The benefit of Eating Whole Grains without Robbing Yourself of the Essentials Minerals and Vitamins.
The Importance of Wheat Bran, Wheat Germ and Whole grains
Grains are initially harvested as a complete and whole grains kernel consisting of layers of bran, germ, and endosperm.
Wheat, a type of grass plant, is second only to rice as the main human food crop. Commercially, Triticum aestivum Vulgare and Triticum turgidum durum
Wheat bran is the outer hull of the wheat kernel, which is typically removed during processing. Wheat bran is rich in fiber and nutrients.
Wheat germ or embryo is the actual seed or part of the grain that sprouts and grows when a grain of wheat is planted. Wheat bran and wheat germ are intact in whole grains flour.
Wheat germ is one of our richest sources of thiamine, or vitamin B1, which is very essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system.
Thiamine is also important for the proper action of the digestive organs, and for promoting normal growth in children and young people.
Like the bran, the germ of the wheat is also separated from the flour in modern refining processes.
These layers contain healthy vitamins, minerals, and fiber as well as carbohydrates, some protein, and healthy unsaturated fats.
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The Danger in Eating Refined Grains and Its Negative Effect on Human Health
Processed or refined grains have healthy outer layers stripped off. This is very detrimental to the health and the general well-being of children and young people.
Processed foods like white flour, refined sugar, and soft drinks are very popular and widely available, and mostly unavoidable consumed.
Wheat in its refined form is not good for the body as it is not only fattening but also the root cause of several diseases.
Food manufacturers skillfully remove the endosperm of the wheat (white flour) from the germ (wheat germ) and the bran (wheat bran), making it more appealing.
Foods made from refined flour, sugar, and oil, borrow nutrients from the body in order to aid their own absorption, thereby depleting the body’s reserves of vitamins and minerals.
Why do modern manufacturers remove the bran and the germ of the wheat? Many consumers seem to prefer white bread because it’s appealing to the eyes, and for reasons of prestige.
Also, white flour is easier to preserve. The bran and germ in whole wheat flour tend to spoil if the flour is stored for any length of time.
They also attract weevils that spoil the flour if stored for any length of time. Evidently, the weevils know what is good!
Although ordinary white flour still has plenty of starch or carbohydrates, it does not contain the elements needed for the normal growth and development of the body. This applies to other grains, where similar refining processes are used.
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Why Polished Rice Is Not an Ideal Food
For instance the polished rice, a food used by millions of people throughout the world. Like wheat, the rice grain is also enclosed in an outer covering containing many of the minerals and vitamins so essential to health.
Yet these substances are deliberately removed so that the polished rice may be stored for longer periods of time.
Polished rice may look attractive, but the results of living on such as diet are often tragic. Through this polishing process, many children are robbed of the vital element necessary to a growing child.
They are starved while trying to grow up on devitalized foods, the best part of the grain having been lost or thrown away.
Malnutrition used to be a serious problem many years ago, although it’s still a problem in some rural areas.
But today we have no excuse, for now, we know why these deficiency diseases occur and how to prevent them.
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The benefit of Whole Grains
- Whole grains contain essential minerals and vitamins
- The outer coatings contain bran or fiber, which keeps you feeling full longer.
- Aid digestion and bowel movement.
- Helps in the prevention of minerals and vitamins deficiency-related diseases.
- Eating a diet rich in whole grains helps prevent diabetes.