Health benefits of grains
Humans have considered whole grains and cereals as dietary staples through out recorded history. Barley played an important role in ancient culture as a staple grain as well as an important food for athletes, who attributed much of their strength to their barley-containing training diets. Gladiators were actually known as “eaters of barley.” When God was leading the Israelites through the desert from Egypt, they were promised a land of wheat and barley, where bread would not be scarce (Deuteronomy 8:8-9).
Current research is rediscovering the many health benefits of eating whole grains and legumes; those benefits include reduced risk of obesity and reduced risk of certain diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diverticular disease (pockets in the colon). Other research has focused on the protective effects of phytochemicals (plant chemicals) in whole grains and cereals. These health benefits are found in grains and cereals that have not been processed or refined: whole wheat, bulgur, barley, oats, corn, millet, rye, buckwheat, quinoa, spelt, amaranth, brown rice and many more!
Kernels of whole grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, and rice, consist of these major parts: the bran or outer layer, which contains B vitamins and minerals; the endosperm or inner starch; and the germ, which contains the grain oil and fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. The bran and germ are also rich sources of antioxidants, including vitamin E and selenium, as well as phytochemicals. When grains are processed or refined, both the bran and germ are removed. In enriched breads and cereals, some of the B vitamins and iron are added back, but the protective effects of the whole grain are lost.
Dietary fiber
Many of the health benefits from whole grains and cereals are found in the dietary fibers of the bran. Dietary fiber refers to carbohydrates that our systems cannot digest. Dietary fiber is found in all plants that are eaten for food, including grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
Dietary fiber in these foods is mix of two kinds of fiber: soluble fiber, found in abundance in oatmeal, nuts, seeds, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) and many fruits; and insoluble fiber, found mostly in the bran of whole grains, seeds, and many vegetables. Soluble and insoluble fibers contain powerful phytochemicals that protect against heart disease and breast, prostate and colon cancers. Since the most health-protective benefits come when foods are eaten whole, this is even more reason to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.
Another source of carbohydrate that acts like dietary fiber in the digestive system is resistant starch. Resistant starches are abundant in unprocessed whole grains and cereals, durum wheat (semolina) pasta, potatoes, bananas and especially beans and peas. Dietary fiber and resistant starches play a very important role in the prevention of obesity and decreasing the risk for diseases that develop from obesity.
What is the Problem?
Research in the last few years has found a relationship between carbohydrate absorption, obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Some have called this relationship the metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a group of conditions that includes the following four:
- Central obesity (fatty tissue in and around the abdomen)
- High blood cholesterol levels
- Increased blood pressure
- Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (condition in which blood cannot regulate blood sugar properly)
Researchers now know that the majority of these symptoms begin with obesity, which impairs insulin’s ability to process blood sugar. As a result, the body stores excess sugar calories as fat in the abdominal region. This excess fat increases risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. This phenomenon is called glycemic response and is a measure of food’s ability to elevate blood sugar.
All food is digested into the simple sugar glucose. After a meal, the faster glucose is absorbed into the blood, the more insulin is secreted from the pancreas to take the glucose from the blood into the organs. Too much insulin in the blood makes blood sugar drop too far, signaling more hunger. Elevated secretion of insulin in response to high blood glucose can eventually lead to obesity, which may lead to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Men, in general, tend to gain weight in their midsections, and after the hormonal changes of menopause, so do women. In the last twenty years, obesity and type 2 diabetes has doubled in the United States.
In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than one in five Americans has metabolic syndrome. A recent report by the CDC said that in the near future, obesity would probably become the leading preventable cause of death in the US, overtaking heart disease.
What is the Solution?
In addition to increasing activity and exercise, one key to preventing metabolic syndrome is to slow down carbohydrate digestion and break the cycle of insulin spikes, hunger, and weight gain. Choosing high-fiber whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits as the bulk of our food and avoiding refined carbohydrates like sugar and highly processed grains and cereals are ways of doing this. So for better health, choose the following:
- whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, and rice for dietary fiber
- Pasta from durum wheat (semolina)
- A wide variety of beans and peas for dietary fiber and resistant starch
- Added dietary fiber, like All Bran (add to recipes)
- Good fats, like olive and peanut oils, to slow digestion
- Moderate amounts of protein at meals to slow digestion
- Acids like lemon juice and vinegar to slow digestion
These combinations of foods can slow down glycemic response, which will gradually even out insulin spikes and carbohydrate cravings that accompany the eating of refined foods. The same dietary principles apply for persons who just want to lower intake of refined carbohydrates, those with insulin resistance or prediabetes, and others who are already diagnosed with diabetes. If a person already has diabetes, it is important to work with your doctor or a registered dietitian (RD) to regulate his or her meal pattern with any diabetic medication being taken.
In addition to choosing more whole grain and cereal products, it is also important to limit the use of refined sugars in our everyday diet. Thirty years ago, most of the sugar in the American diet came from sugar cane or sugar beets. Now, much of the sugar in processed foods comes from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The increase of its use from the 1970’s until today is well over 1000%. This syrup is not only cheaper for manufacturers to use, but much sweeter. Look for HFCS in such products soft drinks, sweet tea (for you southerners), fruit juices, baked goods, salad dressings, canned fruits, dairy products, non-dairy creamers, cookies, gum, jams and jellies. Needless to say, the overconsumption of all refined carbohydrates should be guarded against, but especially that of HFCS in children and teens.
The variety of whole grain products available in our grocery stores has grown by leaps and bounds, partly due to the globalization of our palates and also to the revitalization of historical grains and cereals long forgotten. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel – the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples include whole wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, rye, whole cornmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, kamut, spelt, teff and triticale.
Take time to browse through your baking and cereal aisle at the grocery to identify products that contain familiar and some not-so-familiar grains and cereals. You can read more about all of these products at the Whole Grains Council Web site (www.wholegrainscouncil.org). You may want to check out The New Book of Whole Grains by Marlene Anne Bumgarner. Experiment and have fun!
As a helpful resource, I have lots of articles on healthy ingredients and recipes that you can implement into your daily life.
If you’d like to dig deeper into my journey of discovering God’s plan for health and wellness, check out my book, Made For Paradise: God’s Original Plan for Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Rest.
