Bran

The outer husk of any type of grain. This husk is removed when the grain is milled into flour. In the case of whole wheat and graham flours, the bran is added back in at the end of the milling process. Bran has a high nutritional value due to its significant fiber content and the presence of B vitamins, although it should be noted that bran does limit, to some extent, the absorption of other food and nutrients during the digestive process. Bran flakes are often added to bread, cereals, and muffins for the benefits listed above. Care must be taken, however, not to use too much, as bran weakens the gluten strength of wheat flour.