A KERNEL OF TRUTH

WHAT’S IN THE WHEAT KERNEL FOR ME?

What’s in a wheat kernel?

You’re likely aware of the fact that white flour is ground without the hull, the part that is good for your health. Your mother or teacher may have told you that eating whole wheat flour will make you grow taller, learn better, and feel more satiated. Chances are that you even know what the wheat germ, which contains the healthy properties of the wheat, is. Let’s continue discussing what’s in our flour by focusing on the wheat kernel.

The Bran, the Germ, and the Endosperm

The Bran is the darker brown muti-layered outer shell of the wheat kernel, which is visible when you look at a stalk of wheat growing. This husk comprises about 14.5% of the kernel weight. Including the bran in the baked goods we eat provides us with sought-after B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid), important antioxidants, as well as fiber.

White flour that is milled without the wheat bran is lighter, fluffier, and also severely lacking in the nutrients which are naturally part of wheat. This wheat bran is sometimes sold separately, so you can create a healthier version of the traditional white flour by adding the bran.

The Germ is the highly nutritious nucleus in the center of the kernel, which holds has the potential to sprout and create a new wheat plant. This component is only about 2.5% of the entire kernel weight, yet it contains many B vitamins, some proteins, benefits, the wheat germ reduces the shelf life of flour, making it an instant enemy of flour millers and sellers. This drawback led to the idea of millers sometimes removing the wheat germ from the kernel prior to milling the grain, creating a lighter, whiter flour which lasts a lot longer than its whole grain counterpart. minerals, and healthy fats. The wheat germ is often milled out separately and sold as an oily flake which can be used to enrich breads, cereals, and snacks.

By the late 1800s, when milling technology had advanced to the point where the wheat germ and bran were able to be easily and cost-effectively removed from the whole grain, refined flour became the standard form of flour used in bakeries and households around the world. Unfortunately, this development led to the stripping of much of the nutritional value from household staples like bread, cereal, and cookies.

Despite its amazing nutritional

The Endosperm is the remaining majority of the wheat kernel and provides food and energy for the wheat plant to grow by absorbing water and nutrients from the ground below and the sunlight above. This part is largely starchy carbohydrates, but also contains some proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Refinement and Enrichment

Refined flour, which is the typical white flour seen on the supermarket shelves today, is created by milling the endosperm without including the kernels’ bran and germ. Doing this means foregoing around 25% of the protein in the original wheat kernel, and significantly reducing the amounts of at least seventeen nutrients available in the whole grain. When some of the vitamins and minerals are added back into the flour during the production process in an effort to provide some nutritional value to the end product, it is referred to as enrichment.

What about the Gluten?

Often known as the bad guy in flour, gluten is a general term for the mixture of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is the component which acts like the binder, holding food together and adding a stretchy quality to products made with wheat flour. Some of the proteins in gluten, though, are difficult for the body to digest. The level of difficulty will depend on each person’s body, and therefore, some are more gluten-sensitive than others. Coeliac disease, an intestinal disorder in which an autoimmune response is caused in response to gluten products, forces individuals to completely refrain from eating any gluten containing grain products.

Whole Grains and You

Based on the excellent nutritional value of the wheat germ and bran, choosing whole grains means giving your body vegetable proteins, fibers, healthy fats, as well as magnesium, zinc, thiamin, folate, potassium and phosphorus. These and other properties of the whole wheat kernel were designed by Hashem to naturally provide us with vitality, immunity, and the ability to maintain healthy weight levels.

Take advantage of the whole grain options available to eat foods that are better for you. By reading food labels carefully and understanding what is inside the product you are buying you can make the right choices for yourself and your family.