UNAM students create energy bar with amazing health benefits

Experts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) work on the development of different products that seek to have a positive impact on health and energy bars have many benefits : small size, low cost, and healthy ingredients , which satisfies the needs of consumers .

Ingrid Vianey Flores

works at the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Physiology of Grains (LABIFIGRAS) under the Multidisciplinary Research Unit of the Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) , Cuautitlán campus.

The research unit is led by Enrique Martínez Manrique , who, along with his team, works to contribute to a good diet , which helps to strengthen the immune system , which is capable of reducing susceptibility to diseases .

According to UNAM Global, Flores Pérez , a student of Food Engineering , developed a nutritious bar, whose ingredients and cooking method provide a greater nutritional value than the products currently on sale.

Energy bars

increase their demand by 10% every year and its sales are worth USD $7 million.

The student's research was created with the idea of developing a recipe to make a bar with wheat flour, chia seeds, and amaranth , which are more nutritious than commercial products.

"These bars only contain grains on top; however, you can make flours with them and add them to a bar with a bit of wheat," said engineer Verónica Jiménez Vera , who is part of the LABIFIGRAS research group.

The base of the Nutritious Bar are two seeds: chia seeds , which have a high content of fiber , good fats and Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids; and amaranth , whose components give it large amounts of protein , fiber , and vitamins .

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