What is wheat? Effects and harms on health when using wheat

Wheat is one of the most widely consumed, essential food sources in the world, With such a large amount of consumption, does wheat have any effect or harm?, find out the answer. words through the following article of lassho.edu.vn.

What is wheat?

About wheat

Wheat is one of the oldest grains in the world, it is also known as sorghum or barley. Among current wheat varieties, the wheat variety Triticum aestivum, which is a Triticum cultivar and domesticated from the Levant, is grown and bred all over the world.

Wheat is one of the oldest grains in the world

With a production level second to corn and rice, it is considered the main food source for humans. Wheat is widely used to make bread and flour, followed by foods such as noodles, confectionery, wine, beer or other biofuels.

Wheat is considered as the main food source for humans

In addition, wheat is also a food for livestock and poultry, small-scale farms will grow wheat, after harvesting, the hay will be a source of fodder for livestock and poultry, or straw. straw as building material.

Nutritional ingredients

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one of the staple foods for humans, wheat has a rich nutritional composition that provides for human daily activities, in a grain of wheat will contain 1 2% water, 70% carbohydrates, 12% protein, 2% fat, 1.8% minerals and 2.2% crude fiber.

Wheat has a rich nutritional content

In addition, it also contains other nutrients such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, ferulic acid, phytic acid, alkyl resorcinols,… and small amounts of vitamin A.

However, this nutritional composition will be changed during the milling process of wheat, most of which are stored in the bran and germ.

Types of wheat today

Currently, wheat is divided into 3 main groups

Triticum aestivum.

Common is the world’s most commonly grown and common wheat mentioned above, which is Triticum aestivum.

Triticum aestivum.

Triticum durum

The durum wheat group, scientifically known as Triticum durum , is cultivated second after Triticum aestivum, commonly used in the production of pasta.

Triticum durum

Triticum compactum

Club wheat has the scientific name Triticum compactum , this is the type of wheat commonly used to make cakes, crackers and dough.

Triticum compactum

Health benefits of wheat

Because it contains many essential nutrients in life, wheat has many good effects for human health every day.

Wheat is good for the digestive system

According to the website of Vinmec International General Hospital, whole wheat contains an abundant amount of fiber and is mainly concentrated in the bran part. Consuming whole wheat helps the digestive system to work better, especially in the intestinal tract, making the digestion of food go smoothly.

Wheat is good for the digestive system

In addition, scientists have shown that the inside of wheat also contains probiotic bacteria that help limit the symptoms of constipation and support the digestive system to metabolize energy efficiently.

Wheat helps prevent colon cancer

In addition to containing a large amount of fiber, wheat also contains a number of antioxidants and phytonutrients that have the potential to reduce the risk of colon cancer, one of the most common types of digestive system cancer.

Wheat helps prevent colon cancer

Some studies have shown that people who eat a high-fiber diet every day can reduce their risk of colon cancer by 40%. Therefore, the addition of whole wheat not only relieves the diet but it also controls and prevents colon cancer for the body.

Provides antioxidants to the body

Provides antioxidants to the body

As mentioned above, wheat contains a large amount of essential antioxidants for the body, including substances such as: ferulic acid, phytic acid, alkyl resorcinol, lutein,… In which, phytic acid helps The body absorbs minerals better, and lignans and lutein have the ability to prevent colon cancer and promote eye health effectively.

Provides vitamins and minerals

Provides vitamins and minerals

As mentioned above, wheat contains many vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to human health. Among them can be mentioned are selenium, phosphorus, manganese, …, especially folate, which is extremely useful for pregnant women.

Side effects of wheat

Although wheat has many benefits for the body, it also carries some unwanted side effects for users.

Not good for those with Celiac disease

Bad news for those with Celiac disease, a disease that reacts badly to gluten. In addition to other nutrients, it also contains Gluten, a protein compound that helps wheat to be flexible and sticky, often found in flours when baking.

Not good for those with Celiac disease

Gluten is not good for people with Celiac disease, people with the disease, if they eat foods with wheat ingredients, will experience allergies causing reactions such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and many other non-gastrointestinal symptoms such as: headache, fatigue, joint pain, skin inflammation (dermatitis herpetiformis), so these patients must avoid eating foods containing wheat.

Wheat increases weight

Wheat contains compounds called “exorphins,” which cause effects in the brain that make you crave foods high in carbohydrates.

Some studies show that people who eat a lot of wheat will have a hard time dieting carbohydrates and easily gain weight because the calories contained in wheat products are 14%, about 350-400 calories/day compared to those who eat a lot of wheat. people have a diet without wheat inside , so eating a lot of wheat also causes obesity, weight gain as usual

Eating a lot of wheat easily makes you old

This makes beauty lovers cry if you don’t know that wheat is classified as Advanced Sugared Products (AGEs) , the starchy sugar content in wheat products not only makes you sick. weight gain that contributes to visible aging.

Eating a lot of wheat easily makes you old

Consuming wheat, the starchy sugar inside it will be digested and converted into amylopectin A, a substance that causes blood sugar spikes more than the sugar you usually eat every day . Therefore, the high sugar content contributes to skin aging causing you to age prematurely and gain weight.

Not good for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Although wheat contains high fiber content and is good for the intestines, preventing colon cancer, consuming gluten in people with irritable bowel syndrome is impossible.

Wheat is not good for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Some nutritional studies suggest that the link between gluten and irritable bowel syndrome lies in fructan, a substance other than gluten found in whole wheat and gluten-containing grains that causes symptoms such as pain. abdominal pain, bloating, irregular bowel habits, diarrhea, constipation and acid reflux in patients with the above syndrome.

So, if you have irritable bowel syndrome or acid reflux, limit and eliminate wheat from your daily diet and replace it with other foods that are safer.

Above are interesting information about wheat that we often see, lassho.edu.vn hopes that the above sharing helps you understand more about wheat as well as its limitations in life.

Source: US Department of Agriculture, Vinmec International General Hospital

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