The differences between white bread And whole wheat They depend on the type of flour used in the dough. Unlike refined flour (like the type 00), the full one is not sifted, or it is not removed the branthe outermost part of the grain. This is why it is darker! In short, full flour is rough and therefore also the full bread: consequently the latter also has an contribution nutritional And protein slightly different from white bread, especially for the greater fiber content. White bread contains about 3.8 grams of fiber every 100 grams, while the wholemeal bread brings about 6.5. According to the Crea guidelines (Center for Research in Agriculture and the analysis of the agricultural economy) it should be preferred when possible the consumption of whole grains, which also present benefits in the prevention of some diseases.
How to get white and wholemeal flour
Whether it is white or wholemeal bread, everything starts from tender wheatThe Triticum Aestivumwhich crosses several processes.
Among all these processes there are also grinding phases and sieveduring which some parts of the grain of wheat are discarded that “dirty” the flour. Specifically the part that is discarded is the branthe outermost part of the wheat chicco and richer in proteins.
In this way different are obtained degrees of refining of the flour: from the most worked to the raw we will have a scale of the type 00, 0, 1 And 2. Beyond grade 2 there is full flour, in which the sifting phases they come avoid completely.
To be precise, law no. 580 of 4 July 1967 (and updates) defines the characteristics of the tender wheat flours expressed as the percentage of ashes out of 100 parts of dry substance. In the case of full flour, the percentage of ashes must be understood Between 1.3 and 1.7%. The use of this type of non -refined flour also determines the nutritional differences between white and wholemeal bread.
The nutritional differences between white bread and wholemeal bread: calories
More or less sifted flours are characterized by a different bran content, which involves a different protein intake And therefore, nutritional. The more the flour is full, the more it contains bran and therefore proteins, even if, in reality, on a portion of 100 grams of bread there difference is not abysmal. On average we will have:
- 268 calories for white bread, of which the 12% of proteins;
- 224 kcal for wholemeal bread, of which the 15% of protein
The ground germ of the wholemeal flour contains vitamins, minerals And unsaturated fats. These unsaturated fats make flour more perishable And for this reason it is preferred to produce white flour, because it is preserved better and longer.
At the same time, however, these are these vitamins, proteins and fatty fats that determine some nutritional differences between white and wholemeal bread. A series of compounds important for health are associated with whole cereals: oligosaccaridi, lignani (polyphenols that help immune defenses), phytosterols (useful against bad cholesterol), phytic acid (phosphorus deposit), tannins, lipids and minerals such as sodium, potassium and iron.
As always, we specify that in the context of a healthy, varied and balanced diet, It is not the individual foodlike wholemeal bread, to make the differencebut the entire nutrition.
The benefits of wholemeal bread
Even if we must not demonize white bread, according to the Create guidelines it would be preferable take multiple whole grains. First of all, eating wholemeal bread rather than white allows us to take more fiber And minerals. And this is the reason why it is usually associated with low -calorie diets And weight loss: the real difference between white and wholemeal bread is not so much in calories, but rather in the quantity of fibers that increases the satiating power of the food.
Furthermore, according to the guidelines for proper nutrition shared by Crea, wholemeal bread (and in general the consumption of all whole grains) is associated with the prevention of some chronic degenerative diseases such as the diabetesor Cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer.
The risk of cardiovascular diseases decreases because whole grains reduce the absorption of cholesterol and LDL levels (the so -called “bad cholesterol”). Wholemeal cereals also have glycemic index less than white bread, which makes them Excellent allies In the food management of type 2 diabetes. According to information shared by Crea, consume more whole grains could be Also be a protective factor against some types of cancer such as that of the colon or breast.
In addition, full bread contributes to improving the health of the stroke gastrointestinal: fiber and oligosaccharides that have a prebiotic effect That is, they promote the growth of “good bacteria” and at the same time help intestinal peristalsis (in poor words, they poop).
