Hidden Risks in Refined Wheat Flour: Tips on How to Eat for Better Health

By Jingduan Yang, M.D.

Health Viewpoints

Many foods are made from refined wheat, and although they are a popular dietary choice, relying on these products long-term may impact our health.

Take my friend, Mr. Li, for example. He has refined wheat at every meal, whether noodles, steamed buns, or dumplings. Recently, he noticed he was feeling more fatigued and gaining weight. A hospital checkup revealed that his blood sugar was high and his cholesterol levels were abnormal.

Including a variety of whole grains in your diet is recommended for more balanced nutrition and better blood sugar control. However, most store-bought wheat products are made from refined flour. In some cases, foods made with white flour may be the better choice.

Benefits of White Flour

1. Easy to Digest

Since the bran and germ of wheat are all removed during white flour processing, it contains less fiber and is, therefore, easier to digest than whole grain foods. For people with weak digestive systems, such as children, the elderly, or people with sensitive gastrointestinal tracts, white flour is a milder choice.

2. Smoother Taste

White flour products taste softer and smoother and are thus favorable for making quite a number of popular foods, such as biscuits, pastries, noodles, etc.

3. Easy to Store

White flour has a longer shelf life and is easier to store because it contains less fat and water.

Disadvantages of White Flour

Although white flour offers a number of benefits, we should also be aware of the adverse effects it might have on our health.

1. Nutrient loss

In removing the bran and germ from wheat, a large amount of B vitamins, trace minerals, and dietary fiber are also removed. Long-term consumption of white flour-based products could result in deficiency in certain nutrients, especially B vitamins, iron, and magnesium.

2. Diabetes Risk

After eating white flour baked goods, blood sugar tends to rise rapidly, causing the pancreas to secrete an additional amount of insulin to help suppress the blood sugar level, resulting in larger fluctuations in blood sugar. If the pancreatic islets what are these?]are forced to overwork, they will become exhausted sooner, being unable to produce enough insulin when needed, which could result in Type 2 diabetes.

One study has shown that compared with standard pasta, low-starch, high-fiber pasta (the starch content is reduced to about 50 percent with added dietary fiber) can alleviate the increase in post-meal blood glucose levels in healthy participants and patients with Type 2 diabetes.

3. Lack of Dietary Fiber

Dietary fiber is especially important for physical health, especially for the intestine. It can prevent constipation and lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

White flour lacks dietary fiber. People who rely too much on white flour as their primary staple food may become vulnerable to fat accumulation and have a higher risk of obesity. They may also develop other metabolic syndromes, such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), increasing the incidence of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

A meta-analysis published in “Food & Function” involving 1.6 million people in 2023 found that more variety of, and higher total fiber intake of dietary fiber, including cereal, vegetable, legume, water-soluble, and water-insoluble (but not from fruit) fiber, are associated with a lower risk of all-cause of mortality and are also associated with a lower risk of CVD deaths. In addition, higher intake of total dietary fibers, including those from grain, vegetables, and insoluble fiber, are also associated with a lower risk of cancer mortality.

Suitable Substitutes

Here are some healthy alternatives to white flour.

1. Whole Grain Wheat Flour. Whole grain wheat flour retains the bran and germ of wheat and is rich in fiber, vitamins B and E, and trace minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. It can replace white flour for steamed buns, bread, or noodles.

2. Mix and Match. Mix 50 percent whole grain wheat flour with 50 percent white flour to enhance nutrient content.

3. Enrich the Taste. You can add nuts, seeds, and healthy condiments to whole wheat food to improve its taste. Personally, I don’t really like whole-grain bread, but recently, a friend gave me some that had a variety of nuts mixed in it—I found it to be surprisingly delicious!

4. Eat whole and multigrain foods. With foods such as noodles and bread, you have many choices of grain: brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. Whole grains are rich in fiber and nutrients. In 2022, a Harvard University study analyzed data from three cohorts of men and women. They found that a daily intake of whole grain foods (16 grams per serving) provided a 7 percent reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. Except for popcorn, the increased intake of all other whole grain foods has been associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease.

It is recommended that you increase the diversity of your diet and try various whole-grain foods. The suggestions can help you gradually transition from relying on white flour products.

We can achieve significant improvement in our health by making these simple dietary changes, together with choosing the right nutrient-rich alternatives.