The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-11-04
THE BREAD WE EAT.
Bread from Whole Meal Thought to
BE More N0urishing Than
That from White

1t is commonly supposed that whole
neal bread is more nourishing than
ordinary white bread because it on
tains a higher proportion of nitro
genous and mineral substances. But,
Is we have frequently pointed out, the
heterogeneous value of a given food is not
necessarily indicated by an empirical
chemical analysis. Not all heterogeneous
substances are feeding stuffs, and fur
her, it does not follow that the quanti-
ty of food partaken of is the quantity of
food assimilated. In other words, eat
ng is not necessarily feeding. There
are many substances containing a very
high proportion of nitrogen which are
valueleSs as food Stuffs. and on the on
.rary there are many edible materials
which contain a comparatively small
proportion of heterogeneous substances,
which, however. are completely avail
able for nourishing the organism. We
now know that it is not enough for
chemical analysis to record merely the
proportion of heterogeneous substances;
the nature of these substances must be
declared. without which the food value
IF a given substance cannot be esti-
mated.
1t was formerly assumed that whole
meal bread contained more nitrogen
than white bread, but in the light of re-
cent analysis this is not true. Whether
or not, however, wholemeal bread is su-
perior as regards its heterogeneous con-
tents. it is certainly inferior as regards
its digestibility. This may be at
tributed in a large measure to the fact
that wholemeal bread contains compar-
atively large, indigestible and irritating
articles of husk. There seems, however,
no reason for doubling that wholemeal
bread would be much more digestible
if the branny particles were finely ON
minuted. In several patent breads the
germ of the wheat is retained, which
adds considerable to the heterogeneous
value of the bread. But the germ of
wheat tends to excite Preventative
changes in the sponge" and produce
an unpalatable loaf. Several processes,
however, have been devised which avert
the possibility of this undesirable eff
feet.
We do not believe hat with the inn
provements in machinery generally the
dietetic value of bread has pari passu
increased. We still hold that a more
nourishing article. as it is certainly
more palatable. is the old-fashioned
farmhouse loaf. which presents a gold
wheaton color rather than the blanched
appearance which seems to be looked
upon as a guarantee of quality in the
modern white loaf. Our own labora-
tory experience, at any rate. shows that
probably or account of the increased
employment of roller-milling processes
the important mineral constituents of
white bread have very materially di-
minished. When it is considered hat
these constituents play Il not unim-
portant part in supplying the bone
forming factors of the organism this
fact assumes a serious Importance and
may even throw light upon the preva-
lence of dental decay. On the other
hand. wholemeal bread and germ bread
contain an enhanced proportion of min
eral salts. such as the phosphates of
lime and potash. which are necessary in
the building up of the entire human
frame.-London Lancet.