People have been grinding grains by hand for over 30,000 years. The process of milling has since evolved into today’s industrialized process of producing flour. But is flour healthy? The problem is its fiber and nutrients are usually removed, something “enriched” flour doesn’t make up for. Commercial white flour is often bleached. Also, when flour is highly processed, its greater surface area means it is absorbed into the bloodstream too quickly, leading to blood sugar spikes. Wheat flours are a problem for anyone with celiac disease and similar conditions. Other whole grain flours, such as amaranth, barley and buckwheat flour, are healthier alternatives. It’s also possible to make flour from almonds, chickpeas, potatoes, and several fruits and vegetables. There are many tasty recipes using these healthier flours.
Key Takeaways:
- Since archeologists believe that people in the paleolithic era didn’t have teeth that lasted for their entire lives, it was hard to get nutrients as people got older.
- Flour was the way people got nutrients after their teeth could no longer grind food.
- While we don’t know for sure, there is logic to assuming that ancient people added water to flour, to make porridge.
“When I talk about modern flour, I’m mainly talking about flour made from a single genus, triticum, aka wheat.”
Read more: https://foodrevolution.org/blog/is-flour-healthy/
