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If it comes to choosing between whole wheat flour, also known as atta and refined flour, also known as maida, there is no doubting that the undisputed choice would be maida. Most of the sinful delicious dishes which require flour are made with refined flour.

Many of us are unaware of the difference between whole wheat flour and refined flour. Wheat flour is obtained by grinding wheat kernels which consists of bran, embryo and endosperm. During the process of milling, each is separated and then recombined to produce the various types of wheat flour.

Atta or the whole wheat flour has a brownish appearance due to the presence of bran. The atta is further refined, without the skin, yielding maida. The health and nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour are numerous.

• Atta is rich in fiber which boosts the metabolic rate and keeps a check on our body weight. Hence, atta has substantial weight-gain reversing properties.
• Whole wheat flour, which is rich in magnesium, can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. An increase in blood sugar can be controlled if whole wheat flour is included in the diet daily.
• Whole wheat flours protect the body against insulin resistance. This otherwise leads to high triglycerides, high blood pressure and visceral obesity.

• Regular consumption of whole wheat flour reduces level of cholesterol and high blood pressure thereby reducing the chances of any cardiovascular disease.
• The high content of bran in whole wheat flour makes it a food with excellent laxative properties. Easy bowel movements reduce nausea, pain, constipation and flatulence which comes with diverticular diseases arising due to stress during bowel movements.

• Whole wheat flour contains high amount of choline and betaine whose presence reduces the hazards of developing chronic inflammation. This reduces the risks of conditions such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cognitive decline.
• Secretion of excess bile can lead to the formation of gall stones. Whole wheat flour is a rich source of insoluble fibers, which speeds up the transit time in the intestines and thereby reduces the secretion of bile. This is turn helps in the prevention of gall stone formation.
• The consumption of high-fiber whole wheat flour reduces the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

Even though all the mouth-watering dishes like pastries, cakes and donuts are made out of maida, regularly consuming maida leads to constipation and hyperacidity. Maida also requires more oil and hence, eating products made with maida increases the chances of obesity.