Types of Wheat: Nutritional Content & Health Benefits Comparison
For over 7,000 years, mankind has cultivated and developed wheat for breads and cereals. Today, we consume more wheat, as a percentage of our daily diet, than any other food. Just think about that and the effects wheat can have on our health – good or bad!
Wheat Bread, just one of the many ways we like to eat different types of wheat
I’ve been researching the nutritional content of 19 different types of wheat, and I’ve included a link to all of my findings in this post. This post focuses on the nutritional content and health benefits of einkorn wheat compared with the common types of wheat of which most of our food from the grocery store is made.
In doing my research, it is easy to see why there has been renewed worldwide interest in ancient einkorn wheat. The interest comes not only from einkorn’s unique gluten structure but also it’s incredible nutritional qualities.
Here are some interesting facts I learned about the nutritional content and health benefits of einkorn:
- Wheat gluten studies have found einkorn wheat may be non-toxic to suffers of gluten intolerance
- Einkorn wheat has 14 chromosomes while modern wheats have 42 (Friendly to the body’s digestive system)
- Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more beta-carotene than modern wheats (Boosts immunity, helps prevent cancer and heart disease)
- Einkorn contains 2 times more Vitamin A (retinol equivalent) than modern wheats (Healthy eyes, reproductive organs and prevention of many cancers)
- Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more lutein than modern wheats (Prevention of macular degeneration and cataracts)
- Einkorn contains 4-5 times more riboflavin than modern wheats (Used by the body to create energy and is an antioxidant that slows aging)
- Einkorn is a “hulled” wheat, whereas modern wheats are not. The hull can protect the grain from stray chemical contamination and insects making it an easier grain to grow ORGANICALLY!
Einkorn vs Major Types of Wheat Comparison Matrix
Brief Comparison of Einkorn and Major Types of Wheat
See my full nutritional matrix comparing 19 types of wheat (pdf), including einkorn wheat. This matrix also includes my sources and references.
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I didn’t realize einkorn was so nutritious (compared to the other types of wheat). Thanks for sharing this information.
The most beneficial aspect is the fiber content of ancient wheats. In the ancient world much of the wheat was ground with the husk increasing the fiber content considerably. So although humans are not designed to eat wheat, cooking it reduces the toxin levels to tolerable ranges and the extra fiber moved it through the system quickly.
Today’s ultra refined, naked whats amount to rocket fuel. This is not only a fuel we did not evolve to eat, modern wheat offers too little fiber to move it through the system quickly.
Speaking of rocket fuel… Whenever I eat a bowl of cold cereal, like rice Chex or something similar, I get a serious sugar crash about 3 hours later. I get jittery and have a hard time thinking straight. This doesn’t happen when I eat whole-grain stuff that I make myself. I’m guessing it’s the amount of sugar and carbs combined.
Your blood sugar rises dramatically and along with it so do your insullin levels. When the sugar crash happens your insullin has done a remarkable job… too well indeed and has brought your sugar levels too low. What happens next is the body wants more carbs. This causes a roller coaster ride of spiking sugar and insullin levels through out the day.
Great. Thank-you. Where can one find this in stores? What brands etc.
What is the long-term storage life for Elkhorn wheat? Hard red winter wheat and hard white wheat are each 30 years. How does Elkhorn compare?
In your detailed PDF chart it shows Durum Wheat has nearly all Vitamins and Minerals in larger quantity then Einkorn. Can you please shed some light on that.
What does it take to grow Einkorn? If I ordered the berries, could I grow it? What kind of climate does it like, etc.?
Erin, it likes cool, dry climates
Since sugars in the Einkorn is higher than other grains listed how does that effect the glycemic index in the blood stream? What part of the grain stores these sugars?
Thank you,
Brenda
Brenda, On this topic, Dr. William Davis shared the experience a friend of his had with einkorn:
I’d like to know the carbohydrate count. The advanced chart says “no data” in that column. Why do we know the fiber and sugars but not the carb count?