Grown on more land area than any commercial
food is wheat. With rice, wheat is the world’s most favoured staple food.
Staple food is any food that is routinely eaten in quantities that constitute a
dominant portion of a diet in a given population. Other examples of staple
foods are tuber or root crops, grains, legumes and other seeds.
Most of these staple foods contain some
essential nutrients which are beneficial for various metabolic activities in
the body.
Nutrient
content of some major staple foods
|
Staplefoods/ Component/100g
|
Maize
|
Wheat
|
White Rice
|
Soybean
|
Yam
|
Cassava
|
|
Energy(KJ)
|
1528
|
1369
|
1528
|
615
|
494
|
670
|
|
Protein(g)
|
9.4
|
7.9
|
7.1
|
13
|
1.5
|
1.4
|
|
Fat(g)
|
4.74
|
7.9
|
0.66
|
6.8
|
0.17
|
6.28
|
|
Carbohydrates(g)
|
74
|
71
|
80
|
11
|
28
|
38
|
|
Fiber(g)
|
7.3
|
12.2
|
1.3
|
4.2
|
4.1
|
1.8
|
|
Calcium(mg)
|
7
|
29
|
28
|
197
|
17
|
16
|
|
Iron(mg)
|
2.71
|
3.19
|
0.8
|
3.55
|
0.54
|
0.27
|
|
Magnesium(mg)
|
127
|
126
|
25
|
65
|
21
|
21
|
|
Zinc(mg)
|
2.21
|
2.65
|
1.09
|
0.79
|
0.24
|
0.34
|
|
Copper(mg)
|
0.31
|
0.43
|
0.22
|
0.13
|
0.18
|
0.1
|
|
Manganese(mg)
|
0.49
|
3.99
|
1.09
|
0.55
|
0.4
|
0.38
|
|
Selenium(µg)
|
15.5
|
70.7
|
15.1
|
1.5
|
0.7
|
0.7
|
|
Folate(µg)
|
19
|
38
|
8
|
165
|
23
|
27
|
|
Niacin(mg)
|
3.63
|
5.46
|
1.6
|
1.65
|
0.55
|
0.85
|
Considering the table above, wheat contains
the highest level of iron after soybean. Wheat also contains high levels of
various other essential nutrients. It contains the highest levels of Selenium (an
antioxidant that helps protect cell from damage) and Zinc (helps immune system
work properly). Though wheat has a relatively high amount of iron, some other
components of wheat such as gluten and phytic acid inhibits the absorption of
iron from wheat by the body. Phytic acid forms an insoluble precipitate with
iron released from iron-rich foods; making iron unavailable to the body.
Sprouting, lactic acid fermentation and cooking can break down the phytic acid.
Hypothetically, probiotic Lactobacilli
may be a source of phytase (an enzyme) that can also break down the phytic
acid.
Gluten can damage the lining of the small
intestine in patients of celiac disease (an autoimmune disease of the small
intestine). This inhibits the absorption of iron and other nutrients in same
patients. Patients with celiac should take only gluten-free foods to avoid being
iron deficient.
References
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530