Wheat Bran Diet

Bran is the hard outer layer of cereal grain seeds such as wheat, oat, rice, corn and many others. It's an integral part of whole grain foods and may be a separate product in its own right. Formulating a diet based on wheat bran can be a healthy and nutritious way to lose weight.

Nutrition

Wheat bran is an important source of starches, minerals, omega fats, vitamin B and insoluble fiber, the latter of which serves the purpose of adding bulk to the diet. According to the American Heart Association, insoluble fiber doesn't seem to lower blood cholesterol like soluble fiber does, but it is an important aid in normal bowel function, helping ease the movement of material through the intestinal tract.

Amount

MayoClinic.com states that you should get 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories from carbohydrates. Based on a 2000-calorie diet, this amounts to between 225 and 325 calories a day. However, the amount of calories in wheat bran depends upon the product in which it is found.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index measures the effect that foods have on blood sugar. Low GI foods such as wheat bran are supposed to reduce your risk of diabetes and promote a feeling of fullness in between meals. Wheat bran has a GI score of 42. Anything below 45 is considered to be of low GI value.

Benefits

A 1997 study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" found that wheat bran reduced the incidence of tumors in rats diagnosed with colon cancer. Oat bran, however, did not. It is believed that insoluble fiber is the important nutrient in this case. However, the effect that dietary fiber has on cancer is still being debated. The authors of the study, Debra L. Zoran and colleagues, suggest that the degree to which the fiber has been fermented may be a defining factor between the cancer-fighting effects of wheat and oat bran.

Considerations

Wheat bran can be found in traditionally wheat-heavy products used to make flour for breads, cakes, cereals, pasta and others. The sheer diversity of the forms that wheat bran takes means that it can exist as the centerpiece of every meal. For example, you can have cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. However, many commercial wheat bran products such as muffins, chips and waffles actually contain very little bran. They may also be high in sodium and trans fat. You should read the labels on all packaged foods before purchase.