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No nutrients in white flour?
Wholemeal is quintessentially healthy! Natural. Wheat, spelt and rye flours, ground from the intact kernel, provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals and fibre.
But are the lighter varieties lacking germ and bran totally worthless or even harmful? Is it all or nothing here?
Fortunately, the human body is willing to make more compromises than many a nutrition guru. It’s also happy to receive anything reasonably healthy that can be tolerated. But wholemeal is not something that agrees with every stomach. It may not “sit well in one’s stomach” and may cause sensitive people to get an upset or grumbling stomach. That’s why anyone who prefers white bread can do so without worry. Because thinking that white flour consists of purely “empty” carbohydrates is a wholly misguided assumption.
A comparison for purposes of reassurance: White flour (types 405 and 550) still contains approximately one third of the mineral content of wholemeal, respectable amounts of B vitamins and so much bulk and fibre that it may even be designated as “a source of dietary fibre” in accordance with strict EU guidelines. At over three percent this is still more than that provided by most types of fruit and vegetables.
