White Flour versus Whole Grain

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

This is positively my final post on the above topic!

This post is based on the principle: " When All Else Fails Look at

the Facts " .

There seems to be a widespread belief, here and elsewhere, that " all

the nutrition is removed in the production of white flour " . So I

went to Fitday.com and took a look at the nutrient content of 100

calories worth of each of these foods. The following is what I found:

Whole wheat has a higher fat content: 15.4% of total calories

compared with 12.1% for white flour. As for the sixteen nutrients

listed at the bottom of the Fitday analysis:

For three nutrients, vitamins A, C and D, both foods are listed as

containing zero.

For vitamins E and B-12, whole wheat contains more but in both cases

the numbers are barely greater than zero.

For Fe, P, Mg, Zn, Cu, and B-6 whole wheat contains decisively more

(although too much iron is detrimental for many people).

Whole wheat has marginally more niacin - not much difference.

For Ca, Thiamine, riboflavin and folic acid, whole wheat contains

appreciably LESS.

So perhaps those for whom calcium, thiamine, riboflavin and folic

acid are important would be advised to choose white bread over whole

wheat. Those for whom increasing their iron, phosphorus, magnesium,

zinc, copper and B-6 is important might prefer whole wheat.

In any event, describing white flour as having 'all the nutrients

removed' would seem to be an exaggeration of significant proportions.

Final point: The above is all what I would call 'theoretical

stuff'. In life generally (not only as regards nutrition and health)

I have repeatedly noticed that apparently sensible 'theoretical

stuff' is often rendered irrelevant when finally someone gets off

their butt and does some empirical testing. So I am more than

willing to pay serious attention to results from empirical studies,

either way. A study, a brief summary of which was posted here very

recently, suggested there may be a higher prevalence of colon cancer

among heavy white bread eaters.

Rodney.

[Guest guest]

>From: " Rodney " <perspect1111@...>

>Reply-

>

>Subject: [ ] White Flour versus Whole Grain

>Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 20:35:43 -0000

>

....A study, a brief summary of which was posted here very

>recently, suggested there may be a higher prevalence of colon cancer

>among heavy white bread eaters.

>

>Rodney.

Yeah, the white bread causes colon cancer thing may be a bit of a red

herring. It is possible that folks who eat a lot of white bread 1. eat the

white bread instead of more fruit and veges that might be protective against

colon cancer 2. don't go out of their way to try to eat the most healthy

foods in general and take care of their general health as well as folks who

eshew white bread.