Know2eat

Bulgur

Triticum durum

What bulgur has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Moderate
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About bulgur

Wheat that has been parboiled, dried and cracked, a preservation technique thousands of years old across the eastern Mediterranean and Levant. Because it is pre-cooked it only needs soaking or brief simmering. The USDA reference entry is for cooked bulgur.

Also known as Burghul, Cracked wheat, Pourgouri

Heart HealthBlood Sugar & Metabolic Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Observational data links higher wholegrain intake with lower cardiovascular risk, and wholegrain bulgur is one of the foods contributing to that intake. This rating describes whole grains as a category; no trial has tested bulgur against a comparator for cardiovascular outcomes.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Insufficient evidence

Some trials report a lower post-meal glucose response to bulgur than to rice or couscous, which fits its coarse particle size and parboiled starch. The number of trials specific to bulgur is small.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Bulgur

Ask about Bulgur

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories83 kcal4%
Protein3.08 g6%
Total fat0.24 g0%
Carbohydrate18.6 g7%
Fibre4.5 g16%
Total sugars0.1 g—
Water77.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.042 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.031 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.098 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.094 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.01 mg0%
Vitamin K0.5 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.057 mg5%
Riboflavin (B2)0.028 mg2%
Niacin (B3)1 mg6%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.344 mg7%
Vitamin B60.083 mg5%
Folate18 µg5%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline6.9 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium10 mg1%
Iron0.96 mg5%
Magnesium32 mg8%
Phosphorus40 mg3%
Potassium68 mg1%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc0.57 mg5%
Copper0.075 mg8%
Manganese0.609 mg26%
Selenium0.6 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene1 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin54 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.34 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Bulgur, cooked (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170287).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • boiledPreserves starch structure

    Parboiling the whole kernel before cracking gelatinises and then retrogrades the starch, which is part of why bulgur produces a lower glucose response than similarly refined wheat products and why it keeps well.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Bulgur is wheat and contains gluten

    Bulgur is cracked wheat and must be avoided in coeliac disease and wheat allergy. It is also a common hidden source in tabbouleh, kibbeh and pilafs where the grain is not obvious in the name of the dish.

  • Worth knowing

    Fructans and IBS

    As a wheat product, bulgur contains fructans and commonly provokes symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome.

  • Worth knowing

    Whole or refined depends on the grade

    Bulgur is usually made from whole wheat, but finer grades are often partially debranned. The label rarely says, and coarse grades generally retain more of the bran.