WHOLE WHEAT AND OTHER CEREALS – WHEAT GERM AND BRAN
If we slice a wheat grain lengthways we will find that the white inside is mainly made up of starch. White flour comes from this part. The yellowish germ is located at one end of the kernel. Years ago the wheat germ was not fully used because no one knew about its great value as a source of vitamin E. The outer protective cover over the starchy part is the bran, consisting of a tough sheath which, being pure cellulose, is indigestible. This roughage should not be eaten if one suffers from gastritis and stomach ulcers, for it is so tough and sharp-edged that it would actually irritate and inflame an already damaged stomach lining. In the case of ulcers it may even trigger pain and light bleeding.
A number of valuable minerals are found in the layers between the starch and the outer cellulose sheath. These layers contain vitamins of the  complex, gluten and amino acids essential for the building up of body protein. It is exactly these valuable and important parts of the wheat kernel that are usually fed to cattle, the bran together with its roughage or cellulose and germ. It is quite an achievement that modern milling machines are able to separate the valuable layers without including the indigestible cellulose, so that we can actually obtain the important elements of the grain and include them in our diet. This product is sold as ‘wheat germ and bran.’
*1039/28/1*
Add A Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.