies are a separate type of confectionery related to baking, it is contraindicated to eat them in the presence of gastritis, since they are a rich product. As you know, with such a pathology, baking is prohibited. The greatest danger in this case is the use of any fillings.After all, a treat is already a burden for the stomach, and the use of some additives will only aggravate the situation.

Today, among a wide variety of gingerbread, you can find flour products that are allowed to be used for inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Nevertheless, it should be borne in mind that any baked goods purchased are made using a large number of aromatic, flavoring and preservatives. Therefore, it’s better not to buy it.

If you can’t give up sweets, you can cook gingerbread cookies at home, without using hazardous ingredients. But even in this case, it is recommended to include the resulting delicacy in food no more than 2 times a week. At the same time, baking should be followed by a non-fat sour-milk product or weak tea.

With gout

In the presence of gouty arthritis and other joint diseases, it is important to follow a diet to limit the number of calories and balance your diet. This is necessary in order to eliminate the problem of overweight and prevent its occurrence. As you know, overweight gives an additional burden on the inflamed joints, which can lead to an exacerbation of the disease. Therefore, it is important to refuse such a sweetness or to minimize its consumption.

Harm and contraindications

If we talk about gingerbread cookies prepared using natural ingredients, they have only one negative feature, namely, a significant degree of calorie content. This property is useful for children and people who play sports. However, if we talk about adult sweet tooth, which lead a more measured life, it should be noted that a high level of easily digestible carbohydrates and excessive consumption of such a delicacy can harm the figure. These carbohydrates can be quickly absorbed into the blood and stored in the form of fat cells.

As for the gingerbread cookies bought at the store, they have a greater danger than homemade delicacies. Most manufacturers seek to reduce the cost of their production, as a result of which instead of honey, molasses or sugar syrup with an aromatic substance is used, which can harm the body.

Sugar with glaze in the composition of such a product also negatively affects health, namely the condition of tooth enamel.

Once again, it should be noted that the classic version of gingerbread is contraindicated for people with sugar disease. Despite the fact that there are now many sweets on sale that are designed specifically for this group of patients, it is still recommended to consult a specialist first.

The greatest harm to human health is brought not by natural ingredients in the Russian flour products, but by various chemical inclusions. In this case, cocoa powder substitutes should be noted. They are used for economic purposes, but instead of useful cocoa beans, which have a beneficial effect on the human body, this substance can seriously harm.

Substitutes for natural honey and vanilla are also dangerous. Vanilla flavor is not able to bring any benefits to the body. Instead of honey, some manufacturers use synthetic menthol, which is a relative of methane. This component is contraindicated especially for children.

It is impossible today to find safe dyes and emulsifiers, which are also often used in the production of modern gingerbread.

When buying, you should pay attention only to such products, in which the harmless components are indicated or their number is minimized.

How to choose and store

Most often, when choosing gingerbread, people feel them and, if they are soft, buy them. Although few people know that they come in two varieties: custard and raw.Each of these species has its own advantages and disadvantages. So, for example, raw products quickly become stale, therefore, if products are bought for the future, it is better to give preference to custard gingerbread, as they are stored longer.

To get a quality product, you also need to pay attention to the grade of flour. In this case, raw materials of both the highest grade and 1 or 2 grades can be used. The lower the grade of flour, the more useful the delicacy.

Glazing protects products from evaporation of moisture, so the glazed delicacy is stored longer. However, the unglazed version is characterized by lower calorie content. Therefore, you have to decide what is more important in a particular case.

As for the shelf life, gingerbread without preservatives can be stored for up to 2 months. If the label indicates a longer period, therefore, the product contains various preservatives, which, most likely, will not even be indicated on the label.

Gingerbread edges should be even. Inaccurate edges indicate poor-quality raw materials or violations of the process.

Terms and conditions of storage depend on the type of carrot. First, you should consider the universal tips for storing gingerbread cookies of any type. First of all, you need to remember that the storage location must be protected from direct sunlight. Sealed containers should also be used. The temperature in the room should not exceed 20 degrees, humidity should be within 75%. The delicacy should be kept away from products with a pungent and specific smell.

Depending on the manufacturing method, compliance with storage measures, most varieties of such flour products are suitable for use within 3-6 weeks. Regarding gingerbread, it can be noted that, unlike ordinary products, their storage period is 3 months.

If you need to find out how much you can store the finished painted gingerbread, you should take into account that most often, honey is used in their manufacture, which is a fairly high-quality natural preservative. If upon receipt of the test all the requirements of the recipe were followed, storage features were taken into account, the product may remain usable for 6 months.

How to cook gingerbread: recipes

Dietary

For the preparation of dietary gingerbread cookies at home, you will need 300 ml of yogurt or sour cream, 700 g of wheat flour, 0.5 tsp. food soda, 500 g of sugar and a pinch of salt.

The manufacturing process begins with the connection of a fermented milk product with baking soda, 250 g of sugar and salt. Add flour to the same mixture. Roll out long flagella from the resulting dough, and then cut them into pieces. Next, put the gingerbread cookies on a baking sheet with parchment paper at a small distance from each other. After this, send the blanks into the oven, preheated to 200 degrees.

The remaining sugar is used to produce syrup. At the same time, pour 250 g of granulated sugar into water, and then cook the mixture for 20 minutes with constant stirring. This sugar syrup is used to process finished gingerbread.

Curd

To get cottage cheese gingerbread, you need a glass of mashed cottage cheese, the same amount of sour cream, 100 ml of vegetable oil, 0.8 kg of wheat flour, 2 chicken eggs, 2 bags of baking powder, 150 g of sugar and the same amount of powdered sugar.

First you need to mix sour cream with cottage cheese in such a way that a homogeneous mass is obtained. Separate egg yolks from proteins. After that, add the yolks, baking powder, sugar and butter to the curd mixture. Add the flour gradually to make a dough. After that, cover it and leave for 40 minutes.

Next, roll out a thick layer from the dough. Now, using a cup, glass or glass, make circles in the dough.Put the resulting workpieces on a baking sheet with baking paper, and then send to the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees. At this time, beat the proteins, combine them with icing sugar and mix. Hot gingerbread cookies pour icing hot. You can cook such a treat without glaze. In this case, it will turn out not so high-calorie and difficult to digest.

Chocolate

You can also make chocolate gingerbread. To do this, you need 170 g of dark dark chocolate, 200 g of flour, 70 g of butter, 2 eggs, 0.5 tsp. baking powder, 100 g of sugar and 150 g of icing sugar.

First you need to grind the chocolate, combine it with butter and put on low heat. Warm up the mass, stirring regularly until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. It should not be brought to a boil. After this beat eggs with sugar and gradually pour the mixture into a container with chocolate and butter. Then combine the flour and baking powder, and then again add it all to the chocolate mass and mix well.

The resulting dough should be in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After the specified time, divide the dough into equal parts and make balls out of it. Roll such blanks in icing sugar and put on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gingerbread cookies bake for 10 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.

Ginger

You can also use the gingerbread recipe without using honey. In this case, you need 2.5 cups of wheat flour, 0.5 tsp. ground dry ginger, the same amount of nutmeg, 100 g butter, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 cup water, 250 g sugar, a pinch of salt and baking soda.

Pour the indicated amount of sugar with boiling water and simmer until the sweetener is completely dissolved. After cooling the sugar syrup, add oil to it and mix thoroughly. Then combine flour and salt with soda, mix, mix with sugar-egg mixture, add nutmeg, ginger powder and yolks here. After mixing, wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.

After 3 hours, roll the dough into a layer and cut gingerbread from it into various shapes. Now lay the blanks on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at the same temperature.

Is it possible to eat gingerbread cookies in the post

During fasting, rejection of food of animal origin is supposed. As for the gingerbread cookies, eating them on fasting days is not recommended. This is due to the fact that most often such delicacies contain ingredients that are banned during this period. These include eggs, dairy products, such as milk, cream, kefir.

However, you can cook lean sweets. For example, on the Internet you can find many recipes, the use of which does not require the use of fatty ingredients. Such a product can already be eaten in the post.

You should also study the product label in the store, if the components of animal nature are not indicated here, you can safely buy and eat.

Interesting Facts

1. The first gingerbread cookies that appeared in Russia were called honey bread. The recipe was brought around the 9th century. This delicacy consisted of rye flour, honey and berry juice. Moreover, the beekeeping product in this case amounted to almost 50% of all components. Later, various additional ingredients began to be added to such a sweetness.
2. The most common variety is printed gingerbread. It was obtained using a gingerbread board. Masters such a board was cut out of hard wood. It was about 5 cm thick. Then the form was dried under natural conditions in the shade for up to 20 years, depending on the type of wood. After that, the carver cut out images in a mirror image on such a board.
3. In the period from the 17th to the 19th centuries, the most popular folk craft in Russia was the manufacture of gingerbread. Especially popular in this matter were cities such as Tula, Tver, Moscow, Arkhangelsk. Recipes for the preparation of such sweets were kept in strict confidence and handed down from generation to generation.
4. Gingerbread masters, in order to keep their recipe secret, never used weights to weigh the components of the dough. All ingredients were weighed using pebbles and small pieces of iron. These details were also stored under lock and key in a secluded place. After the end of the First World War, it turned out that the bulk of the recipes were taken to the grave with their authors who died in battles. Only thanks to a man who worked in his youth at the famous gingerbread maker and deceived the exact recipe, the production of such a delicacy resumed.
5. Tula gingerbread is the most common printed delicacy, known since the XVII century.
6. Vyazemsky brother appeared almost simultaneously with the Tula. Such a flour product is a custard. Its size was so small that it did not even fit the full name of the city. Therefore, the products were only the first three letters - "ELM". Despite this, this species was more expensive than its Russian counterpart. In the 19th century, there were 8 gingerbread factories in the city; after the October Revolution, production ceased. As a result, the gingerbread recipe was lost forever.
7. Gorodets gingerbread is also popular. Since the 19th century, 15 factories have been operating in Gorodets. The gingerbread cookies created by these establishments, in comparison with the Vyazma, had greater weight and impressive dimensions. Images of birds and animals, steamboats and trains, inscriptions of manufacturing plants, and wishes were carved on such products. This species survived the revolution and war and is still produced by large enterprises of the city.

Gingerbread Photos