In this context, whole grain breads

In this context, whole grain breads are known to be richer sources of macro- and microelements than breads made of refined flours. The amounts of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg in whole wheat bread are similar to the content in bread with 30e40 g/100 g amaranth flour, while the amounts of Mn, Ca and K are close to half (Skrbic & Filipcev, 2008). Table 3 shows the contributions of mineral intake from bread with or without amaranth to the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) given by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Science (NAS, 2004), taking into account the World Health Organization’s recommendation of a daily intake of 250 g of bread per person. When expressed in terms of DRIs, the control bread contributes 38.3% of the Cu recommended for adults, whereas the breads incorporating amaranth contribute significantly increased intakes of this mineral, ranging from 43.0 to 69.6% (10WAF and 40WAF, respectively). Moreover, consumption of the control bread satisfies 42.5 or 54.3% of the Mn recommendation, whereas bread with 20e30 g/100 g amaranth flour could cover the requirements of this microelement in adults (Table 3). Regarding Zn, consumption of the control bread would provide only a fifth (or less) of the daily requirement in adults, while the bread made with amaranth flour could provide nearly 50% of these daily requirements in females.