What is Whole Grain?
The importance of whole grain starts with the basic anatomy of wheat.
1. Bran – The Protective Outer Layer
The bran is full of fiber, B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
2. Germ – The Nutrient‑Dense Core
The germ is the nutrient-dense embryo of the seed and contains healthy fats, vitamin E, B vitamins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.
3. Endosperm – The Energy Source
The endosperm provides carbohydrates, protein, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
All 3 parts of the wheat berry are important and together provide a nutrient-dense source of food. Fresh‑milled flour preserves all three parts—delivering the full nutritional package nature intended.
When I began learning about flour, I was surprised to learn that refined white flour, the kind I bought at the store all the time, contains only the Endosperm. The germ and bran will make the flour spoil within a couple weeks, so it is removed to make the flour shelf stable.
Why Whole Grain Matters
Whole Grains are nature’s basic nutrition source.
Whole grains contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates and plenty of fiber.
History of Flour
Historically, milling at home and baking bread regularly were a part of daily life. White flour was common only among the wealthy as were poor health and diseases that we now know are from nutrient deficiencies.
Flour mills with large mill-stones to grind the grain allowed households to outsource this intense task. Towns would grow around the local mill and buy their flour from the local miller. These much larger mills could be powered by water or wind. This whole flour still contained the oil from the germ and thus would spoil when they tried to ship beyond local communities.
Steel roller mills, which used metal rollers, were invented in the later 1800’s and were able to strip away nearly all of the bran and germ, including the oil that would cause the flour to spoil. This meant the refined white flour would not spoil in transit and could be mass-produced and shipped great distances. By the early 1900’s, white flour was becoming common for everyone and most people saw it as a great advancement.
At the same time, diseases including beriberi (a Thiamine, vitamin B1, deficiency causing neurological disorders), pellagra (a niacin, vitamin B3, deficiency that causing skin, gastrointestinal, and mental disorders and death) and anemia (iron deficiency causing fatigue and weakness) were growing at alarming rates. These were eventually traced back to the white flour that had become standard. Millers were forced to address the issue in 1941 when the government mandated enrichment of flour. However, over 30 nutrients are removed in the milling process and only 3 B vitamins, iron, and later, folic acid, are added back. Standard flour is also chemically bleached which introduces a variety of other substances.