It has been said that wheat bread is better for you than white bread, but do you know why?

Both wheat and white bread are made with a wheat flour, made from wheat berries that have three parts: the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The bran contains fiber, B vitamins, and trace minerals. The germ contains antioxidants, vitamin E, and B vitamins. The endosperm contains carbohydrates and protein. White bread flour only uses the endosperm, whereas whole-wheat flour uses all three parts, all of which contain nutrients that are essential for your health.

As well as containing more nutrients, wheat bread is higher in fiber than white bread. Fiber makes it easier for you to lose or control your weight, reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, aids digestion, and helps you to feel full faster than you would eating white bread (Which means you’ll eat less!).

Although most people prefer white bread to wheat bread, overall wheat bread is better for you. It gives you essential vitamins and minerals to help your body function that white bread can’t give you. White bread undergoes a process known as bleaching, which uses chemicals to make the bread white. Even though bleaching makes white flour last longer, white bread is still lacking in the vitamins and minerals department.

So the next time your mom, or whoever does the grocery shopping, goes shopping, make sure to upgrade from white bread to whole wheat bread. It’s contents are the key to a healthy, happy body.

-Rahel Abebe