Be Wary of ‘Whole Grains’ Claims

There seems to be little doubt that a diet rich in whole grains is healthy in several ways. Just last month, the American Society for Nutrition added its imprimatur to this principle, in a report confirming that a diet which includes whole grains rich in fiber lowers the risks of heart disease and diabetes. Unfortunately, this fact comes with some crucial “howevers.” Such as that not all “whole grain” foods really contain fully nutritional whole grains. And that the key phrase “rich in fiber” does not always apply to whole grain products. http://calories.blooming.me/persons-with-diarrhea-or-vomiting.html
Here are some possibly unsettling facts for the healthy eater to ponder.

When nutritionists use the phrase “whole grain,” they are referring to a reproductive kernel called the germ, plus an endosperm, both of which are still encased in a coating of bran. The bran is where the fiber is. But when the food industry uses the phrase “whole grain,” it’s employing a definition that was created by food scientists who work for that industry and are members of the American Association of Cereal Chemists, and that has been accepted by the Food and Drug Administration.

By that definition, “whole grain” means a combination of bran, germ and endosperm in basically the same proportions as natural whole grain, but which have been processed in one or more of a variety of ways, mostly involving the separation, grinding and remixing of the three grain elements. One result of this is that while such products may contain the same proportion of germ, endosperm and bran, the processing procedure has left them with less fiber and fewer nutrients than unprocessed whole grain.

Unfortunately, the product label generally fails to inform the consumer of this distinction. And the distinction is fairly critical, since the studies that show whole grain to be beneficial are based on unprocessed grains where either the bran has not been ground or the fiber content remains high. Processed whole grain products, by comparison, have not been shown to help prevent heart disease or diabetes. http://kyleleon.thepopular.me/diarrhea.html
When it comes to the disease-preventing value of whole grains, the fiber seems to be the key, and there are legions of “whole grain” food items that are anything but rich in fiber. According to nutritionists with the Department of Agriculture, you’d have to put away most of a loaf of whole-wheat bread, 16 slices, or 10 whole bowls of multi-grain Cheerios, just to get the recommended amount of fiber per adult per day. And there’s more. Grain processing can also involve converting the grain to flakes or puffs, which not only results in reduced fiber and less effective antioxidants, but in grain that is more rapidly absorbed by the body.

Since the body does not have to break down the intact outer bran, the grain’s natural sugars hit the system sooner, creating the kind of blood sugar peaks that may increase hunger later on. One food product that is particularly unhealthy in this regard is instant oatmeal, which delivers the same amount of fiber and calories as regular oatmeal, but causes dramatic spikes in blood sugar, one result being that instant oatmeal eaters consume some 50 percent more calories at their next meal than regular oatmeal eaters.

There are other reasons to be suspicious of the “whole grains” label. For one, the designation does not distinguish between grains that have been unprocessed, those that have been partly ground, and those that have been completely processed. For another, nutrition researchers at Harvard tested over 500 grain products and found that those bearing the official “Whole Grain” stamp, meaning that they contain at least 8 grams of such grains per serving, also delivered more sugars and calories than those without the stamp. The label has in effect become a license for many products to fatten up, as it were.

So, what is the consumer to do? Until the FDA changes the rules to require that “Whole Grain” items contain a significant proportion of fiber, it’s up to the buyer to check out the nutritional contents on their own, and researchers recommend buying only those products whose ratio of Total Carbohydrates to Dietary Fiber is less than 10 to 1. The Harvard team found that such products packed less sugar and trans fats than other “whole grain” items. http://michaelallen.photofolio.org/diarrhea.html
And finally, steer clear where possible of anything composed of “refined” grains. When it comes to grains, “refined” all too often boils down to “nutritionally worthless.”