Refined grains, in contrast to whole grains, refers to grain products consisting of grains or grain
flourFlour is a powder made of cereal grains or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many civilizations, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
s that have been significantly modified from their natural composition. The modification process generally involves the mechanical removal of
branBran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the latter lose a portion of their...
and
germGerm may refer to:* Microorganism, especially a pathogen; see Germ theory of disease* Germ cell, an ovum or sperm, or one of its progenitors* The Germ , a periodical established by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to disseminate their ideas...
, either through grinding or selective sifting. Further refining includes mixing, bleaching, and brominating; additionally, thiamin,
riboflavinRiboflavin , also known as vitamin B
2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B
2 is required...
,
niacinNiacin, also known as vitamin B
3 or nicotinic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
6H
5NO
2. It is a derivative of pyridine, with a carboxyl group at the 3-position...
, and
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
are often added back in to nutritionally
enrichEnriched flour is flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while it was prepared. According to the , a pound of enriched flour must have the following quantities of nutrients to qualify: 2.9 milligrams of thiamin, 1.8 milligrams of riboflavin, 24 milligrams of niacin, 0.7...
the product.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Refined grains' Start a new discussion about 'Refined grains' Answer questions from other users |
Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn’t even get out of committee.
F. Lee Bailey, Newsweek, 17 April 1967.
Refined grains, in contrast to whole grains, refers to grain products consisting of grains or grain
flourFlour is a powder made of cereal grains or roots. It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many civilizations, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
s that have been significantly modified from their natural composition. The modification process generally involves the mechanical removal of
branBran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the latter lose a portion of their...
and
germGerm may refer to:* Microorganism, especially a pathogen; see Germ theory of disease* Germ cell, an ovum or sperm, or one of its progenitors* The Germ , a periodical established by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood to disseminate their ideas...
, either through grinding or selective sifting. Further refining includes mixing, bleaching, and brominating; additionally, thiamin,
riboflavinRiboflavin , also known as vitamin B
2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B
2 is required...
,
niacinNiacin, also known as vitamin B
3 or nicotinic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
6H
5NO
2. It is a derivative of pyridine, with a carboxyl group at the 3-position...
, and
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
are often added back in to nutritionally
enrichEnriched flour is flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while it was prepared. According to the , a pound of enriched flour must have the following quantities of nutrients to qualify: 2.9 milligrams of thiamin, 1.8 milligrams of riboflavin, 24 milligrams of niacin, 0.7...
the product. Because the added nutrients represent a fraction of the nutrients removed, refined grains are considered nutritionally inferior to whole grains. However, the removal of fiber coupled with fine grinding results in a considerably higher availability of grain energy for use by the body. Furthermore, in the special case of
maizeMaize , is a herbaceous plant domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents...
, the process of
nixtamalizationNixtamalization typically refers to a process for the preparation of maize in which the grain is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater, and hulled. The term can also refer to the removal via an alkali process of the pericarp from other grains such as sorghum...
(a chemical form of refinement) yields a considerable improvement in the bioavailability of
niacinNiacin, also known as vitamin B
3 or nicotinic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
6H
5NO
2. It is a derivative of pyridine, with a carboxyl group at the 3-position...
, thereby preventing
pellagraPellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease most commonly caused by a chronic lack of niacin in the diet. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin, tryptophan, or perhaps leucine...
in diets comprised largely of maize products.
Table 1. Effects of Refining and Enrichment on Wheat and Rice.
|
WheatWheat is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
|
RiceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
|
| Whole |
Refined |
Enriched Enriched flour is flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while it was prepared. According to the , a pound of enriched flour must have the following quantities of nutrients to qualify: 2.9 milligrams of thiamin, 1.8 milligrams of riboflavin, 24 milligrams of niacin, 0.7...
|
Whole |
Refined |
Enriched Enriched flour is flour with specific nutrients returned to it that have been lost while it was prepared. According to the , a pound of enriched flour must have the following quantities of nutrients to qualify: 2.9 milligrams of thiamin, 1.8 milligrams of riboflavin, 24 milligrams of niacin, 0.7...
|
Food energyFood energy is the amount of energy in food that is available through digestion.Like other forms of energy, food energy is expressed in calories or joules. Some countries use the food calorie, which is equal to 1 kilocalorie , or 1,000 gram calories...
|
100% |
107% |
107% |
100% |
99% |
99% |
| Carbohydrates |
100% |
105% |
105% |
100% |
104% |
104% |
| Fiber Dietary fiber , sometimes called roughage, is the indigestible portion of plant foods that pushes food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation...
|
100% |
22% |
22% |
100% |
37% |
37% |
| Protein Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and folded into a globular form. The amino acids in a polymer chain are joined together by the peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid residues...
|
100% |
75% |
75% |
100% |
90% |
90% |
Thiamin (B1)Thiamine or thiamin, sometimes called aneurin, is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex , whose phosphate derivatives are involved in many cellular processes. The best characterized form is thiamine diphosphate , a coenzyme in the catabolism of sugars and amino acids...
|
100% |
27% |
176% |
100% |
17% |
144% |
Riboflavin (B2)Riboflavin , also known as vitamin B 2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B 2 is required...
|
100% |
19% |
230% |
100% |
53% |
53% |
Niacin (B3)Niacin, also known as vitamin B 3 or nicotinic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. It is an organic compound with the molecular formula C 6H 5NO 2. It is a derivative of pyridine, with a carboxyl group at the 3-position...
|
100% |
20% |
93% |
100% |
31% |
82% |
Pantothenic Acid (B5)Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B 5 , is a water-soluble vitamin required to sustain life . Pantothenic acid is needed to form coenzyme-A , and is critical in the metabolism and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. In chemical structure, it is the amide between...
|
100% |
43% |
43% |
100% |
68% |
68% |
| Pyridoxine (B6) Pyridoxine is one of the compounds that can be called vitamin B6, along with pyridoxal and pyridoxamine. It differs from pyridoxamine by the substituent at the '4' position. It is often used as 'pyridoxine hydrochloride'.-Chemistry:...
|
100% |
13% |
13% |
100% |
32% |
32% |
Folate (B9)Folic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid and pteroyl-L-glutamate, are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B 9...
|
100% |
59% |
350% |
100% |
40% |
1155% |
| Vitamin E Vitamin E is a generic term for tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E is a family of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols and corresponding four tocotrienols. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species formed when fat undergoes oxidation...
|
100% |
5% |
5% |
100% |
18% |
18% |
CalciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
|
100% |
44% |
44% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
IronIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
|
100% |
30% |
120% |
100% |
54% |
293% |
MagnesiumMagnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12 and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust by mass, although ninth in the Universe as a whole...
|
100% |
16% |
16% |
100% |
17% |
17% |
PhosphorusPhosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate rocks. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms - white phosphorus and red phosphorus...
|
100% |
31% |
31% |
100% |
35% |
35% |
PotassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash...
|
100% |
26% |
26% |
100% |
52% |
52% |
SodiumSodium is a metallic element with a symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals within "group 1"...
|
100% |
40% |
40% |
100% |
71% |
71% |
ZincZinc , also known as spelter, is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
|
100% |
24% |
24% |
100% |
29% |
29% |
| Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color...
|
100% |
38% |
38% |
100% |
79% |
79% |
ManganeseManganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
|
100% |
18% |
18% |
100% |
29% |
29% |
SeleniumSelenium is a chemical element with the atomic number 34, represented by the chemical symbol Se, an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature....
|
100% |
48% |
48% |
100% |
65% |
65% |
External links