Whole wheat is a nutritious food but the vitamins and minerals dissipate quickly once the wheat has been ground into flour. In fact, within the first 24 hours the flour has lost 45% of it's nutrients and by the time 72 hours has passed it has lost a whopping 90%! 90% of nutritional value of the wholesome grain that does not make it in to your family's bodies. Is it any wonder we have to take nutritional supplements?
The taste of freshly ground flour is another reason to grind your own. Imagine that if that much of the nutrition is lost a comparable amount of the taste of the fresh grains must be lost as well.
The whole wheat kernel or berry is made up of distinct parts, all of which contribute to the high quality nutritional value of the wheat. The wheat has high amounts of vitamins A, E and B. Wheatberries found in the tombs of the pharaohs in Egypt and examined still contained the full range of 26 vitamins and minerals, over 2000 years after it had been harvested!
The outside of the kernel is called the bran. Bran is good for the fiber that the body needs as well as helping to regulate cholesterol. It helps to detoxify the body which is an important function in our society where toxins assault us from every angle.
The wheat germ is the part of the kernel that sprouts. It holds the life of the wheat, the ability to produce plants like itself. It has the highest density of vitamins B and E in the wheat. This is where wheat germ oil is found, a healthy oil that helps the body absorb vitamins that are not water soluble.
Finally, the endosperm is the part of the wheatberry that holds the starch. This is the only part left in white flour. It is literally only the starch which breaks down into sugar in the body, and is meant as a food source for the plant as it grows, before the leaves come out and photosynthesis begins.
Written by- Marye Audet
When you grind your own flour freeze it to preserve the nutrients.
No comments:
Post a Comment