Bread, Cereal, and Pasta
Copyright © March 1, 2019 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
Revised and Updated December 2, 2019
All Rights Reserved.
Introduction
A lot of people become angry, upset, furious, outraged, shocked, and traumatized when they discover that their favorite "wheat bread" that they have been eating for many, many years is nothing more than "white bread" that has been cleverly disguised, and that their bread's brown color is artificial, and that they have been deprived of the many health benefits that they believed they were getting from their favorite "brown bread."
The information in this article will help you to evaluate the bread your family is now eating so that you can determine exactly how healthy that bread is. You may discover that your family has been eating extremely nutritious bread for a very long time, or you may discover that you have been feeding your family a bread that has very little nutritional value except for a lot of calories and some artificial vitamins.
Is Bread Good for You or Bad for You?
Some diets, such as low-carb diets, strongly recommend that you minimize or eliminate bread from your diet. Other sources recommend that you eat grain products, including bread, as a part of every meal during the day. However, eating too much bread, or too many grains, and not enough other healthy foods is probably not a good idea for most people. For most people the best answer is probably a compromise between none and a lot. Most of us should eat a reasonable amount of grain, which includes bread, but not so much that we are not able to include other healthy foods in our diet without gaining weight.
The Lord's Prayer in the Holy Bible includes this statement, "Give us this day our daily bread," (Matthew 6:11, ESV). Since Jesus encouraged us to pray for daily bread, then eating some bread each day is probably a healthy thing for most of us to do, unless we have an allergy or an intolerance to wheat or gluten.
Whole Grains
Whole grains include amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, corn, millet, quinoa, oats, rye, sorghum, teff, triticale, wheat, and wild rice. Rolled oats are a whole grain if they contain all of their original bran, germ, and endosperm. "Quaker Oats" original, quick, steel cut oats, and packets of instant oatmeal are all 100% whole grain oats. Corn flour and cornmeal may be whole grains if they contain the pericarp, seed coat, germ, and endosperm. Whole grains contain a lot of healthy dietary fiber and a variety of other healthy nutrients. Whole grains can be cooked for human consumption without crushing. An example would be popcorn which is a cooked whole grain. When whole grains are processed by crushing the result is a flour that can be used in a variety of different recipes that require some type of cooking, frying, or baking.
Definition of Whole Grain
The terms "whole grain" and "whole wheat" mean that the product contains some of the bran, germ, and endosperm that was present in the original grain or in the original wheat.
- Bran (or Brain): The bran is the thin husk that surrounds the grain. The bran contains protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, phytic acid, and dietary fiber. The bran contains a minimum of 50% of the nutrients in the grain.
- Germ: The germ is the smallest part of the grain. It is the embryo inside the grain and it contains about 25% of the nutrition in the grain including protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, heart-healthy fats, lipids, and sugar. The germ contains tocopherol which is a critical nutrient that is necessary to maintain a healthy reproductive system.
- Endosperm: The endosperm is the starchy inside part of the grain. The endosperm is primarily carbohydrates and it contains essential amino acids and the components of gluten. The endosperm is relatively dry and it is the only part of the grain that is absolutely necessary to make flour as we know it today. Flour that is made using only the endosperm after the bran and the germ has been removed is sometimes called "refined flour." (Note: Gluten is formed when bread flour is mixed with water. Gluten is what causes bread dough to rise and gluten yields a light airy soft bread.)
Converting Whole Grains into Flour
Whole grains can be converted into flour in the following ways:
- Roller Milling: A series of high-speed steel rollers are used to squeeze the grain into flour. This is a relatively hot process and the high temperatures can cause the vitamins to degrade and the heat can cause any oils in the grain to become rancid. Therefore the bran and the germ are usually sifted away from the endosperm and only the endosperm is milled.
- Hammer Milling: Steel hammers rotating at high speeds impact the grain. The grain is gradually reduced into smaller pieces by repeated impacts with the hammers, and with the walls of the grinding chamber, and with other grain particles inside the chamber. Particles of the correct size can pass through the discharge screen but larger particles remain inside the grinding chamber until they are reduced to the correct size.
- Stone Grinding: This is the method that has been used to grind grain for thousands of years. It was first done by hand, and then it was done using animal power, and then waterpower, and eventually wind power. Two large stones are used to grind the grain into flour. One of the stones rotates against the other stone which is stationary. This is a relatively cool process and if done at a slow speed it may not cause any oils that are present to become rancid. However, if it is done at moderate or high speeds then it may cause the oils to become rancid. Therefore if stone grinding is done at moderate or high speeds then the bran and the germ are first removed, and then the endosperm is processed by stone grinding. After grinding, some of the bran and germ may be added back into the flour. In the year 2019 there is no federal standard that defines stone ground wheat so each miller can create stone ground wheat any way they desire. Some millers stone grind some of their wheat and then mix it with their roller milled flour and sell it as "stone ground flour." If you want real stone ground flour then look for a product that states that it is 100% stone ground whole wheat flour. If the 100% stone ground whole wheat flour contains some natural oils then it will spoil more quickly than flour that has had some or all of its bran and germ removed. Also please remember that there are no regulations that govern what stone ground flour should be and therefore different millers are at liberty to use the term "stone ground" as they see fit.
Types of Bread
White Breads: Most white breads, and some "wheat breads," are made from flour that does not contain any bran or germ. The flour is made from the endosperm and therefore most of the nutrients have been removed from the flour. To meet the legal requirements for bread these breads must be artificially "enriched" with some of the vitamins and nutrients that were in the bran and germ. However, fiber is rarely added back into these breads and this is a serious deficiency in most white breads.
Some "white breads" are made using some whole grains and this will be indicated on the bread package with the words "white whole wheat bread" or "white bread made from whole grain." This type of white bread is a healthier option than ordinary white bread and it is an option for people who have digestive issues with whole wheat bread. However, these white breads do not contain all the germ that was originally inside the wheat grain.
Whole Grain Breads: Foods labeled as "whole grain" should contain some grain that contains the bran, germ, and endosperm. The whole grains should be at least 51% of the ingredients by weight. The other 49% can be any type of flour, including white flour but the white flour will probably be listed using one of white flours many different technical names.
Most whole grain breads contain the same unhealthy additives and preservatives that are in white bread. Reading the ingredient label will reveal if the bread contains all natural ingredients or if it is saturated with unhealthy stuff.
Some millers begin by sifting out the bran and the germ, and then they process the endosperm by itself. After processing the endosperm they add some (or all) of the bran and germ back into the flour so that they can legally refer to it as "whole wheat." However, the amount of bran and germ that is added back into some flours may be a lot less than what was removed. The reason is because bran attracts moisture and it can increase the speed at which the flour and the bread becomes stale, and the speed at which the bread attracts mold. The amount of germ is usually significantly reduced because the germ is what causes the flour to become rancid. In simple terms, the bran and the germ reduce the shelf life of the flour, and the shelf life of the bread, so they are undesirable from a profit perspective.
The terms "100% wheat" and "cracked wheat" and "enriched" and "multigrain" and "stone ground wheat" and "wheat flour" do not automatically mean that the product contains whole grain flour.
- 100% Wheat Bread: The bread only contains wheat flour and it does not contain any other grains, such as corn, oats, or rye. However, the bread may or may not contain any bran or germ. If the bread contains little or no fiber then this is the clue that the bread was stripped of its bran and germ.
- Cracked Wheat Bread: Raw whole wheat berries are broken, cracked, crushed, or cut into smaller pieces instead of being ground or milled. The cracked wheat may then be mixed with some milled flour which may or may not contain bran and germ, and then it is baked into a bread that has a courser texture than regular bread.
- Enriched Bread: The bread contains no (or very little) bran or germ and it is supplemented (enriched) with artificial vitamins and nutrients.
- Multigrain Bread: The bread contains more than one type of grain, such as wheat plus corn, oats, or rye. It may or may not contain any bran or germ. If the bread contains little or no fiber then this is the clue that the bread was stripped of its bran and germ.
- Stone Ground Wheat Bread: The bread contains some grain that was converted into flour using a stone grinding process. The higher the percentage of stone ground wheat the coarser the texture of the bread.
- Wheat Bread: Some of these breads are made using approximately 25% whole wheat flour and 75% white flour. Some of these breads are made with 100% white flour. Since whole wheat flour and white flour are both made from wheat grain these breads can be labeled as a "wheat bread." If the bread contains little or no fiber then this is the clue that the bread was stripped of its bran and germ.
Food Nutrition Labels
Food nutrition labels are required to list the ingredients in descending order based on the weights of those items in the finished product. The ingredient that is present in the highest amount (weight) should be listed first. Then the other ingredients are listed in descending order based on the amount (weight) of that ingredient in the finished product.
Some nutrition labels are very ingenious in the way they legally list the ingredients in the food. White flour may be listed as "enriched wheat flour" or as "unbleached wheat flour" or as "unbromated wheat flour." These are all just different technical names for white flour. Even the term "unbromated unbleached enriched wheat flour" is actually just white flour with a long fancy name.
When reading a nutrition label look for the word "whole" before the first ingredient in the list of ingredients. If "whole" appears in front of the first ingredient then that indicates that the food contains more of that ingredient than any one of the other ingredients in the list. However, that doesn't mean that the food contains at least 50% of that ingredient. It just means that the food contains more of that one ingredient than any of the other ingredients in the list. For example, it may contain 35% of the first ingredient, and the food will contain less than 35% of each of the other ingredients whatever they may be.
In the 21st century food labels can be somewhat misleading. Some products that are labeled "whole grain" or "whole wheat" may actually contain more white flour than whole wheat flour and the product may contain some artificial brown coloring or caramel to produce a brown color and then a few seeds are sprinkled on top to create the illusion of a whole grain brown bread. The reason is because the FDA only "recommends" that products follow some specific guidelines when using the terms "whole grain" or "whole wheat" and there is no penalty if the FDA's recommendations are not followed. Therefore do not make your purchase decisions based on what appears in BIG BOLD LETTERS on the front of the food package. Instead make your purchase decisions based on what appears in the list of ingredients on the back or on the side of the food package.
The Whole Grain Council
In 2005 the Whole Grain Council created their "Whole Grain Stamp" to help consumers identify foods that contained "whole grains" instead of "refined grains." The stamp is now on more than 13,000 products in 61 different countries.
The stamp has a rectangular black border around a golden-yellow interior that shows an artistic sheaf of grain and the number of grams of whole grain per serving. Examples of the different stamps are shown below:
 |
 |
 |
| 100% Stamp | 50% Stamp | Basic Stamp |
The above stamps are based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that recommend that everyone over the age of 9 should eat a total of 48 grams of whole grains per day, or 16 grams of whole grains during each of their three daily meals.
The requirements for each of the above three stamps are as follows:
- 100% Stamp: All of the grain is whole grain that includes the bran, germ, and endosperm and the product does not contain any refined grains. In addition, one serving must contain a minimum of 16g (16 grams) of whole grain.
- 50% Stamp: At least half of the grain is whole grain that includes the bran, germ, and endosperm. The rest of the grain will be refined grain that has been stripped of its bran and germ. In addition, one serving must contain a minimum of 8g (8 grams) of whole grain.
- Basic Stamp: Less than half of the grain is whole grain that includes the bran, germ, and endosperm. More than half of the grain in the product are refined grains that have been stripped of their bran and germ. In addition, one serving must contain a minimum of 8g (8 grams) of whole grain.
Each of the above stamps will also show the actual number of grams of whole grain per serving.
Very few food products have the 100% logo. However, if a food has a minimum of 8 grams of whole grain per serving then it meets the minimum guidelines of the Whole Grain Council and that food package is allowed to display their black and yellow basic stamp on the package that states the number of grams of whole grain per serving. Any food that meets any of the Whole Grain Council's guidelines will proudly display the appropriate Whole Grain Council's black and yellow stamp on their package along with the number of grams of whole grain per serving. However, you should still read the ingredient list because the food may also contain a lot of sugar, or a lot of sodium, or hydrogenated fat, or some unhealthy preservatives.
Now that you understand how to evaluate the nutritional value of bread, perhaps you should take a look at the nutrition label and the ingredient list on the favorite brown bread that your family now eats. Carefully examine the bread package and look for one of the Whole Grain Council's stamps. If you can't find one of those stamps on your favorite brown bread then that means the bread does not meet the minimum requirements for healthy bread. If the first ingredient is listed as "enriched wheat flour" or "unbleached wheat flour" or "unbromated wheat flour" then the bread is simply white bread with some brown coloring in it.
The next time you are in the bread aisle at your favorite store, pause for a moment and examine one loaf of bread from each of the different "brown breads" that are for sale. Look specifically for one of the Whole Grain Council's stamp somewhere on the package. You may be shocked at what you discover.
100% Whole Grain Bread
100% whole grain bread has a stronger wheat taste than most people are accustomed to. Most of these breads do not contain a lot of added sugar and therefore they do not taste as sweet as people expect their bread to taste. These breads are also usually heavier and denser. People who are not accustomed to digesting 100% whole wheat bread may experience some digestive issues if they switch too quickly to this type of bread.
Healthy whole grain bread should contain a minimum of 8 grams of whole grain per slice (or serving), at least 2 grams of fiber, at least 3 grams of protein, less than 2 grams of sugar, and less than 150 milligrams of sodium. Also look for the absence of artificial coloring, artificial flavors, and artificial preservatives. If the bread does not clearly specify the number of grams of whole grain per slice then this means it has less than 8 grams per slice and therefore it does not qualify for one of the Whole Grain Council's certification stamps.
Even if a package says "100% whole wheat" this does not mean that the food has been approved by the Whole Grain Council if the package does not display one of their stamps. The food may contain other stuff, such as added sugar, caramel, brown coloring, lots of sodium, and a variety of unhealthy preservatives.
If you are not able to find a whole wheat bread in your area that meets all your requirements for whole wheat bread, then one possible option is to purchase the healthiest whole wheat bread that you can find and then consider taking one or more "wheat germ oil capsules" every day. You should discuss this option with your doctor and then follow your doctor's advice on the amount of wheat germ oil that would be healthy for you to consume. Wheat germ oil capsules are extremely difficult to find at local pharmacies and health food stores, including GNC. You will probably have to shop online. If you begin looking for a wheat germ oil capsule then you may wish to look for one that is "cold pressed" and that is derived from organically grown wheat (if possible). Wheat germ oil begins to degrade when exposed to air, heat, or intense light. Therefore a capsule helps to protect the oil from air and cold pressing avoids the use of heat to extract the oil. Wheat germ oil is an oil and it is not a solid. Any company that advertises dry wheat germ is selling something that has been refined and that product may or may not have all the health benefits you desire. Food companies have been experimenting with genetically modified wheat for several years but that wheat is not yet available for sale. However, sometime in the near future it may also become important to look for non-GMO wheat germ oil.
More information about wheat germ oil capsules is on my website here.
Additives and Preservatives
In the USA and in Canada, a variety of additives and artificial preservatives are legally allowed to be included in flour and in bread. However, in Europe the use of additives is almost completely prohibited due to the unhealthy long-term impact of those chemicals.
Local Bakery Bread and Bread Shelf Life
Freshly baked bread from a local bakery may be made from whole grains that contain the bran, germ, and endosperm. Some local bakeries may grind wheat berries into flour each day and then use that freshly ground flour to bake bread. These breads often do not contain any artificial preservatives and therefore they may only remain fresh for two or three days. You should read the nutrition label on a bakery bread to verify that it is made from whole grains and that it does not contain unhealthy stuff you do not desire.
Prepackaged breads delivered to a grocery store may contain some artificial preservatives to extend the shelf life of the bread to one week or more beyond the printed "sell by date" on the bread package.
It should be mentioned that a rancidity study conducted by Larsen in 1988 revealed that rancidity could be detected in some flour as soon as 2 to 14 days after milling. Many studies have shown that after milling the vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, lipoproteins, lipids, and amino acids in flour begin to gradually degrade.
Fresh bread will remain fresh longer at room temperature. Bread will stale twice as fast if refrigerated. On the other hand, mold is more likely to grow on bread at room temperature if the conditions for the growth of mold are present. Bread that has begun to mold is not safe to eat and it should be discarded.
However, fresh bread can be frozen inside a large heavy-duty plastic zipper freezer bag to extend its shelf life to about 3 months. However, some people do not enjoy the taste of frozen bread after it has been unthawed.
Bread Nutrition
The nutritional benefits of bread can be enhanced if bread is consumed in the same meal as butter, cheese, fish, meat, nuts, or legumes. Some of the vitamins in bread will be reduced if the bread is heated by toasting, grilling, or frying because some vitamins are heat sensitive.
Cereal
Many companies make advertising claims about how healthy their breakfast cereals are. Examples are "low-fat" or "a good source of . . ." or "whole grain." However, breakfast cereals are made from processed grains that have had their healthy bran and germ removed. Then artificial vitamins and other nutrients are added into the cereal along with a significant amount of sugar. Many breakfast cereals list sugar as the second or third ingredient which means sugar is a significant part of the cereal. Starting your day with a high sugar meal will spike your blood sugar and approximately one or two hours after you have eaten you will become really hungry again.
Most breakfast cereals have been targeted primarily at children for many decades. Most adults in the USA in the 21st century probably remember eating one or more of these cereals when we were young. For many of us this has resulted in a favorable attitude towards breakfast cereals and we may feed a variety of "new" breakfast cereals to our children or grandchildren because they ask for them by name, or because they beg for them when they see them on a grocery shelf due to the colorful package and the cartoon characters on the box.
Breakfast cereals that are targeted towards adults are still made from refined grains. Although they may have less sugar and they may contain some things like nuts, or raisins, or dried fruit, these cereals are still not healthy foods.
If you are addicted to breakfast cereals then read the nutrition label on the box. Look for a cereal that has 5 grams or less of sugar per serving, and that has 2 grams or more of fiber per serving. Then limit yourself to one bowl of cereal per day if you truly wish to control your weight and improve your long-term health.
Another cereal option would be to eat oatmeal for breakfast instead of a bowl of cereal. "Quaker Oats" oatmeal displays the Whole Grain Council's 100% Whole Grain Stamp on all their packages. Their steel cut oats contain 45 grams of whole grain per serving (almost 100% of your daily needs). Their old fashioned oatmeal and their quick oatmeal both contain 40 grams of whole grain per serving. Their individual serving packets contain between 20 to 29 grams of whole grain per serving depending on the quantity of fruit and other flavors per serving.
Some senior adults eat a bowl of corn flakes or some other cereal for their evening meal because it does not cause them indigestion that wakes them up in the middle of the night. If you are one of these senior adults then you should not change your diet just because cereal is not a healthy food. You should do what is best for your body.
Pasta
Pasta noodles are usually made from durum flour or from semolina flour. Durum wheat is a variety of hard spring wheat. Semolina is course ground durum wheat.
If you only eat pasta once per week then forcing yourself to switch from regular white pasta to brown whole grain pasta may not have any significant impact on your weight or on your long-term health. However, if you eat pasta several times per week then your body may benefit from pasta that includes some whole wheat.
Pasta made from 100% whole wheat has a nuttier flavor. It also has a gummier texture after cooking due to its high fiber content and the noodles may stick together. To minimize this problem carefully follow the cooking directions on the package. The choice of a good sauce or topping may help to minimize the unique taste of whole wheat pasta and it may help to make the pasta more pleasant to eat and enjoy.
It should be mentioned that some brands of whole wheat brown pasta contains some whole wheat flour and some refined flour without the bran and the germ.
If you desire 100% whole wheat pasta then read the ingredient information on the package and look for the word "whole" in front of the first ingredient and verify that no other type of wheat is included in the list. There are several national brands of pasta that are 100% whole wheat pasta and they contain nothing but whole durum wheat. This includes spaghetti noodles, lasagna noodles, and spiral shaped noodles.
Grinding Whole Grains at Home
The digestive system of many people in the USA has become accustomed to digesting bread that was made from flour that was ground using metal rollers and that flour has had all or a lot of its bran and germ removed. This is important if you decide to begin grinding wheat berries into flour at your home with a home flour mill, and then baking your own bread. Many people who attempt this discover that their bodies do not approve of "real" wheat bread because their bodies have not been digesting "real" wheat bread that contains 100% of the original bran and the germ.
One way to allow your body, and the bodies of your family members, to adjust to "real" bread is to mix a small amount of your freshly ground flour with some commercially ground whole wheat flour that you buy at the store. As your bodies gradually begin to adjust to digesting "real" food with real vitamins, minerals, and fiber, then you can slowly and gradually increase the amount of your own freshly ground flour in the bread you bake.
Some brands of whole wheat flour display the Whole Grain Council's 100% stamp and those flours contain nothing except whole wheat flour. They are significantly healthier than the other flours available at a grocery store. However, it is important to remember that the vitamins and nutrients in flour gradually begin to degrade as soon as the grain is ground into flour. Although these flours may be considered "fresh" from a safety perspective, they will not contain the quality or quantity of vitamins and other nutrients of whole grain flour that you grind at home.
As you gain some experience with your home grain mill then each day you will be able to grind exactly the amount of grain that you need to make bread for that day or for two days.
Since the nutritional value of flour begins to very gradually decline immediately after grinding do not grind more flour than you need. If you do not use all of your freshly ground flour the same day that you grind it, then refrigerate the rest of it and use it as soon as possible. If you cannot use it in two or three days then you should consider tossing it in the trashcan.
If you don't have the time to bake bread then you can purchase an electric bread machine. Simply toss all of the necessary ingredients into the machine as explained in the instructions that come with the machine and the machine will mix, knead, pause to allow the dough to rise, and bake a delicious loaf of bread for you. By changing the ingredients that you put into the bread machine, the bread machine can produce a remarkable variety of different types of delicious bread.
A Research Study on Flour and Bread
The following is not the type of research study that would be funded in the USA. If it were financed by an independent source then it would not be accepted for publication in any scientific journal that had any credibility. If it were published in a second rate journal or on the internet, then it would never be quoted by other researchers, or by Ph.D. students, or by any professional who understood the harm it could do to their reputation and to their future career. Now that you understand the serious academic and professional shortcomings of the following study, let's take a look at what the study revealed.
In 1970 a research study in Germany conducted by Bernasek evaluated the long-term impact of feeding flour, and bread made from flour, to some rats. The flour or the bread consisted of half of the daily diet of the rats. The rats were divided in five groups as follows:
- Group 1: The rats were fed fresh stone ground wheat flour.
- Group 2: The rats were fed bread made from fresh stone ground wheat flour.
- Group 3: The rats were fed stone ground wheat flour that had aged for 15 days.
- Group 4: The rats were fed bread made with the type of flour fed to Group 3.
- Group 5: The rats were fed white flour without the bran and germ.
After four generations the rats in Groups 1 and 2 were still fertile and they were capable of reproducing offspring. The rats in Groups 3, 4, and 5 were infertile and they could not reproduce offspring. For reference purposes four generations of rats is considered to be about 100 years for people.
There have been several other studies on rats that were fed white bread as a part of their diet and all of those studies reported that the health of the rats declined, the life expectancy of the rats decreased, and the number of rats born dead increased, when compared to rats in the same study that were fed whole grain bread.
It is not appropriate to extrapolate conclusions from a rat study to people. However, please allow me to make a few casual observations that may or may not have any relationship to the above study.
- In the 21st century in the USA approximately 20% of the adult men in all age groups have a significantly reduced sex drive. In the 21st century in the USA approximately 15% to 20% of men over the age of 20 have requested medical assistance for erectile dysfunction which is the same thing as impotence. An additional 9% of adult men are naturally sterile and they cannot father children. Many men under the age of 30 have no desire to marry or to father children.
- From the year 1998 to 2008 in the USA sales of the prescription drug viagra steadily increased until sales peaked in 2008 at $1,934,000,000. In the year 2019 generic viagra became available. Viagra is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men.
- In the 21st century in the USA approximately 10% of the women under the age of 44 cannot conceive, or they have trouble conceiving, or they cannot maintain a healthy pregnancy.
- In the 21st century in the USA approximately 10% of adult women cannot give birth to a live baby.
- In the 21st century in the USA "secondary infertility" is becoming more common where a woman can successfully give birth to one or two children but then the woman can no longer conceive. The official medical explanation is that this is the result of the normal aging process. However, could this problem be due to the foods that these women continue to eat?
Many people probably know someone on a personal basis who is in at least one of the above five groups of people.
In 1872 high-speed roller mills began producing bread for sale in Britain. The new bread was stripped of its bran and germ. In 1876 the birth rate in Britain was 36 per 1,000 people. Sixty-five years later in 1941 the birth rate had declined to 14 per 1,000 people which was a 61% decrease in births. During this same time period medical care in Britain was significantly improved, including improvements in prenatal care and improvements in the delivery process. Despite these improvements in medical care, and the improvements in the quality of life for many people, the birth rate declined by 61% in Britain.
Except for the above statistics, there is no data or scientific research to support the relationship between commercially processed bread and infertility in people. However, if this relationship were scientifically documented, and if a causal effect were discovered that was linked to infertility, then it would have a devastating impact on the food industry in the form of lawsuits and the loss of future sales. It would also interfere with the agenda of those people who wish to control the worldwide population explosion.
The milling of wheat grain into flour is done at a milling facility. The flour is then shipped to a baking facility. The baking facility then processes the flour into bread. The bread is then shipped to distributors who deliver the bread to grocery stores. I could not find any data on the internet for how much time elapses from when the grain was first ground into flour, and when the flour was baked into bread at a bakery. But I suspect that more than 14 days elapse from the time the grain is ground into flour and the flour is baked into bread. If this is true, then the above study on rats has some significant implications for the bread we purchase at a grocery store even if the bread is 100% whole wheat bread with 100% of its original bran and germ.
Conclusion
If you think that the above information might be important to the future of your family line, then one possible solution would be to grind your own non-GMO wheat berries into flour at home in very small quantities using an electric grain mill, and then immediately use that freshly ground flour to make your own homemade bread. This is what mankind did for thousand of years prior to the late 1800s. Your children, grandchildren, and future posterity may be eternally grateful to you if you decide to do this.
At the very minimum, this would allow you to create healthy nutritious bread without adding any extra sugar or preservatives and this could help you to lose weight and improve your long-term health. In my opinion, this would be an example of using good common sense.
If you do not bake then you could use a bread machine and it will do all the work for you including baking the bread. However you will still need a grain grinder to grind wheat berries into fine flour.
Another option would be to sprout wheat berries using water and then eat the sprouted wheat as a cereal. Sprouting instructions for wheat berries are on my website at the following link: Wheat Berries.
At the end of this article there is a comparison of three different breads that were all baked by the same company.
Respectfully,
Grandpappy.
A Comparison of Different Breads Baked by One Company
All the following breads were baked by "Sara Lee ®."
Serving Size: 1 Slice or 28 grams (Data Collected November 2019)
| Type of Bread = | 100% Whole
Wheat Bread | Classic
White Bread | White 100%
Whole Grain |
| Grams of Whole Grain | 13g | 0g | 9g |
| Calories | 60 | 70 | 70 |
| Total Fat | 1g | 1g | 1g |
| . . Saturated Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| . . Trans Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| . . Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| . . Monounsaturated Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg | 0mg |
| Sodium | 120mg | 130mg | 125mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 12g | 14g | 13g |
| . . Dietary Fiber | 2g | 0g | 1g |
| . . Total Sugars | 1g | 1g | 1g |
| . . . . Added Sugars | 1g | 1g | 1g |
| Protein | 3g | 2g | 3g |
| Vitamin D | 0mcg (0%) | 1.1mcg (6%) | 0.6mcg (2%) |
| Calcium | 35mg (2%) | 150mg (10%) | 140mg (10%) |
| Iron | 0.7mg (4%) | 1.5mg (8%) | 0.7mg (4%) |
| Potassium | 60mg (0%) | 20mg (0%) | 35mg (0%) |
| Vitamin A | (0%) | 50mcg (6%) | - |
| Vitamin E | - | 1.1mg (8%) | - |
| Thiamin | (4%) | 0.1mg (10%) | 0.1mg (8%) |
| Riboflavin | (0%) | 0.1mg (6%) | 0.1mg (6%) |
| Niacin | (4%) | 1.1mg (8%) | 1.0mg (6%) |
| Folate (Folic Acid) | (2%) | 45mcg (10%) | 30mcg (8%) |
| Ingredients: | | | |
| Enriched Wheat Flour | No | Yes | Yes |
| Whole Wheat Flour | Yes | No | Yes |
| Soy Flour | No | No | Yes |
| Water | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wheat Gluten | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sugar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Molasses | Yes | No | No |
| Yeast | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Soybean Oil | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Salt | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Preservatives | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Datem | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monoglycerides | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cellulose Gum | Yes | No | No |
| Cellulose Fiber | No | No | Yes |
| Monocalcium Phosphate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calcium Phosphate | Yes | No | No |
| Calcium Sulfate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ferrous Sulfate | No | Yes | No |
| Soy Lecithin | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Citric Acid | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grain Vinegar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Potassium Iodate | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enrichment | No | Yes | No |
| Vitamin D3 | No | No | Yes |
The above ingredients are listed for comparison purposes and they are not listed in order of weight in the final product.
Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com