|
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
Organic Sprouted
Wheat Flour
|
by Lisa Vines
|
Co-op shoppers concerned
with nutrition are aware of the benefits of sprouting seeds and then
incorporating the ensuing sprouts into meals. Sprouting begins the
germination process, which, by inactivating the enzyme inhibitors,
increases the enzymatic activity in seeds; this enzymatic activity
leads to better digestion and enhanced nutritional value via many
different pathways. Carbohydrates, broken down into basic sugars,
assimilate more easily into the body; complex proteins convert into
simpler amino acids; fats change into more easily digested fatty acids;
and the vitamin content can increase dramatically. Sprouting also
neutralizes an acid that that inhibits the absorption of important
minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc; readers
following the double negatives in that clause know that sprouts have
more calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc. Sprouts sound pretty
healthy.
What if flour were made of sprouted wheat berries, instead of the
grain--the berry--as it comes from the plant? Would such a flour be
easier to digest and more nutritional? Would the hard-to-digest starch
molecules convert to basic sugars that the human body could process
more easily?
Yes. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, the
increased level of enzymes in a sprouted wheat flour leads to easier
digestion and absorption. And the sprouted whole wheat flour contains
more nutrients than non-sprouted whole wheat flour. Sprouted whole
wheat flour has 28% more thiamine (B1), 315% more riboflavin (B5), 111%
more biotin, 278% more folic acid, and 300% more vitamin C than the
non-sprouted version.
|
| Where
can one find such flour? |
Shiloh
Farms' Essential Eating Organic Spring Wheat Sprouted Flour is
now available in the Bulk area of the Co-op. According to the company
(and the blurb on the Co-op's bin), "a proprietary sprouting process
converts natural grain starches into digestible vegetable sugars and
releases vital nutrients more easily absorbed into the body… Essential
Eating sprouted grain flour digests as a vegetable." A quick look at
the neighboring nutritional charts in the Bulk section does reveal that
the sprouted wheat flour has elevated nutritional values, including
more fiber.
This flour can be used to replace white or wheat flour in recipes. Why
not substitute a cup or two of sprouted wheat flour and evaluate the
results? Shiloh Farms is the offspring of Shiloh Community, which was
founded in 1942 in western New York State. Currently residing in the
Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Shiloh Farms offers baking ingredients,
grains, nuts, honey, dried fruits, and preserves. Their promise, as
presented on their website, is "no artificial ingredients, no
preservatives and only natural flavor." |
Sources
|
www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/wheatyindiscretions.html
www.building-health.com/organic-sprouted-wheat-flour-2-lbs-p-48.html
www.efn.org/~sundance/Sprouting.html
www.rwood.com/Articles/Tasty_Wheat_Alternatives.htm
www.creatingheaven.net/eeproducts/eesfc
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
|
|
|
