Is whole wheat flour, which focuses on weight loss, nutrition and health, really suitable for you?

In recent years, consumers' demand for healthy diet has become increasingly urgent, and health preservation has gradually become younger.

The concept of “eating healthy” has been recognized by many consumers, and whole-wheat products that focus on weight loss, nutrition and health continue to be popular. The sales of major items such as whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat biscuits, whole-wheat steamed buns, etc. on the market have skyrocketed!

So what exactly is whole wheat flour and what specific nutritional value does it have? Let's take a closer look.

01

What is whole wheat flour?

According to the standard (LS/T3244-2015), whole wheat flour is defined as "wheat flour made from whole wheat grains through a flour milling process, and the relative proportions of wheat endosperm, germ and bran are basically consistent with natural caryopsis."

Generally speaking, the essence of whole wheat flour lies in the word "whole", which fully preserves the types and contents of nutrients in wheat.

Whole wheat flour can generally be divided into two types according to how it is processed.

One is to directly grind the whole and clean wheat to get whole wheat flour.

The second method is the back-adding method , which first obtains pure endosperm powder through fine processing, which is the flour we often eat, and then the separated wheat bran and germ are crushed and added back to the wheat flour in proportion.

Image source: CCTV Life Circle

02

What are the advantages of whole wheat flour over regular flour?

1. More nutritious

Compared with wheat flour, whole wheat flour contains all the nutrients of wheat. Every nutrient in the plant is organically combined in the plant body, which is easier to be absorbed by the human body than the nutrients added to food artificially. These nutrients play an important role in the human body.

Whole wheat flour Source: Photo Network

During the processing of ordinary flour, the bran and germ of wheat are removed for the sake of taste and color, which also causes the loss of most of the cellulose and more than half of the niacin, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients beneficial to the human body.

Moreover, the higher the processing precision of flour, the less bran and wheat germ it contains, and the lower the nutritional value.

2. Stronger feeling of fullness

Whole wheat flour contains more dietary fiber, which is a polysaccharide that can neither be digested and absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract nor produce energy. With the same intake, we can feel a stronger sense of fullness, and at the same time, there are fewer available carbohydrates, which further reduces the glycemic load (GL), so it is very suitable for people who need to lose weight and exercise.

3. Reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes

At present, domestic and foreign scientific research literature and a large number of clinical epidemiological studies have shown that eating whole grains can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease and diabetes. Pietinen et al.'s experimental study pointed out that there is a negative correlation between total dietary fiber and the mortality rate of coronary heart disease. Other studies have shown that consuming more than 10 grams of dietary fiber per day can reduce the mortality rate of coronary heart disease by 17%.

In addition, studies have shown that there is a relationship between the intake of bran and germ and diabetes. After adjusting for physical activity, total energy intake and other possible interfering factors, it is shown that the intake of whole grains can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and other chronic diseases can choose more whole wheat products.

03

Is whole wheat flour suitable for everyone?

Nutritious and healthy whole wheat flour is not suitable for everyone . People with celiac disease absolutely cannot eat it.

Celiac disease (CD) is commonly understood as an allergy to wheat. It is a chronic autoimmune small intestinal disease caused by gluten protein. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, vomiting, and intestinal inflammation such as intestinal villous atrophy.

**Wheat allergy affects people of all ages. **Studies have reported that the incidence of allergies caused by wheat intake is higher in children than in adults, and that the allergic symptoms of children with wheat allergies will be alleviated or disappear when they enter school age. The higher incidence of wheat allergy in children than in adults may be related to incomplete digestion of dietary protein. Therefore, families with children should pay more attention when choosing whole wheat flour products.

04

What are some common whole-wheat products?

As a staple food abroad, bread has gradually become popular among Chinese people in recent years. Therefore, whole wheat bread is the first whole wheat baked product to appear in the eyes of Chinese people. Common ones include whole wheat toast, whole wheat croissants, etc. Whole wheat biscuits are also a kind of whole wheat baked product. Whether it is tough biscuits or soda biscuits, whole wheat flour can be added to meet the needs of different consumers.

Image source: Photo Network

In response to the taste requirements of Chinese people, whole wheat steamed buns, noodles, fried dough sticks and other products have appeared in recent years. However, due to the high gluten content in whole wheat flour, the products have a slightly rough taste and the color is also affected. In the future, only a perfect balance between nutritional quality and edible quality can make whole wheat products further recognized by Chinese consumers.

References:

[1] Li Juan. Research on the improvement of baking quality and moisture migration mechanism of whole wheat soda biscuits[D]. Jiangnan University, 2013.

[2] Ji Xiang. Effect of whole wheat flour on flour and noodle quality[D]. Henan University of Technology, 2019. DOI:10.27791/d.cnki.ghegy.2019.000167.

[3] Hao Chunming. Preparation of whole wheat flour and research on its quality characteristics[D]. Henan University of Technology, 2013.

[4] Hu Xuejie. Digestive stability and potential allergenicity of gluten proteins in seventeen wheat germplasms[D]. Nanchang University, 2021. DOI: 10.27232/d.cnki.gnchu.2021.003104.

[5] Chen Hong. Research progress on nutritional characteristics of whole wheat flour and its products[J]. Modern Flour Industry, 2020, 34(01): 54-55.

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Author: Xiaojuan is not a volume

Master of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology