Food & Health
Wheat
Health Benefits
Wheat provides 20 percent of the world’s caloric consumption and for the world’s poorest 50 percent of their protein consumption too. Flour comes in two general types. Enriched flour, also known as refined flour, is milled to remove the kernel’s endosperm and doesn’t include the bran or germ. It does, however, have various nutrients including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin and thiamine added which have shown to be beneficial to human health. Whole wheat flour includes the endosperm, bran and the germ.
In research studies, whole wheat products are associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer as well as a reduced risk of obesity and better weight control. Wheat based products have also been shown to be beneficial to the micro-organisms that reside in human guts.
Wheat Foods
The Wheat Foods Council, formed in 1972 to promote wheat based foods, has complied a treasury of recipes using flour from the different classes of wheat grown in the U.S. Go to wheatfoods.org for breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas.
Barley
Health Benefits
Barley Foods
Thinkbarley.com was created to provide information on barley nutrition and barley based foods. Visit their website for more details about the benefits of incorporating barley into your diet.