What is Durum Wheat?
Durum wheat is a variety of spring wheat used for making semolina. It can also be used to make pasta, couscous, and bulgur.
Most people are still unfamiliar with durum wheat and mistakenly interpret it as maida or bread. Some are skeptical about whether durum wheat is healthy, maida, or another type of wheat.
Let’s get all the answers.
Is Durum wheat healthy?
Durum wheat is good for your health. It is high in vitamins B, iron, copper, zinc, and antioxidants; It is also rich in dietary fiber. Durum wheat healthy recipes can be added to a person’s weekly diet for better health.
Pasta is one of the most popular dishes made with durum wheat.
Is durum-wheat pasta good for you?
Yes. The calories in a serving of durum wheat pasta are 200. It is low in fat and can aid with weight loss.
Durum Wheat Benefits
1 Rich in Folic Acid
Folic acid is an important nutrient in pregnancy. Folic acid is essential for the growth of the baby. Folic acid prevents neural tube abnormalities in newborns.
2 Rich in Iron content
Anemia can be caused by iron deficiency. Iron deficiency can be caused by non-heme iron, which is iron found in plant-based foods. This iron is found in durum wheat.
3 Low glycemic Index
68 is the Glycemic Index (GI) for pasta made from whole wheat, whereas 47 is the case with durum wheat pasta. Durum wheat takes longer to release glucose from the blood. This makes it an excellent choice for people with diabetes.
4) High protein
The content of constructive proteins in durum wheat is high, essential for building and repairing cell cells. Durum wheat has a protein content of 13.6g per 100g.
5) High in dietary fibers
Durum wheat contains dietary fibers that lower blood glucose levels. Durum wheat is good for your gut health. Durum wheat regulates bowel movement and helps prevent colorectal carcinoma.
Fibers also reduce cholesterol, which can help protect your heart’s health.
6) Rich in lutein
Lutein, a carotenoid, is essential for good eye health. Lutein found in durum wheat reduces the rate of tissue degeneration. Durum wheat is beneficial for the elderly with age-related eye disease.
What is special about Durum Wheat?
Durum wheat can be used to make many types of flour. These include
semolina and whole-wheat flour durum flour, whole-wheat flour durum flour, white flour durum flour, and bulgur wheat. It is unique in comparison to other varieties of wheat because of its high nutrition content.
Durum wheat has more protein than other types of wheat. It provides the gluten needed for pasta and bread to be properly textured. It has a high elasticity level, making it ideal for making pasta.
Is Durum wheat maida
Durum wheat, unlike maida, is completely different.
Maida can be described as a product made of soft wheat. Durum wheat, the hardest type of spring wheat, is used. Durum wheat has a higher protein and fiber content than maida.
The nutrition of durum wheat depends on its processing, but it has a higher nutritional value than maida.
Durum wheat vs. Maida: Which is better? It’s durum wheat.
Durum Wheat vs. Maida
Durum wheat contains proteins, vitamins B1 and B2, folate, and magnesium. These nutrients are absent in maida. Durum wheat also has a low-fat content.
Maida, on the other hand, is finely ground, refined, and bleached wheat flour.
When one asks, “Durum wheat vs. maida,” which benefits more? Maida has fewer benefits than durum wheat.
Durum Wheat vs. Whole Wheat
Both whole and durum wheat are used in bread, pasta, baked goods, and noodles.
Both have similar nutritional profiles when compared.
Whole wheat grain, however, is a whole grain that retains its brown outer and inner layers as well as the main tissue. Durum wheat is a tough variety of spring wheat.
Durum wheat dough is also more elastic than whole wheat. It can be stretched too long lengths without breaking. This makes it ideal for making pasta.
Whole wheat, on the other hand, is more suitable for bread making.
References:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/are-there-health-benefits-of-durum-wheat
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925700/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259965772_Whole_Wheat_Pasta_and_Health