Did you know that refined flour has up to 90% of fiber, lysine, minerals, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium removed? That is because refined flour is from a roller mill, which strips away most of the bran and germ, basically creating a refined starch product! The graphic below (sources, Whole Grains Council and S.W. Souci) shows the difference between true whole wheat flour which is the entire wheat kernel vs refined. The yellow bars represent enriched flour (basic vitamins are added back in). The advantages of roller milling over whole grain milling are efficiency, better shelf life (the bran and germ have oils that begin to oxidize when milled), and better rising qualities in bread. The disadvantage is that 75 to 90% of key nutrients are removed. It's no wonder that whole grains and cereals no longer are the base element of the food pyramid - we really aren't eating whole grains any longer. This is even true for whole wheat flour in the store, almost all of which
