Wheat
For the people of the Bible, wheat was a great food treasure. It was a staple at most
every meal. In addition, wheat could make the difference between life and death because
of its nutritional value and the protection it offered against a host of disabling, often
deadly, disorders and diseases.
Wheat was the “staff of life.” Because it was such an important part of everyday survival it
became an important religious symbol for both Jews and Christians. An abundant harvest
was a blessing from God.
Biblical people ate their grain boiled and parched, soaked and roasted, and even ate it
green from the stalk. It was pounded, dried or crushed to be baked into casseroles,
porridges, soups, parched grain salads and desserts such as puddings and flans.
Bible scholars say that Ezekiel’s Bread was intended to be a survival food during the dark
days of the Babylonian conquest because it contains wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet
and spelt. The Israelites put their faith in this multi-grain foodstuff to maintain their health
and stay fighting fit.
Much of the wheat the Israelites ate was actually the wheat bran, the outermost layers of
the wheat kernel which is nearly all fiber. It is now well-established just how critical fiber
is to healthy digestion and efficient bowel function. Wheat bran is also absolutely loaded
with crucial B vitamins and protein.
Wheat germ ranks up there for its all-encompassing nutritional value. A ¼ cup packs 5
grams of fiber, as well as B vitamins, iron, magnesium and zinc. It’s also rich in chromium,
manganese and vitamin E. Whole wheat bread contains triple the fiber found in white
bread and is much richer in magnesium and vitamin B.
Wheat bran’s high fiber content is one of the richest dietary sources of insoluble fiber
known. Nothing quite matches the power of this fiber in keeping wastes moving regularly
throughout our systems.
The fiber in wheat is our best protection against – and cure of – constipation. It prevents
intestinal infections, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, improves bowel function, and guards us
against colon cancer.
Recently, a team of researchers at a nutritional clinic in England set out to compare the
effectiveness of various vegetable fibers in our diets. Volunteers were given wheat bran,
carrots, cabbage and apples to eat. The conclusion was that wile all the vegetables were
useful, none came close to matching the effective of wheat bran.
Experts report that in other parts of the world where fiber intake is much higher than the
US, colon and bowel disorder are rare. The same was true centuries ago in the lands of
the Bible where fiber-rich diets, especially grains, were standard fare.
In a study in Finland, farmers whose normal diet is high in fats from dairy products, the
rate of colon cancer was way down when it should have been very high, according to the
American Health Foundation.
The reason is that these farmers also ate lots of whole grain cereal and whole wheat
bread. This confirms the belief that the high fiber content of their diet somehow blocked
the formation of the cancers that are often a result of a very high fat intake.
Most people only need about 1/3 cup of 100% whole wheat bran cereal daily. But cereals
and whole wheat breads aren’t the only way to add fiber. The Bible mentions several
various types of grains and ways to use them.
According to most Bible scholars, the parched grain spoken of was the forerunner to
tabbouleh, the bulgar-wheat salad which is still popular throughout the Middle East. Its
popularity spread to other parts of the world with different variations. The Bible’s cracked
wheat, bulgar wheat and tabbouleh are actually whole wheat kernels that have been
boiled, dried and cracked.
