Two Registered Dietitians said it best "Don't go against the grain, go whole grain" - Jennifer Nelson R.D., L.d. and Katherine Zeratsky R.D., L.D.(1) We will review how a small shift towards more whole grains will make a huge impact on your body weight, satiety (feeling full), training, performance, recovery, and health.
In the realm of nutritional research, recommendations on food choices seem to change frequently, so lets review information that is agreed upon by nearly all sources:
Whole grains are a healthier option than refined grains or enriched grains.(2)
Let's start with the basics. Whole Grain is made up of three parts: Bran, Endosperm, and Germ. See the image below:
(2)
For a large majority of our foods the most nutrient packed parts of the whole grain; the bran and the germ, are removed during the refining process. This means the majority of your vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and healthy fats are taken out and you are left with refined sugars and a very small amount of vitamins and minerals. However, the food companies will occasionally add nutrients back in, this is called enriching. The enriched foods usually have 4 or 5 nutrients added back into the processed sugar. Look at the graph below that compares the nutrients for white bread (refined or processed grain) vs enriched white bread (nutrients added back in) vs whole wheat Bread (whole grain bread).(2)
As you can see whole wheat bread packs a ton of nutrients inside, definitely worth the extra cost of the bread. Also, notice the nutrients within the enriched bread, they are out of proportion and in amounts that far exceed how much the body will absorb when digested. Therefore, the B vitamins (Thiamin, Niacin, and Riboflavin) will pass through your system and out your body (you basically just bought expensive urine). Lastly, notice the refined wheat flour (gray bars) robs you of a lot of the nutrients and actually increases the amount of calories.(2)
What is the health impact of all those nutrients and antioxidants in Whole Grains?
Whole Grains reduce risk of Heart Disease,(3) Stroke,(4) Cancer, (5) Diabetes,(6) and Obesity.(7)
Whole Grains eaten regularly will reduce your risk of obesity, as measured by waist to hip ratio and body mass index, and reduce cholesterol levels.(8)
3 servings of Whole Grains each day will reduce your risk of:
Heart Disease by 25-36%
Stroke by 37%
Type 2 Diabetes by 21-27%
Digestive System Cancers by 21-43%
Hormone-Related Cancers by 10-40% (2)
Research linked refined sugar with:
Depression(9)
In summary, Whole Grains are easily worth the extra cost for all the health benefits. Refined sugars in white bread, rice, etc. are linked with higher risks for disease and depression. The reduced cost of white bread does not make it affordable on your health.
Make sure to look for this stamp on the packaging of your foods:
The Basic Stamp means whole grains are in the food but the food also contains a small amount of refined grain. The 100% stamp is what you want, this is made with 100% whole grains.(2)
Remember with every healthy food you buy, you're investing in your future.
Next post will go more into depth and describe what refined sugar does to your body when it is digested and enters your bloodstream.
See You Soon,
Troy
References:
(1) Nelson J, Zeratsky K. Don't go against the grain - Go whole grain. Nutrition-wise blog. Sept 26, 2012. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/eating-whole-grains/bgp-20056282> Accessed 10/28/15.
(2) The Oldways Family: The Whole Grains Council. Whole Grain 101. 2003-2013. <http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101> Accessed 11/11/15.
3) Li Y et al. Saturated Fats Compared With Unsaturated Fats and Sources of Carbohydrates in Relation to Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2015 Oct. 66 (14):1538-48.
4) Johnsen NF et al. Whole-grain products and whole-grain types are associated with lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the Scandinavian HELGA cohort. British Journal of Nutrition. 2015 July 23:1-16.
5) Yang M et al. Dietary patterns after prostate cancer diagnosis in relation to disease-specific and total mortality. Cancer Prevention Research. 2015 June 1.
6) InterAct Consortium. Dietary fibre and incidence of type 2 diabetes in eight European countries: the EPIC-InterAct Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Diabetologia. 2015 May 29.
7) Dong D et al. Consumption Of Specific Foods And Beverages And Excess Weight Gain Among Children And Adolescents. Health Affairs. 2015 Nov;34(11):1940-1948.
8) Hollaender PL et al. Whole-grain and blood lipid changes in apparently healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 August 12.
(9) Gangwisch JE et al. High glycemic index diet as a risk factor for depression: analyses from the Women's Health Initiative. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2015 Jun 24.
