Desert wheat as a modern source of dietary fibre
More dietary fibre, please
Although almost everyone knows now that dietary fibre is not unnecessary ballast, we usually eat too little of it. The German Nutrition Society recommends consuming at least 30 grams of dietary fibre daily. The average intake in Germany, however, is significantly lower at about 22 grams. Yet dietary fibre has the potential to reduce the risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity or coronary heart disease. The risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure or even lipometabolic disorders can also be reduced by regular consumption of sufficient dietary fibre. The positive effect is, among other things, a consequence of the prolonged feeling of satiety due to the swelling properties and the influence on the carbohydrate metabolism. Dietary fibres have a positive influence on blood sugar concentrations and also lead to lower cholesterol concentrations by increasing their ability to bind and excrete bile acid. Above all, dietary fibres are an important source of nutrition for our intestinal microbiome, which has a great influence on our entire metabolism! Despite all the positive properties most people find it difficult to consume enough dietary fibre.
Desert wheat as a solution
To increase fibre intake, the best foods are whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. For some time now, a new type of grain has come into focus - desert wheat. Compared to regular wheat, it is characterised by a particularly high content of dietary fibre, resistant starch and amylose. Resistant starch is resistant to digestive acids and is therefore not broken down by digestive enzymes, but serves as food for the intestinal microbiome - and it is therefore very valuable in terms of nutritional physiology. Furthermore, resistant starch serves as a natural blood sugar regulator. Thus, blood sugar rises significantly less after a meal with desert wheat than with standard wheat. By replacing digestible starch with resistant starch in a meal, this contributes to a reduction in the rise of blood sugar. In food law, resistant starch is classified as dietary fibre. Overall, desert wheat contains 3 times more dietary fibre and 6 times more resistant starch than conventional wheat. A "light" wheat bread made from desert wheat contains even more dietary fibre than wholemeal bread made from normal bread wheat and thus offers an ideal option for those who want to increase their dietary fibre intake without giving up white bread.
Innovation projects
Besides white bread, other typical white flour products can also be made with desert wheat. While standard wheat flour contains only about 3% dietary fibre, desert wheat flour contains about 25% (of which about 11% is resistant starch). Processed into pasta, this results in a high-fibre, light-coloured pasta with up to 20% dietary fibre. By comparison, conventional pasta has only 3%. The many positive properties make further development of desert wheat products desirable. In addition to positive influences on blood sugar levels, digestion and the microbiome, the satiating effect makes corresponding products especially interesting for athletes and weight reduction. The product properties of pasta, for example that it is more stable when cooked and less sticky, also make it ideal for use in commercial kitchens. Desert wheat thus offers an excellent-tasting, so a real option for improved fibre supply for the general public.
The topic "Personalised Nutrition" concerns everyone! Take the chance to engage intensively with this multifaceted topic, get inspired and network at the third NEWTRITION X. Innovation Summit on Personalised Nutrition. On October 12, 2021 live in Cologne and as a livestream. Learn more at www.newtritionx.com.
Click here to access the German version.
