Whole grains are cereal grains which retain the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to refined grains which retain only the endosperm. Whole meal products are made from whole grain flour. Image File history File links Whole grain diagram from http://www. ... This article is about cereals in general. ... wheat bran Bran is the hard outer layer of cereal grains, and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. ... The germ is the heart of the cereal kernel, the embryo of the seed, and a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. ... Endosperm is the tissue produced in the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Common whole grain products include oatmeal, popcorn, brown rice, whole wheat flour, sprouted grains and whole wheat bread. Common refined grain products include white rice (raw rice; parboiled rice however retains some of the "wholeness"), white bread, hominy and pasta (although whole-grain varieties of pasta are available in natural-food sections of stores). Oatmeal is a product made by processing oats. ... Popcorn Popcorn or popping corn is a type of maize which explodes from the kernel and puffs up when it is heated in oil or by dry heat. ... Brown rice (or otherwise called hulled rice) is unmilled or partly milled rice, a kind of whole grain. ... Whole wheat flour is a powdery substance derived by grinding or mashing the whole wheat grain. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... White rice is the common term for milled rice which has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. ... A loaf of white bread White bread is bread constructed from wheat flour from which the bran and germ have been removed, in contrast to whole wheat bread made from whole wheat flour, in which these parts are retained and contribute a brownish color. ... Hominy or nixtamal is dried, treated maize (corn) kernels. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ...

Identifying whole grains products

Whole grain products can be identified by the ingredient list. Typically if the ingredient lists "whole wheat", "rolled oats", or "whole corn" as the first ingredient, the product is a whole grain food item. Another way to identify whole grains in the foods you eat is to look in the nutritional facts information and check if the food item contains dietary fiber. If it contains a significant amount, it most likely contains whole grains. "Wheat flour" generally is not whole grain and therefore does not indicate a whole grain product. Many breads are colored brown (often with molasses) and made to look like whole grain, but are not. Additionally, some food manufacturers make foods with whole grain ingredients, but because whole grain ingredients are not the dominant ingredient, they are not whole grain products. Molasses or treacle is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of the sugarcane or sugar beet into sugar. ...

Whole grains are often more expensive than refined grains because their higher oil content is susceptible to rancidification, complicating processing, storage, and transport. Rancidification is the decomposition of fats and other lipids by hydrolysis and/or oxidation. ...

Similar to the distinction between whole and refined grains is that between whole pulses and refined dal. Pulses are defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and color within a pod. ... Masoor dal Masoor dal prepared using traditional yellow dal recipe Dal (also spelled dhal, dahl, or daal, daar) is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split, as well as a thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian and Pakistani cuisine. ...

From AACC (American Association of Cereal Chemist) definition: "Whole grains shall consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked caryopsis, whose principal anatomical components - the starchy endosperm, germ and bran - are present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact caryopsis.”

Health benefits

Whole grains are believed to be nutritionally superior to refined grains, richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E). Manufacturers are sometimes required by law to fortify refined grain products to make up for the loss of vitamins and minerals. The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption. ... Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the digestive system, absorbing water. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Phenylalanine is one of the standard amino acids. ... Lysine is one of the 20 amino acids normally found in proteins. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Trace element. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... General Name, Symbol, Number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Atomic mass 54. ... General Name, Symbol, Number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 3, p Appearance waxy white/ red/ black/ colorless Atomic mass 30. ... Se redirects here. ... Retinol (Vitamin A) Vitamins are nutrients required in very small amounts for essential metabolic reactions in the body [1]. The term vitamin does not encompass other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids. ... For the band, see Niacin. ... Pyridoxine Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin. ... α-Tocopherol (Vitamin E) Tocopherol, or vitamin E, is a fat-soluble vitamin in eight forms that is an important antioxidant. ...

The greater amount of dietary fiber, as much as four times than found in refined grains, is likely the most important benefit, as it has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some of these protective effects occur because carbohydrates from whole grains are digested and enter the bloodstream more slowly (as measured by the glycemic index). Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis. ... For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... Lactose is a disaccharide found in milk. ... Glycemic index (also glycaemic index, GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels. ...

Some store bought grains can be germinated and sprouted for additional nutritional benefits. Grains can generate toxic byproducts in the sprouting process. Make sure to rinse sprouts well before ingesting so as to avoid inducing toxicity.

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References

• Article from BBC news

See also

• Alkylresorcinols

Alkylresorcinols Alkylresorcinols are phenolic lipids present in high amounts in the bran layer (e. ...

External links

• Definition of Whole Grain