What is Wheat Bran?

Wheat bran is made by naturally separating the protective outer layer of the wheat berry from the endosperm and oil-rich germ. It is so much more than just fiber supplement. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and other health enhancing plant substances called phytonutrients. Add wheat bran to hot cereals, cold cereals, baked goods, casseroles and more. It even makes a delicious low-carb breading.

Nine out of ten Americans do not meet their daily fiber consumption. That's unfortunate because eating enough fiber is so essential for a healthy diet. Fiber regulates the digestive system and helps pass waste and toxins out of the body. It absorbs fat and cholesterol that would otherwise make its way into the blood. Plus, fiber helps you to feel full faster, and filling up on high fiber foods leaves less room for high-fat, high-calorie, low-fiber foods.

Depending on your age and gender, you should eat between 21 and 38 grams of fiber every day. Eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables will help you get the fiber you need. It naturally contains three major B-vitamins-thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin-that your body needs.

Wheat bran is a popular bulk laxative. A third of a cup per day is all that is needed. Research studies support this popular practice. A fiber-rich diet, primarily composed of whole wheat breads, cereals high in bran and supplemental "millers bran" was shown to alleviate the symptoms of diverticular disease (pain, nausea, flatulence, distension, constipation, etc.) in 89 percent of patients enrolled in a study which examined the effects of fiber on bowel regularity. Diverticular disease, a condition often marked by inflammation and lower abdominal pains in which chronic constipation and excessive straining results in a sac or pouch in the wall of the colon, is typically treated with dietary roughage such as cereal fiber (i.e., wheat bran), fruit and vegetable fiber, and plenty of fluids.

Whole Wheat Promotes Women's Health and Gastrointestinal Health

The benefits of wheat's bran portion don't stop here; it has also been shown to function as an anti-cancer agent. Wheat bran is thought to accelerate the metabolism of estrogen that is a known promoter of breast cancer. In one study, pre-menopausal women, ages twenty to fifty, who ate three to four high fiber muffins per day made with wheat bran, decreased their blood estrogen levels by 17 percent after two months. The women eating corn bran or oat bran did not show the same benefits.

Interestingly, whole grains such as wheat also contain lignans, which are phytonutrients that act as weak hormone-like substances. Lignans occupy the hormone receptors in the body, thus actively protecting the breast against high circulating levels of hormones such as estrogen. By accelerating the metabolism of estrogen and occupying estrogen receptors in the body, the components of wheat appear to have a dual function in protecting women against one of the leading causes of cancer death.

The fact that only wheat bran, and not corn or oat bran, is beneficial in preventing cancer-promoting changes in the colon, provides additional clues that wheat bran contains something special that makes it a true cancer fighter. Only the bran from wheat has been shown to reduce the concentration of bile acids and bacterial enzymes in the stool that are believed to promote colon cancer.

The protective dose for colon cancer may be more than 28 grams a day, since men who ate this amount had only one-third the rate of colon polyps (precancerous tumors) compared to those who ate only 17 grams/day. The amount of wheat bran needed for protection from other cancers is still unknown, but based on the health benefits of this food, it may be wise, if you are not sensitive to wheat or gluten, to include several servings of whole wheat grain foods such as bread, pasta, and bran cereals every day in your diet.

This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, Manganese and Selenium.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/4 cup(16g)
Servings per Container About 142 
mount per Serving
Calories 30 Calories from Fat 5
% Daily Value*   
 Total Fat 0.5 g 1%   
   Saturated Fat 0g 0%   
   Trans Fat 0 g  
 Cholesterol 0 mg 0%   
 Sodium 0 mg 0%   
 Total Carb 7 g 2%   
   Dietary Fiber 6 g 24%   
   Sugars 0 g  
 Protein 3 g 6%   
 Vitamin A 0%  l  Vitamin C 0%   
 Calcium 0%  l  Iron 6%   
*Percent Daily Values are based upon a 2,000 calorie diet.
Estimated Glycemic Load: 4
Keeps Best Refrigerated or Frozen

Wheat Bran Powder listed in drop-down menu as "Other".

Ingredients: wheat bran

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mayoclinic's Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet

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