For caloric information please click here.
The chart below is from the USDA web site and represents the loss of certain nutrients when whole grain is turned into refined (white) flour:
* synthetic vitamins and iron added to enriched flourNutrition
When flour is commercially processed, or refined, to make white flour many of the nutritients are removed. According to the FDA iron and three vitamins must be added back to the flour. But it is not the whole grain, natural nutrition that you started with. Unless the flour is refrigerated or clearly labeled as whole grain (including the germ) even whole wheat flour is not whole grain. Once flour is ground and exposed to the air it begins to oxidize, in addition to the loss of vitamins and minerals, refined flour has more than 75% less fiber, no beta carotene and very little lutein.
Whole Grain Flour
Unenriched Refined Flour
Nutrient Change
Protein
13.7
10.33
-24.60%
Carbohydrate
72.57
76.31
5.15%
Fiber
12.2
2.7
-77.87%
Calcium
34
15
-55.88%
Iron*
3.88
1.17
-69.85%
Magnesium
138
22
-84.06%
Potassium
405
107
-73.58
Zinc
2.93
0.7
-76.11%
Selenium
70.7
33.9
-52.05%
B6
0.341
0.044
-87.10%
Thiamine*
0.447
0.12
-73.15%
Riboflavin*
0.215
0.04
-81.40%
Niacin*
6.365
1.25
80.36%
Folate mcg
44
26
-40.91%
A
9
0
-100%
E
0.82
0.06
-92.68%
K
1.9
0.3
-84.21%
Beta Carotene mcg
5
0
-100%
Lutein + Zeaxanthin mcg
220
18
-91.82%
All measures are per 100 grams
source: http://www.nal.usda.gov