Cereal grains and legumes play an important role in supplying the nutrients, as well as over 70% of the daily energy requirements, of over 2/3 of the world’s population. Bread, the most common form of cereal intake in many countries has been designated the Staff of lifer, and rightly so, since it contains more nutrients per weight than meat, milk, potaotes, fruits, and vegetables. The kernel of wheat is composed of the outer layer, the germ, and the enosperm. It is rich in nutrients, it contains the entire B complex, except vitamin B12. B vitamins function as cofactors in many metabolic reactions involved in the release of energy. The germ, which includes the scutellum, is especially rich in vitamins B and E, high quality protein, unsaturated fats, minerals, and carbohydrates. The bran consists mostly of the insoluble carbohydrate cellulose (fiber), and contains incomplete protein, traces of B vitamins, and minerals – epecially iron. The endosperm is the largest part of the grain and consists mostly of carbohydrate starch, incomplete protein, and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. The nutritional value of wheat is improved by milling, which increases its digestibility, and by moderate heat and humidity which inactivate enzyme inhibitors and other heat-sensitive toxic factors and denature protein. So why stone ground whole wheat? In todays milling process the bran and germ, which make up about 28% of the wheat, are totally removed. They are used in the production of animal feeds as well as by pharmaceutical laboratories for making diet supplements. Whole wheat flour is produced by recombining ground bran with white flour, but the germ is usually left out, because it would go rancid. The resulting flour is a 95% extraction. White flour is about 72% extraction, only 20 to 30% of the grains original vitamins are retained. In the 1940’s they began ‘enriched’ flour by adding thiamin, riboblavin, and niacin and iron to the flour. Flour ‘Enrichment’ implies a loss of nutrients and should not be equated with wholesomeness. For approximately 20 nutrients, there is an average loss of 70-80% in refined and renriched flour. On top of this a bleaching agent is added to the flour to make it white and the neutralizing chemicals that must be used. To see what this does and what chemicals are used read the whole article I am quoting – http://eap.megill.ca/Publications/eap_head.htm Look under “Aduteration of Flour” This article goes on to give the stuies of the Health effects of bread and it is quite an eye opener. It is enough to make a person stop eating bread completely but that is so wrong. Bread is truely the “Staff of Life” and important in any persons diet but make it a healthy part of your diet by making you own bread and using Stone Ground Whole Wheat. Diets high in complex carbohydrates such as stone ground whole wheat help to guard against many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, diverticulae, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, and varicose viens of the legs. I have had collitus and diverticulae for over 60 years but have not had one flair up in the past 1 and 1/2 years since using only stone ground flours. It is the longest period I can remember of being free from this problem.
Many people claim to control allergic symptons by eliminating bleached wheat products from their diets. Wheat fiber helps to neutralize acid secreted by the stomach and is therefore of therapeutic value for persons with ulcers.
Check out my page on recipes for stone ground flour. You will find using this flour is just as easy as using the processed flour you get in the store and so much better for you. Let me hear from you on your ideas and questions about this topic.
