I'm not so quick to dismiss the nutritional value of malt as some.  It
occurs to me that many on the list might not even know what malt is.
Malting is the process of soaking grain until it starts germinate.  It
is then roasted at low temperatures.  This is malted grain, which may be
barley (most commonly), wheat, rice, etc.  To make malt extract one then
adds water to the grain and simmers.  After much cooking and stirring it
is strained and reduced.

Since the grain involved has been germinated, it is possible that the
nutrients have a greater bio-availability than plain whole grain, as the
nutrients are more available to the sprouting plant.  Roasting wouldn't
destroy many nutrients since it is done at very low temperatures, but
the extracting may.

Unfortunately, all the information I have at hand about malting is
written for brewers (I'm married to one), and they are mostly concerned
with the carbohydrates.  I'll see if I can find some hard figures about
nutrients.

regards,
Beth
PP Doula, Childbirth & Breastfeeding Educator
--
  /\/\    Beth Johnson
 / o o\   Cosmic Wonderer
( / ^^\)  Springfield, MA USA
 \ M_M/   "Ruling a country is like cooking a small fish--
           you have to handle it with care."--Lao Tzu


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