Whole wheat Flour VS Refined Wheat Flour, Which One is Best?

Wheat is considered one of the most staple food crops after rice in several parts of India, along with other cereals like maize, millets, barley, etc. It is consumed in various forms, such as bread, baked goods, and is mostly consumed in every Indian household as chapatis. Wheat is first ground into a fine powder which is essentially the powder that is then used to make different kinds of foods and delicacies that are consumed by us. The two of the most used fours in India are whole wheat flour and refined wheat flour.

Content

• Know your flour
• Why Choose Whole Wheat Flour?
• Choose the Finest Whole Wheat for Your Family!
• Health Benefits of consuming Vikram Mills Whole Wheat Flour
• The Promise of Authentic Products

Know your flour

Depending on the type of grinding and processing the flour goes through, there are chiefly two types of flour that are obtained, namely the whole wheat flour and the refined wheat flour.

Whole wheat flour, more commonly known as ‘Atta’ is made by processing the entirety of the endosperm, bran, as well as germ and hence, has a coarse texture and is brownish in colour. It is primarily used to make chapatis and is the most staple food in northern India. Now refined wheat flour is made through several levels of processing which include tempering, in which moisture is added to the grain which makes it easier to break down and process. As a result of which it loses a lot of the qualities of the grain.

The product which is obtained is refined wheat flour that is smoother and whiter in texture than the whole wheat flour. The refined wheat flour is commonly called ‘maida’ in India and is the chief ingredient for almost all the mouth-watering delicacies of Indian cuisine.

While we all love to have our fair share of parathas and puris in our diet, refined wheat flour may not be the best choice for essential nutrition.  The amount of processing that the refined wheat has to go through in the mill causes it to lose most of its essential components. Expert nutritionists often suggest the consumption of whole wheat flour instead of refined wheat flour.

Why Choose Whole Wheat Flour?

Whole wheat consists of a lot of essential micronutrients which are lost in the process of refinement of maida. Here is what makes whole wheat flour the best.

• High vitamin content – It consists of several vitamins including vitamin B1(thiamine), B3(niacin), and B5(pantothenic acid). These are essential micronutrients that help us to stay healthy and fit. In addition, it also consists of riboflavin or vitamin B2 which is needed for optimal cell growth of the human body. Thiamin along with niacin is used by the body during cellular respiration, to break down carbohydrates to produce energy, while pathogenic acid helps in the production of the blood cells. Refined wheat flour loses all these essential vitamins.
• Can help in losing weight – Whole grain wheat flour consists of unsaturated fat which helps in maintaining weight and helps prevent obesity to some extent.
• Fiber-rich flour – It has a high fibre content. Foods that are rich in fibre or roughage are like nature’s remedy to constipation. Fibre helps smooth the passage of bowel movements in the alimentary canal. Fibre-rich food helps lower blood cholesterol levels and can also help lose weight.
• Whole wheat flour has high amounts of amino acids and antioxidants in it which act as natural relaxants for the body. In other words, it helps relax our bodies and combat stress. It consists of an amino acid called tryptophan which is lost in refined wheat flour. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is not produced by the human body but at the same time is responsible for the optimal growth of children and helps in maintaining the body’s protein levels.
• Consumption of whole wheat flour can also help control diabetes since it has a low glycemic index, of 49. This greatly reduces the risks of type two diabetes for the people who consume it.
• It also prevents the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, refined wheat flour has a higher glycemic index causing it to be readily absorbed by the body while yielding lower amounts of energy, which in turn can lead to an imbalance of blood glucose levels.

Food made from refined wheat flour has a higher consistency of saturated fats which when consumed in excess can result in obesity. On the other hand, your regular courser Atta can help you in losing weight and gets you up to 339 Kcals of energy per 100 grams. Most athletes all over the world have diets that contain whole wheat flour food once a day. Whole wheat flour is an essential component for a balanced diet since it contains almost all the important food groups and is also rich in minerals like calcium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium which are required by our nervous and muscular systems to keep up with our daily functioning.

It is hence recommended that whole wheat flour is best suited for staple consumption.

Choose the Finest Whole Wheat for Your Family!

When it comes to the health of your family, always choose the best. Speaking about the best, India Gate Flours by Vikram Mills is the one and only choice.

They ensures to choose only what is best for you. The best and ideal wheat grains are chosen to provide you premium quality flour. The raw grains are carefully selected and come directly from the farm, which implies that only fresh grains are always used.

The grains are then carefully cleaned so there are no germs after which it is filtered. They are processed through multiple quality checks to ensure only the best product for you and your family. At the Vikram Mills, it is made sure that the whole wheat flour has a natural texture that is neither too coarse nor too fine. No amount of maida is added to make sure you get only the best and the purest form of whole wheat flour as promised by Vikram Mills.

The entire process, right from the first step of selecting the grains, cleaning, filtering the grains, grinding them to the packaging of the finished final product done with utmost care according to all the hygiene protocols.

Nutritional values of Whole Wheat Flour

The following is the nutritional values, which one gets in 100g cup of Whole Wheat Flour:

The dietary fibre present in whole wheat helps to maintain a healthy digestive system. It is filled with essential micronutrients like minerals and vitamins, providing you with a balanced diet.

The low levels of the fat content of whole wheat flour is an extra advantage and are ideal for individuals looking to maintain their health and fitness.

Health Benefits of consuming Whole Wheat Flour:

There are multiple health benefits to consuming whole wheat flour. A few of the major benefits are as follows:

1. The consumption of whole wheat helps in reducing the risk of heart diseases
2. Whole Wheat also helps in reducing the risk of cholesterol
3. Whole wheat helps in reducing the risk of diabetes
4. It also reduces the risk of obesity
5. It helps one to have a balanced and wholesome diet.
6. Encourages one to have a good and healthy digestion

Conclusion

Whole Wheat Flour has an abundance of nutritional values with added health benefits. It is an ideal ingredient you can use if you are aiming to have a balanced diet, which is very much required for every individual. Moreover, there are several delicious dishes one can make with whole wheat flour, hence you can use the latter not just as the main course but as a snack or a sweet dish as well!