Are Whole Grains Really All That? Fridays Edition: 3-14-08

A Whole Grain is the entire seed of a plant. It has 3 parts; the bran, the germ and the endosperm. All three of the parts of the plant are important. The bran is the outside layer of the seed, high in fiber and B vitamins. The germ is the seed which would make a new plant; it contains vitamin B, some protein, minerals, and healthy oils. The endosperm is a food supply for the germ; it contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins and some vitamins and minerals.

Whole grains are healthier for you. When grain is refined it losses about 25% of its proteins and at least seventeen of its essential nutrients. Whole grains can be eaten whole, cracked, split or ground. If made in to breads, cereals and other processed foods, it is required to have the same portions of the bran, germ and endosperm as the plant if it is stated to be "whole grain."

With the use of the whole grain stamp now, it is easier to identify. If the stamp states "100% whole grain" it has to contain at least 16g of whole grain; if the stamp states "whole grain" it has to contain at least 8g of whole grain.

The US Dietary Guidelines recommends three 16g servings a day of whole grains or 48g. If choosing 100% whole grain a serving would be about a ½ cup brown rice, whole wheat pasta or oatmeal. One slice of 100% whole grain bread is a serving; and I cup of whole grain ready to eat cereal is a serving.

Benefits of Whole Grain:

Whole grain can reduce weight and cut cardiovascular disease according to a clinical study done at Penn State.

A 20 year study of about 21,000 male physicians, led by Djousse and Gaziano at Harvard, has found that by eating two to six servings a week of whole grain cereal reduced their risk of heart failure by 22 percent. Those that ate whole grains daily the risk was reduced to 28 percent.

By eating two or more servings a day of whole grains you may cut your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 40%, in a research done by June Chan at UC San Francisco.

A UK study led by Janet Cade at Leeds University suggested that women (particularly pre-menopausal women) who eat large amounts of fiber could cut their risk of breast cancer in half.

At Harvard School of Public Health a study led by JS de Munter showed that eating two servings a day of whole grain had a 21% decline in the risks of type 2 diabetes.

Risk reduction of inflammatory diseases is greater with consumption of whole grains was concluded from a 17 year study at the University of Minnesota. It was led by David Jacobs who followed more than 27,000 post-menopausal women. He stated that "oxidative stress reduction by constituents of whole grain is a likely mechanism for the protective effect."