Consumption of Whole Grains Linked to Multitude of Health Benefits

The era of whole grains is long overdue, according to health professionals and leading nutritional experts. The government's Dietary Guidelines call for Americans to consume three or more servings of whole grains daily. Data already indicates that consumers are headed in the right direction — sales of whole-grain breads and products are steadily on the rise.

According to leading whole-grains expert Dr. Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., L.N., C.N.S., professor at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn.:

• The average consumption of whole grains in the United States is less than one serving per day.
• Twenty percent of adults on any given day don't eat a whole-grain product.
• Forty percent of adolescents never knowingly eat a whole-grain product.

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• Whole grains consist of three components:
  • Bran (outer layer): Contains the largest amount of fiber
  • Endosperm (middle layer): Contains mostly protein and carbohydrates along with small amounts of B vitamins
  • Germ (core): Contains trace minerals, unsaturated fats, B vitamins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (Wheat Foods Council)
• In both men and women, studies have suggested a 20 percent to 30 percent reduced risk of coronary heart disease when eating three or more servings of whole grain foods daily. (2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report)
• Increased consumption of cereal fiber from whole grains (wheat, oats, barley, corn, millet, sorghum, rye and rice) has been linked to a 20 percent to 30 percent decreased risk for type 2 diabetes in several large studies. This benefit has not been detected in some studies of increased fiber from fruit or vegetable sources. (2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report)
• According to a study of more than 75,000 women by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, three servings daily of whole grains may reduce a woman's risk of stroke by nearly 36 percent. (Journal of the American Society of Clinical Nutrition; September 27, 1999)
• Some of the phytochemicals contained in whole grains possess anti-carcinogenic properties known to restrain cancer-cell growth, decreasing the risk of developing some cancers. (Nutrition Today: January/February, 2004)
• The intake of whole grains has been discovered to be inversely related to long-term weight gain, body mass index (BMI), and body weight — an important tool in the fight against the obesity epidemic. (2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report)

"Many are aware of the health benefits of whole-grain bread and whole grain foods in general. But, unfortunately, knowledge does not necessarily translate into behavior … until now. We anticipate 2005 will be the year of the whole grain."
— Frances Coletta, Ph.D., R.D., Director of Product Nutrition, Sara Lee Bakery Group