Wheat VS White Bread? What is the Difference

LIBERTY, February 3, 2010 - There are two big differences in the way in which white bread and wheat bread is made (1) how they’re processed and (2) how healthful they are.

The flour for both is made from wheat berries, which have three nutrient-rich parts: the bran (the outer layers), the germ (the innermost area) and the endosperm (the starchy part in between). Whole wheat is processed to include all three nutritious parts, but white flour uses only the endosperm. When put head-to-head with whole wheat bread, white bread is a nutritional lightweight. Whole wheat is much higher in fiber, vitamins B6 and E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid and chromium.

But a lot of white bread is enriched. Doesn’t that take care of the nutrients lost during refining? Nope. When flour is refined, it loses the most nutritious parts of the grain—the fiber, essential fatty acids, and most of the vitamins and minerals. In fact, about 30 nutrients are removed, but by law only five must be added back (though others often are): iron, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and folic acid. There’s so little fiber left after processing that you’d have to eat eight pieces of white bread to get the fiber in just one piece of whole wheat bread. In other words, white bread is stripped of most of its nutrients by removing the wheat germ. The wheat germ contains the majority of the fiber and nutrients.

How can I tell if bread is really whole wheat?

Color used to be a clue, but no more. Although white bread is white because it’s been bleached, some dark bread has just had caramel coloring added to it. Look for “whole grain” or “whole wheat” as the first ingredient on the label. If any other ingredient is first, put the loaf back and keep looking. Be sure to read the label before purchasing a loaf of bread. And, you have to read it carefully to be sure of what you're buying. Just because it says "wheat flour" or "enriched wheat flour" doesn't mean that it is whole wheat. Many of these are just white bread with a little bit of whole wheat added. The nutrition label should say "whole wheat" as one of the first listed ingredients

So, why IS wheat bread better than white bread?

Here are a few reasons:

1. Whole wheat bread is healthier because of the fiber that it contains. Fiber is necessary for a healthy digestive system. It also absorbs some of the cholesterol and fat so that your body doesn't retain them.

2. You feel "full" faster with wheat bread. You will be more satisfied with an open-faced sandwich made with whole wheat than a two-slice sandwich of white. This can really help you with weight loss goals.

3. Studies have shown that there's an increased risk of children developing diabetes if they eat refined flour for a prolonged period of time. Whole grains are absorbed into the body more slowly. This keeps blood sugar from fluctuating and prevents body insulin from becoming too high or too low.

4. Whole grains contain more antidioxidants than other grain products. We've all heard of the benefits of antidioxidants for the prevention of cancer.

5. Whole grain breads contain more protein so you feel more energized and you have more stamina for longer periods of time.

It can be difficult to get used to eating healthier. And, part of eating healthier is eating wheat bread instead of white. If you have children, start them out eating more healthy foods. Taste in foods is an acquired sense. If we are introduced to a type of food when we are young, we are more likely to like it when we are grown. Adults must make a concentrated effort to acquire a taste for more healthy foods. Don't try to change all of your eating habits overnight. Take one step at a time. You may have to adjust and compromise. If you find that you just can't get used to eating whole wheat bread, try bread made from oat bran instead. Making just a few healthy changes to your diet can greatly increase your health.

For further information about food and nutrition contact the Liberty County office of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at 936-336-4558, Ext. 221 or 281-593-0405, Ext. 221 or come the office at 2103 Cos Street, Liberty.

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