NutriCoach

WHOLE GRAINS

Benefits of Whole Grains

Whole grains can claim a wide array of health benefits that many foods cannot. Not only do whole grains contain fiber and traditional nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium and iron, but also numerous disease fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants. More and more, consumers know that fruits and vegetables contain these disease fighting agents, but what they do not know is that whole grains contain these important chemicals much less that they often contain more than most common fruit and vegetables. Further, some of the antioxidants in grains are not found in fruits and vegetables.

Studies have shown that people who eat whole grains have lower total cholesterol. Various large epidemiological studies on a variety of different populations note that people who eat three daily servings of whole grains have been shown to reduce their risk of heart disease by 25-36%, stroke by 37%, Type II diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormone- related cancers by 10-40%. Furthermore, in intervention studies where whole grains became a regular part of the diet, people showed improved blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.

The data have convinced The American Heart Association, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and Healthy People 2010 to all recommend three daily servings of whole grains. Yet the average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains, and over 30% of Americans never eat whole grains.