This blog post takes a balanced look at the positive and negative aspects of flour on our health, as well as the impact it has had on our diet.
Recently, a variety show had its cast members try to go a week without eating flour. In just one week, the show showed the positive changes that could be seen in the cast members’ bodies. Thanks to the show, the general public has also started to go on a flour-free diet. Nowadays, it is easy to find people around you who are trying to reduce or eliminate flour from their diets. In particular, as people today place a greater emphasis on health, gluten-free products that can replace wheat flour are becoming increasingly popular as people become more aware of the negative effects of wheat flour. There is also an increasing number of people who are cutting out wheat flour as part of an effort to improve symptoms of digestive disorders and chronic fatigue, as well as for weight loss.
However, on the other side of the world, there are countries that consume flour for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As such, flour has become a major food resource in many countries around the world, and it is an essential food ingredient that often appears on our daily tables in various forms, such as bread and noodles. In this article, we will discuss what kind of food flour is and what its characteristics are, which has recently been attracting attention as a double-edged sword.
The amount of gluten in flour varies depending on the type of wheat, when the wheat was sown and harvested, and how it was milled. Gluten is a protein in flour that is an important factor in determining the elasticity and texture of dough in the process of making bread and noodles. The higher the gluten content, the more elastic the dough becomes and the more string-like gluten networks are formed. These gluten networks trap more air, making the texture of the finished product tougher. In fact, when you look at the baking process, you can easily see that dough made with flour with a high gluten content is more chewy and rises well. On the contrary, a low gluten content maintains a relatively soft and light texture, making it suitable for making fluffy foods such as cakes and biscuits.
In addition, the protein component called gluten in flour forms an elastic network when it comes in contact with water, making the dough more elastic and soft, which makes bread and noodles rise well and have a pleasant texture. The reason for kneading the dough is to develop this gluten network densely. When the gluten network is well formed, the carbon dioxide generated by the fermentation of yeast is trapped, causing the dough to rise, and as a result, the texture of bread and noodles is improved. In this way, flour is largely divided into weak flour, medium wheat flour, and hard wheat flour according to the amount and properties of gluten, and each is used for different purposes.
First of all, all flour is made from wheat, and the gluten content and characteristics of the flour are also distinguished by the type of wheat. Wheat can be divided into three main types. First, hard wheat flour has a very high gluten content of 12.5 to 13.5%, so it is used to make foods that require a chewy texture, such as bread, bagels, pizza, and noodles. This flour is mainly obtained from hard wheat that is sown in spring or autumn and harvested in late spring or autumn. Next, weak flour has a low gluten content of 7-8%, making it suitable for foods that require a soft texture, such as cakes and biscuits. This flour is made from wheat that is mainly sown in autumn and harvested in late summer, and is used in cooking that requires a light dough.
Medium wheat flour has a moderate gluten content of 9 to 11 percent and is a versatile flour that can be used for a variety of purposes. It can also be used to make bread, but it is not as chewy as hard wheat flour. Because the bread does not rise much and becomes dense, it is often cooked in a flat shape. Finally, durum wheat is the hardest wheat and has a high protein content, making it difficult to handle, but it is mainly used to make pasta. The unique elasticity and texture of pasta come from this durum wheat.
However, there is also a negative view of gluten. A study has been published that shows that gluten has a similar structure to the intestinal fungus Candida albicans, which can have an adverse effect on intestinal health. Fungi can cause itching, immune disorders, and dizziness, and it is said that wheat flour can worsen the intestinal environment by becoming food for intestinal fungi. This can lead to a decrease in beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacilli, and a weakening of the immune system, making one susceptible to various diseases. In addition, gluten is said to acidify the blood, promote the excretion of calcium, and cause osteoporosis.
In addition to the problem of gluten, most of the important nutrients are removed during the processing of flour. In particular, white flour is processed by removing the husks and germ of wheat, which destroys the nutrients, leaving almost no dietary fiber, minerals, or vitamins. Flour, which is made in this way with little nutritional value, is quickly digested and causes blood sugar to rise rapidly, which is a major cause of insulin levels rising and putting a strain on the pancreas. In addition, most flour products contain a large amount of additives such as sugar, salt, and oil to improve the texture, which can be even more harmful to health.
Flour now plays a very important role in human diet. This is because it is the basic ingredient of globally loved foods such as bread, noodles, pizza, and pasta. Nevertheless, if you are concerned about your health, it is important to understand the types and contents of the flour you eat and to maintain a balanced diet by controlling them. Rather than rejecting flour unconditionally, it is necessary to find a way to protect your health while eating the right amount.
