Atta or Maida: Which One is Better for Your Health?
Whole wheat flour or Atta is a regular feature of Indian households. The all-purpose flour or Maida, on the other hand, is found in almost every street snack or restaurant delicacy.
It is interesting that both of these flours are prepared from the same source- whole wheat grains. So both of these flours share a common source and have a place in our diets. But which one of them is better for your health?
Keep reading to get a detailed comparison between Atta and Maida, that will help you know exactly which one of the two is healthier and why.
Table of Contents
The Difference
Nutritional Value
Impact on your Health
Conclusion
The difference
Both Atta and Maida are a product of wheat grains. Atta or whole wheat flour is a basic, milled flour made from whole wheat grains. It consists of the entire grain, including the germ, endosperm and bran.
However, Maida is made from just the endosperm of the grains. Maida is thus a highly refined form of wheat.
The smooth touch and fine texture of Maida are a result of this heavy refining process. Conversely, Atta feels a bit coarse when compared to Maida. Wheat grains can be easily milled locally to get Atta while Maida can only be refined at specialized mills.
Nutritional Value
Whole grains are known to be the healthiest options because they deliver dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates and several antioxidants. Thus, whole grain flours, ground just once, become the next best choice. So, Atta being whole wheat flour still carries a lot of the nutrients from grains.
However, Maida, due to the heavy refining process, is drained of all the nutritional value and only delivers empty calories. The effect is so drastic that it loses about 97% of the fiber content found in wheat. Also, Maida contains bleach and chemicals that give it the typical white tinge and smooth texture but prove to be a negative influence on your body.
Impact on your Health
So, as mentioned above, Atta carries a lot of nutritional value and thus becomes the obvious good choice for your health.
Nevertheless, Maida along with the zero nutritional content is also capable of clogging your digestive systems with its sticky nature. Its impact on the intestines can also weaken your immune system.
It has a high glycaemic index and thus it can create spikes in your blood insulin level and cause Type-2 diabetes. It can also increase your bad cholesterol levels, which may further lead to heart-related problems including fatal ones like a heart attack or stroke.
Conclusion
So, after a detailed comparison between Atta and Maida, it can be easily concluded that Atta is the healthier option between the two. Although they are prepared from the same source, the process of preparation makes all the difference.
Thus, even though the delicious foods you love are made of Pure Maida, you need to understand that its regular consumption is not good for your health. Atta or any other whole grain flour should be your choice for regular use while Maida can only be an occasional treat.