Parts of the Wheat Kernel
Whole wheat flours contain all three major parts of the wheat kernel
Bran
- Bran is the hard, brownish outer protective skin of the grain. It surrounds germ and the endosperm, protecting the grain from weather, insects, mold, and bacteria.
- The bran consists of 7 layers. The bran layers are a concentrated source of dietary fiber.
- The aleurone layer is the largest portion of the bran, constituting 75% or more of its dry weight and is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Endosperm
- The endosperm is the inner part of the grain. It supplies food to the growing seedling.
- The main nutrients in the endosperm are protein and carbohydrate. About 50 to 75% of the endosperm is starch. It also contains storage proteins, typically 8 to 18%. Relatively few vitamins, minerals, fiber, or phytochemicals are found in the endosperm.
- White flour is produced from the endosperm.
Germ
- The germ contains the plant embryo. It typically accounts for about 2 to 3% of the wheat’s dry weight.
- Most of the wheat kernel’s fat and vitamin E content is found in the germ.
Wheat berries
Only the husks have been removed from wheat berries, making them the least processed wheat product.
They are sweet and nutty, lending a chewy texture when added to soup or stews or when combined with rice or other grains.
Wheat berries need to be soaked overnight, then boiled until tender.
Whole grains contain all the B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, iron and protective phytochemicals they were born with, rather than having these nutrients removed in a refining process. By contrast, most refined grains are basically just starch. (It’s true that some of the stripped nutrients are frequently replaced—white rice and flour, for example, are enriched with B vitamins and iron—but some critical components, like fiber, are not added back.) Just like the beans, whole grains take more time to digest and absorb, so they produce a more gradual rise in blood sugar than refined grains do. They’ll keep you feeling full longer.
How do you spot a whole grain? Beware the many imposters. Appealingly brown-colored bread or crackers labeled “multi-grain” or “cracked wheat,” for example, could still be made mostly from refined white flour. The only reliable guide is to check the ingredients list: the term “whole” or “whole-grain” should precede the grain’s name, such as “whole-grain rye.” These days, it’s easy to make the switch to superior grains, as supermarkets and natural-foods stores are stocking more whole-grain options.
Research shows that by eating whole grain foods, we can reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. That’s because the outer layers of grains removed in processed foods such as white bread and rice contain antioxidants, B vitamins, protein, fiber, minerals, and healthy fats.
Most of the fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals contained in wheat are found in the germ and bran covering, which is why consumption of whole-wheat products is encouraged by dietitians.
Although refined wheat products sometimes are enriched with iron and the B vitamins niacin, riboflavin and thiamin, they still contain significantly less nutrients than whole wheat.
Deciding to eat more whole grains is a big step for many people. But sometimes what is even more daunting is how to go about it.
Whole grains are finally getting some respect. The term “whole grain” encompasses the entire kernel of the grain — the bran, the germ and the endosperm. And it seems that in these small grains of goodness, research shows there are benefits to be reaped for people of all ages.
The latest study looked at a condition known as metabolic syndrome and found whole grains smelling like roses. The study’s authors, however, like many other health professionals, expressed concern over the confusion in choosing whole grain products.
The recent conference, Getting Whole Grains to 3, organized by the Whole Grains Council and Oldways Preservation Trust and held in Orlando, Fla., tackled some of the issues and came up with some promising strategies.
First, the details on the most recent study on whole grains and the metabolic syndrome. The syndrome is characterized by a number of conditions, including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood fats including cholesterol and triglycerides, and abnormal blood-sugar readings, all of which combine to boost the risk of heart disease and stroke. While scientists have found whole grains offer many heart health perks in middle-aged people, it wasn’t clear that the same benefits could be found in the elderly. With increasing age, the incidence of various illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure often naturally rises, putting the elderly at greater risk. The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined the association between whole and refined-grain intake and heart disease risk factors in more than 500 subjects between the ages of 60 and 98 years and found, like in younger people, that whole grains offered assorted health perks. Those subjects with the highest whole-grain intake were less than half as likely to have metabolic syndrome as those who consumed less than one serving of whole grains per day. Likewise, this same whole-grain group was about half as likely to die from cardiovascular disease over the next decade. There are several ways that whole grains can provide the heart health advantages. They may lower blood cholesterol readings, improve blood sugar regulation, decrease the rate of blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke and also have a positive effect on the endothelium, the lining of artery walls. Some researchers also speculate, because whole grains have been linked to easier weight management, that whole grains contain substances that may affect metabolic rates or calorie-burning capacity. In the study, the level of whole grain intake that showed the most benefit was three servings a day. It’s a number that keeps coming up in scientific research and resulted in the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guideline recommending that for adults, at least three one-ounce equivalents of whole grains be consumed each day.
YOU’LL NEVER USE WHITE FLOUR AGAIN
LESLEY CHESTERMAN , The Gazette
Published: Saturday, January 13, 2007
King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious
Whole Grains, (The Countryman Press, Sept. 2006). Hardcover. $43.50.
The holiday baking season has passed, but that doesn’t mean home baking has come to a halt. Quite the opposite. All that December baking has no doubt made us aware of how gratifying homemade baked goods can be, as well as how relaxing the act of baking is in itself.
Yet with all the white flour, white sugar and chemical leaveners involved, baked goods have come under much scrutiny lately. So the people at the Vermont-based King Arthur Flour company have come up with a compromise: whole-grain baking. Problem is, whole-grain baking has an equally bad rap with many bakers, who consider this the bastion of hippies and health-food fanatics. If you’re up for a bit of indulgence, the last thing you’ll reach for is a whole-wheat chocolate chip cookie, right?
Wrong! With the book’s excellent recipe, chances are you’ll never make a white-wheat cookie again. In fact this book might be just the thing to get you on the healthy eating track. One of my favourite pages offers 10 pointers on how to get more whole grains into your life. And baking from scratch, point number nine, is the only sure way to control exactly how much whole-grain nutrition you are getting in your diet.
As the book jacket reads, the point of this 500-plus page tome is “opening up the baker’s repertoire to new flours, new flavours, and new categories of whole-grain baked goods.”
These are not standard recipes with whole-grain flour substituted for the usual white, but 400 unique creations divided among 11 chapters such as yeast breads, cakes, squares, muffins, pies and savoury goods that combine flours and grains like whole wheat, spelt, barley, oatmeal and brown rice.
Not only are bakers introduced to a whole new world of baked goods, they can feel less guilty about enjoying them. And it’s not all austere sesame and sunflower loaves, granola breads and barleycorn biscuits (though there are plenty of those recipes to chose from). There are indulgent treats as well like sticky buns, fudge pudding cake, brownies, cupcakes and banana chocolate chip muffins.
If that weren’t enough, the book also features numerous sidebars on techniques, ingredients and helpful hints for novice as well as advanced bakers. There are also 125 how-to illustrations including how to roll out pie crusts, knead dough, shape cookies, incorporate raisins into biscuit dough or make easy chocolate curls. And there are 16 pages of colour photographs to tempt bakers into the kitchen to get started.
The buzz: King Arthur Flour is one of the most highly regarded baking supply companies in the U.S., so it comes as no surprise that this book has been endorsed by baking luminaries such as Flo Braker, Jacques Torres, Peter Reinhart and Mary Ann Esposito.
The test: The whole-wheat challah bread was easy to shape and tasted of eggs and honey, the devil’s food cake was rich and delicious, the chewy chocolate-chip cookies were sublime, and the pizza with overnight crust was nutty and toothsome. Only the dry and leaden cornmeal-maple biscuits failed to deliver.
Who is this book for? People looking to make some serious changes to their diet, or simply anyone who likes to bake. And by that I don’t just mean skilled bread bakers, but people who relish good eating as much as a humble date square, classic peach pie, or cinnamon-tinged apple coffee cake.
