The Benefits of Eating Whole Wheat

Posted by prsite at 05:25

Ever wonder what the big deal is about whole grains?

Many people don't realize how nutritious whole wheat products can be for their body. Whole wheat is an amazing source of vitamins as well as magnesium, fiber, iron and antioxidants.

Eating whole grains helps to maintain a stable blood sugar level. Which makes whole wheat very important to diabetics. Whole grains have also been found to reduce the risks of cancer. To be considered a whole grain, it must have three key parts, the germ, the bran and the endosperm. Each of these parts of the wheat kernel contains different vitamins and must all be kept together to get the full benefit of the whole wheat.

Wheat is one of the earliest food staples. Humans have been growing and harvesting wheat for thousands of years. It was cultivated anciently in Mesopotamia where it spread to other parts of Asia and Europe. In China wheat was even revered as a sacred food. Wheat didn't arrived in the Americas until early explorers brought it over from Europe.

For diabetics, processed foods aren't always the healthiest. White bread made with processed white flour has a high glycemic index value, commonly around 100. With whole wheat you can get a lower glycemic index value. Something closer to 50.

Is it just bread or can you find other whole wheat products? When my doctor told me that I had a beginning of type II diabetes a few years ago, I immediately started searching for food products that would not cause a sudden elevation of my blood sugar. Its amazing how much we can learn when our life is at stake; I have always eaten a lot of bread, and a lot of spaghetti. I knew about whole wheat bread; it has always existed. My concern was that I could no longer eat pasta made from refined flour, so my wife immediately scoured the supermarket for alternatives. Luckily for me, there are several products on the shelves made from whole wheat flour, spaghetti among them. We also found bagels, hot dog bread, vermicelli, muffins and, of course, whole grain flour that my wife uses to make my pancakes and waffles, as well as cookies and whole wheat Mexican tortillas (although you can find them ready-made in your local store). As you can see, there are a lot of choices for everybody and every taste.

Now of course healthy people, those that dont need to watch their glucose levels, will find that whole wheat is extremely nutritional. I have already mentioned that it is an important source of vitamins B and E, together with antioxidants (against aging), and minerals such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and selenium. The elevated fiber content helps enormously with your digestion as it cleans the bowels. The high amount of fiber reduces the feeling of being hungry and has been shown to reduce the risks of cancer and obesity.

A diet rich with whole grains will help maintain a healthy body, so start eating more whole grains today.



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