The word cereal is derived from ceres, the Roman Goddess of grain. The common cereal crops are rice, wheat, corn, oats and rye. The term cereal is not limited to these but also flours, meals, breads and alimentary pastes or pasta. Cereal science is a study concerned with all technical aspects of cereal. It is the study the nature of the cereals and the changes that occurs naturally and as a result of handling and processing.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Fiber in wheat

The unprocessed wheat kernel, commonly known as a wheat berry is made up of three major parts: bran, germ and endosperm.

15% of the wheat berry is wheat bran and 3 % is wheat germ.

Wheat endosperm contains only minor amounts of substances which could be called fiber.

Wheat bran represent a rich source of water-insoluble fiber that is mainly cellulose. Insoluble fiber is implicated in maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal tract in several ways.

In general, water insoluble fibers are less subject to fermentation and hold more water than do the water soluble fibers.

Therefore , water insoluble fibers have a greater effect on stool mass than water-soluble fibers. Wheat bran adds bulk and relieves constipation because it absorbs water, making the stool soft.

Wheat is nutritionally the richest part of the wheat berry and contains higher proportion of soluble fiber than bran, as might be imagined for a plant embryo.
Fiber in wheat

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