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 isn’t just for soup anymore. Today, the grain can be used in main courses, side dishes, breakfast fare and more. Barley, which is a rich source of fiber, both soluble and insoluble, has been enjoying new-found interest among connoisseurs of good food and good health. Researchers have identified a type of soluble fiber, beta-glucan, as the primary component in barley responsible for lowering cholesterol.
 
Clinical studies show that eating whole grain barley or dry milled barley products such as pearled barley, barley flakes and barley flour provide at least three grams of beta-glucan soluble fiber per day and is effective in lowering total and LDL cholesterol.  Studies also show that increasing daily consumption of this soluble fiber results in even greater total and LDL cholesterol reduction.

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.

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