Whole-Grain Foods Not Always Healthful: Scientific American

Whole-Grain Foods Not Always Healthful: Scientific American

• ?whole grain? refers to any mixture of bran, endosperm and germ in the proportions one would expect to see in an intact grain?yet the grains can be, and usually are, processed so that the three parts are separated and ground before being incorporated into foods. (Refined grains, on the other hand, are grains that have been stripped of their bran and germ.) For a food product to be considered whole grain, the FDA says it must contain at least 51 percent of whole grains by weight. Compared with intact grains, though, processed whole grains often have lower fiber and nutrient levels
• One problem with the current definition of ?whole grain? is that it doesn?t account for fiber?and many whole grain products on supermarket shelves contain very little
• Individuals also absorb the sugars from some processed whole grains more quickly than they do those from intact whole grains, triggering blood sugar spikes that can ?possibly increase hunger, lead to overeating and increase the risk for diseases related to insulin resistance, like diabetes and heart disease,?
• If one clear piece of advice is emerging about whole grains, it is that individuals should buy whole grains that are high in fiber: All of the diets that reduced disease risk in the ASN?s review were high in fiber or fiber-rich bran, and Ludwig and his colleagues found in their 2013 study that whole-grain foods with a ratio higher than one to 10 of fiber to total carbohydrate also contained less sugar, sodium and trans fats than other whole-grain products. People should consider cooking with intact whole grains, too, such as whole-wheat berries or spelt. And when in doubt, consumers should always trust their nutritional instincts. ?If it?s a whole-grain cookie, you probably don?t need it,? Slavin says. Deep down, most people already know that.