An essential and extensive part of our basic diet for longer than anyone can calculate, cereals have powered the rise of entire civilizations down through history as well as providing human beings with the majority of key nutrients. For a considerable number of the world�s people, cereal consumption also accounts for high percentage of the fuel required for their daily expenditure of energy.

Rich in glucids and carbohydrates, cereals take their name from the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen present among their chemical constituents. Among the most widely recognizable staple grains we would find wheat, the all-purpose grain of preference in the West, while rice does the same job in the Eastern Hemisphere and maize performed much the same function for the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Easy to identify on account of their ripe, dry kernel of grain that grow at the end of a spike (mainly rice, wheat, maize, barley, oats, rye, millet and sorghum) cereals are characterized by their low water and fat content, though the starch they bring is an important source of caloric intake. In addition, they also provide us with proteins, B1 complex vitamins (thiamin), niacin and riboflavin, Vitamin A, fiber and minerals such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and zinc.

Wheat is widely appreciated for its ability to bring down cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. It diuretic and laxative properties are likewise a great help in countering constipation. Sorghum and millet, which many of the world�s poorest people depend on as their basic foodstuff, are also amply endowed with protein, iron, silicic acid and magnesium, and as such are very helpful when it comes to maintaining a healthy skin, nervous system, while favoring development of the brain, hair, nails and teeth. Barley is packed with starch, Vitamin E, fat, proteins, iron and calcium, and is recommended of the treatment of digestive or intestinal disorders.

Maize stands at one remove from the above-mentioned grains on account of its provitamin A content, an effective anti-oxidant that bolsters visual acuity and helps the skin. Its high fiber content tends to slow the build-up of cholesterol plaque on the walls of the arteries and prevent intestinal ailments such as irritated bowels and other digestive track upsets. As befitting the king of edible grains, wheat offers us a bounty of mineral- and protein-based nutrients. Preferably consumed in the form of bread or other baked goods, it supplies us with iron, phosphorus, calcium, B-complex vitamins and oligoelements

OUR DAILY BREAD
Considered one of the fundamental pillars of a healthy Mediterranean diet, bread is one of the main components in the food group that includes cereals and their derivatives, flour�based foodstuffs such as pasta and noodles. It is a major source of the energy that we burn up in the course of a day�s activity.

What we take into our bodies may vary a good deal according to the quality and type of flour used, the type of bread made from it, and the technique by which it is produced. White bread does not have nearly as many nutrients as the whole grain variety since the wheat loses its bran and germ when the flour is refined as well as a not inconsiderable part of its fiber and mineral content. Whole-grain breads channel substantial amounts of non-digestible fiber into the system, which is ideal for reducing the risk of colon cancer. In addition, the whole-wheat variety helps ward of coronary disease and ratchets down cholesterol levels. People suffering from diabetes are also advised to eat between 50 and 80 grams of whole-grain bread per day, in whatever variety may be preferred.