Benefits of Kamut outweigh those of common wheat

Kamut® is a registered trademark of Kamut International, Ltd., used in marketing products made with a remarkable grain. The new cereal is an ancient relative of modern durum wheat, two to three times the size of common wheat with 20–40% more protein, higher in lipids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and a "sweet" alternative for all products that now use common wheat  Nutritionally superior, it can be substituted for common wheat with great success. Kamut brand wheat has a rich, buttery flavor, and is easily digested. A hard amber spring type wheat with a huge humped back kernel, this grain is "untouched" by modern plant breeding programs which appear to have sacrificed flavor and nutrition for higher yields dependent upon large amounts of synthetic agricultural inputs.

The Kamut Association of North America reports that Medallion Laboratory in Minneapolis MN, did a complete nutritional analysis of the ancient grain QK-77 which is currently sold under the brand name of Kamut ®. These results were compared with figures compiled by the USDA for hard red spring wheat, hard red winter wheat, soft red wheat, soft white wheat, hard white wheat, and durum. These grains are normally referred to as common wheat.

There are significant differences between Kamut and common wheat. The differences are:

• Higher nutritional value
• Superior protein levels
• The majority of nutrition are in the form of complex carbohydrates
• Kamut has measurably more minerals
• It has significantly more magnesium and zinc
• Contains 30 percent more vitamin E
• Has significantly higher levels of all the major fatty acids
• Is cholesterol free
• Has 16 higher levels (out of the 18) of amino acids
• Kamut has a lower moisture content which naturally protect the grain from insects and spoilage
• It also has a lower oxidation level once the flour is ground resulting in less nutritional loss between grinding and processing
• Although Kamut contains gluten, many people find that it is less allergenic than common wheat.

Although the Kamut brand wheat is thousands of years old, it is a new addition to North American grain productions. It's origins are intriguing. Following WWII, a US airman claimed to have taken a handful of this grain from a stone box in a tomb near Dashare, Egypt. Thirty-six kernels of the grain were given to a friend who mailed them to his father, a Montana wheat farmer. The farmer planted and harvested a small crop and displayed the grain as a novelty at the local fair. Believing the legend that the giant grain kernels were taken from an Egyptian tomb, the grain was dubbed "King Tut's Wheat." But soon the novelty wore off and this ancient grain was all but forgotten. In 1977, one remaining jar of "King Tut's Wheat" was obtained by T. Mack Quinn, another Montana wheat farmer, who with his son Bob, an agricultural scientist and plant biochemist soon perceived the value of this unique grain. They spent the next decade propagating the humped-backed kernels originally selected from the small jar. Their research revealed that wheats of this type originated in the fertile crescent area which runs from Egypt to the Tigris-Euphrates valley. The Quinns coined the trade name "Kamut" an ancient Egyptian word for wheat. Egyptologists claim the root meaning of Kamut is "Soul of the Earth."

Although its true history and taxonomy may be disputed, what is not disputed is its great taste, texture, and nutritional qualities as well as its hypo-allergenic properties.
KAMUT BRAND WHEAT

Recently, Green Kamut was introduced. It is becoming the rage of the green foods market because of its concentrated health benefits and mild, fresh taste when compared to other wheat grass juices. Thus the leaves as well as the grain of this remarkable plant are proving to be valuable.

The complete nutritional analysis of Kamut brand grain substantiates that it is higher in energy than other wheats. Compared to common wheat, it is higher in eight out of nine minerals; contains up to 65% more amino acids; and boasts more lipids and fatty acids. The most striking superiority of Kamut brand wheat is found in its protein level—up to 40% higher than the national average for wheat. Because of its higher percentage of lipids, which produce more energy than carbohydrates, Kamut brand can be described as a "high energy grain." Athletes, people with busy lives and anyone looking for quality nutrition will find Kamut brand products a valuable addition to their diet. A bowl of hot Kamut cereal in the morning, or a delicious serving of Kamut pasta at noon will satisfy between meal hunger pangs as well as urges for snacking.

Complete Nutrient Analysis:

Vitamins

Minerals

Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Phytonutrients

Amino Acids

Fatty Acids

Nutrients marked with an asterisk (*) indicate data totals with some values not available. This may result in an under reporting of values.

Food manufacturers usually do not report all food nutrient values.

These nutrient values generated from the USDA Nutrient research Database using NutriBase 7 Nutrition software

Copyright © 2007, by NutriCoach. All rights Reserved.