Flour is a pantry staple that everyone has in their home.
Whether it be all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, or even almond flour, it is one of the most used ingredients in any kitchen.
But why is flour fortified? What is added to it and why? These are questions that I had always wondered but never took the time to research.
1. It provides essential nutrients
Flour is fortified to make up for the nutrients lost in the milling process.
The most common fortifying agents are iron, calcium, niacin, and vitamin B6, all of which are needed for good nutrition.
Other trace minerals, like zinc and magnesium, are sometimes added to flour as well.
Flour is also enriched with folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects in pregnant women.
Enrichment of flour with folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly, two common neural tube defects.
In addition to being an important source of nutrients, flour is also a key ingredient in many products.
It’s used as a thickening or binding agent in sauces, soups, and gravies.
Flour is also used in baking, of course, but it’s often used in other products as well, like pasta, pizza, and bread.
2. Improves the nutritional value of flour
Flour is often fortified to make up for the vitamins and minerals lost during the milling process. The most common nutrients added to flour are iron, vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12.
Iron is an important mineral that helps maintain healthy red blood cells and is essential for carrying oxygen throughout the body.
Vitamin B6 helps the body produce energy and is also important for proper brain development and function.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in the developing fetus.
Vitamin B12 is important for maintaining healthy red blood cells and also helps the body produce energy.
Adding these nutrients to flour can help ensure that people who consume products made with flour, such as bread or pasta, get the nutrients they need for optimal health.
3. Protects the health of people
Fortified flour is flour that has had additional nutrients added to it, typically during the milling process.
These nutrients can include minerals, such as iron, zinc, and magnesium, as well as vitamins, such as B vitamins and vitamin E.
The purpose of fortifying flour is to ensure that people have adequate amounts of these important nutrients in their diets, even if they do not get them from other sources.
For example, many people do not get enough iron or zinc from their regular diets, so fortifying flour with these minerals can help to ensure that they are getting enough of these nutrients.
In addition to protecting the health of people, fortifying flour can also help to reduce the risk of certain health problems, such as anemia and zinc deficiency.
Anemia is a condition that can occur when a person’s red blood cells do not contain enough hemoglobin, which is a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body.
4. Reduces the risk of nutrient deficiencies
Flour is enriched to provide nutrients lost during processing and to improve its nutritional value.
Wheat flour is enriched with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins B1, B2, and B3, and iron.
It is done to prevent deficiency diseases such as rickets and goiter, which are due to the lack of these nutrients in the body.
In some countries, flour is fortified with additional nutrients, such as vitamin D, folic acid, and minerals like calcium
and magnesium.
This is done to address specific nutrient deficiencies in the population.
For example, in some countries, flour is fortified with vitamin B9 to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in infants.
5. Strengthens the immune system
Flour is often enriched to make up for nutrients lost during processing.
Enrichment typically adds nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins, and minerals.
Some flour is also fortified with additional nutrients that are not lost during processing, such as fiber and essential fatty acids.
The addition of nutrients to flour can help strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of certain health conditions, such as anemia, heart disease, and diabetes.
For example, iron is an important ingredient in red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
Adding iron to flour can help prevent iron deficiency anemia, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
In addition, the addition of fiber to flour can help lower cholesterol levels and improve digestive health.
Fiber is an important nutrient that helps move food through the digestive system and can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Overall, flour fortification is an important way to ensure that the food supply is rich in essential nutrients.
Adding nutrients to flour can help strengthen the immune system, improve digestive health, and reduce the risk of certain health conditions.
Summary
So, as you can see, flour fortification is a win-win situation.
It provides essential nutrients, it improves the nutritional value of flour, and it protects the health of people.
So why not do it?.
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