Why More Grains in Multigrain Atta Can Be The Key To A Healthier Digestion & Gut

If you have trouble feeling light after every second roti, or find yourself popping antacids after your dinner every time, you might need to look at the base ingredient rather than the dish itself. After all, Indian kitchens haven't moved from their trusty single grain flour.
The refined wheat flour is soft, familiar, and was passed down by our mothers — but unfortunately, low on fiber and quick to digest, leaving nothing for the billions of bacteria living inside your body. When you replace the basic ingredient with multigrain atta, a few changes take place – bloating becomes lesser, bowel movements become regular, you feel more energized throughout the day, and for some, even sugar levels stabilize.
In this blog post, we shall uncover exactly how the addition of more grains helps improve your digestion, what exactly gut health needs other than fiber, and how you can really pick a multigrain atta in a sea of fakes – whether it is chakki atta, sugar control atta or multigrain atta.

What Is The Difference Between Multi-Grain Atta And Wheat Atta?

Wheat atta contains just one grain - wheat. Multigrain atta contains several whole grains, millets, and pulses like:
•    Whole wheat
•    Jowar (sorghum)
•    Bajra (pearl millet)
•    Ragi (finger millet)
•    Oats & Barley
•    Chana (Bengal gram) or soy
Every grain contributes its own combination of fibre, proteins and micronutrients. Hence, instead of deriving nutrients from just one narrow range in every roti you make, your body gets the benefit of a variety of nutrients in every single roti.
From a nutrition perspective, the difference is huge: where wheat flour will have about 3-4g of fibre in 100g of flour, multigrain atta will provide 10-15g of fibre in 100g of flour – nearly thrice as much. This is basically what makes all the difference to digestion.

How Extra Grains Really Work for Digestive Health

1. Increased Fiber = Improved, Better Digestion
Each new grain adds a type of fiber – soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber (wheat bran, jowar, bajra) provides mass to your stool and increases transit time, preventing constipation. At the same time, soluble fiber (oats, barley) slows down the digestion process just enough so that all nutrients are absorbed more effectively.

2. Multigrain Fiber Works as a Prebiotic
Here comes the unknown part of it: fiber from different types of grains does not just “go through,” it works as food for probiotics inside your large intestine. This prebiotic effect will make your microbiome more healthy and it has been proven to affect immune system, mental health and skin condition.

3. Slow Digestion = Reduced Bloating, Stable Energy Levels
Refined single grain atta gets digested quickly and that causes rapid fluctuations in your energy level. Multigrain atta takes time to get digested, meaning that you are full for a longer period of time and do not suffer from energy drops.

4. Effective Blood Sugar Management, Naturally
The multigrain atta is a low glycemic index food that provides a steady release of glucose in the body. For this reason, individuals with high blood sugar levels will opt for sugar control atta because it is a combination of different grains, including jowar, bajra, ragi, and oats, containing minimal amounts of refined flour.

5. Micronutrients to Maintain Gut Lining
Magnesium, zinc, and various B-vitamins obtained from various grains help maintain the gut lining, making muscles in the digestive system contract effectively.

"Why 'Chakki Fresh' Matters So Much More Than You Know"

There's one important detail that no bagged atta brand will ever want to share with you – once the grains such as wheat are ground into flour, their oils become exposed to oxygen and oxidize. Flour which has been sitting on shelves for weeks becomes less tasty and loses part of its nutritive value.
Chakki fresh atta, on the contrary, contains:
•    More natural fiber and bran because nothing is extracted
•    More aroma and flavor in your roti
•    More vitamins B and minerals which are not preserved by industrial processing of grains
When choosing between different bags of flour, freshness is as important as the composition of the grains.

How to Select the Best Multigrain Atta in India

With the abundance of brands that claim to offer the best multigrain atta in India, here’s what to look out for while making an informed decision about its quality:
1.    Ensure that the brand uses at least 4-6 types of grains, not only wheat with oats added for the "multigrain" label.
2.    Pick the atta ground by chakki mills, as these retain more bran and germ than steel roller mills.
3.    Choose an atta without any added maida, preservatives or bleaching agents.
4.    The quantity of fibre content in 100g of the product shouldn’t be lower than 8g.
5.    Buy it in smaller portions to guarantee fresh product.
In this case, the search for the best organic atta in India comes in handy, as organic multigrain atta doesn't use synthetic pesticides in the process of growing the grain.

Is Multigrain Atta Gluten Free?

Frankly speaking — no, because most types of multigrain atta that we find in the market contain wheat and barley, both of which contain gluten. In case you have celiac disease or a specific intolerance to gluten, multigrain atta will not be a suitable choice.
In order to purchase gluten free flour, you need to choose a gluten free atta that contains such ingredients as jowar, bajra, ragi, rice, and amaranth without any traces of wheat or barley.

FAQ

Q.1 Does multigrain atta contribute to improving digestion?

Yes. The collective fiber content of various grains gives a bulk to stool, increases healthy transit time, and serves as a source of energy for beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Q.2 How long will it take to improve gut health from using multigrain atta?

In one or two weeks after continuous consumption of this type of flour, you may notice the effect of reduced bloating and regular digestion due to an increased amount of fiber intake.

Q.3 Is multigrain atta superior to wheat atta when it comes to digestive tract health?

Usually yes, since multigrain atta usually contains a larger amount of dietary fiber than wheat atta.

Q.4 Will multigrain atta aid in sugar control?

Multigrain atta with jowar, bajra, ragi, and oats is low on the glycemic index in comparison with white wheat flour, which means that sugar enters the blood more slowly, which is why it can be recommended as sugar control atta.

Q.5 Is multigrain atta recommended for people suffering from gluten intolerance?

No. Most varieties of multigrain atta contain wheat and barley, which are grains containing gluten. People having celiac disease or gluten intolerance must opt for gluten-free atta.

Q.6 What is the difference between chakki fresh atta and normal atta?

Chakki fresh atta is a type of atta ground on a stone mill right before selling it. Normal atta takes several days or weeks to get from the factory to the consumer and loses a bit of its quality and nutrition during that time.

Q.7 How many units of multigrain atta do I have to consume every day for good gut health?

There is no set number for everyone. All you need to do is replace the regular flour you use to make rotis with the same amount of multigrain atta.

Final Word

Grains don't just sound good on paper for nutritional value; they have proven to perform certain tasks within the body as well. More fibre intake, more prebiotics intake, slow and stable digestion, and improved blood sugar control can all be attributed to the use of authentic multigrain atta instead of single-grain flour.

When it comes to buying the best multigrain atta in India, you should go for the one which offers more fibre in it, is freshly ground, and is milled traditionally. It will give you the best results only if you start getting regular deliveries at home.