Whole grains make up one part of a healthy diet. Grains provide nutrients that are lacking in refined grains. Wild rice, brown rice, barley and whole-wheat pasta are complex carbs that digest slowly as opposed to refined grains such as white rice that digests quickly. Scientific studies show that whole grains may help prevent disease.
Whole Versus Refined
Whole grains are more beneficial to health than refined grains. The refinement processing of whole grains generally involves the removal of the outer bran or germ of the grain. This leaves the grain deficient in many nutritional compounds required for health, according to a study published in December 2007 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that remove harmful substances from the body are lost during processing.
Weight Loss
Including whole grains in your diet may help maintain a healthy weight, according to the findings of the December 2007 study in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Researchers found that those who ate whole grains, compared to refined grains and cereal fiber, had lower body mass indexes and weighed less. Eating whole grains led to a reduction of LDL, or the bad cholesterol, as well.
Type 2 Diabetes
Eating whole grains may help improve diabetes. A study published in 2009 in the "British Journal of Medicine" found that eating whole grains reduced the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that whole grains, however, did not offer much protection for those with a genetic predisposition to Type 2 diabetes; these individuals are known as T-allele carriers.
Heart Health
Whole grains show promising evidence in reducing the risk for heart disease. A study published in 2010 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" showed that middle-aged adults who consumed three servings of whole grains a day significantly reduced their risk factor for coronary artery disease by 15 percent and stroke by 25 percent. The biggest effect of whole grains was on lowering blood pressure, which in turn reduced the risk for heart disease.
References
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Intake of Whole Grains, Refined Grains, and Cereal Fiber Measured With 7-d Diet Records and Associations With Risk Factors for Chronic Disease; P.K. Newby, Janice Maras, Peter Bakun, et al; 2007
- "The British Journal of Nutrition"; Whole-Grain Consumption and Transcription Factor-7-Like 2: Gene--Diet Interaction in Modulating Type 2 Diabetes Risk; Eva Fishera, Heiner Boeinga, Andreas Fritsche, et al.; 2009
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effect of Increased Consumption of Whole-Grain Foods on Blood Pressure and Other Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Healthy Middle-Aged Persons: a Randomized Controlled Trial; Paula Tighe, Garry Duthie, Nicholas Vaughan, et al.; October 2010
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