Whole grains

Data was collected from participants of the Multiethnic Cohort Study in Hawaii using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire in order to identify major sources of grains and their contribution of B vitamins in five ethnic groups. The main sources of whole grains for all ethnic-sex groups were whole wheat and rye bread, followed by popcorn and cooked cereals. The only exception being Native Hawaiian men and Japanese Americans for whom brown/wild rice was the second most important source of whole grains. For all ethnic-sex groups with the exception of African American Women the consumption of refined grains was greater than that of whole grains. An important contribution to the intakes of niacin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid was made by grain consumption.  
Nutrition Journal. 2013; 12:65. (Sharma et al.)

Using data from the prospective Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observation Study investigators in the US analyzed the relationship between whole grain consumption and the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM). Over a median follow-up period of 7.9 years a strong relationship was found between increased whole-grain consumption and reduced risk of T2DM. The findings from this study also provide support for the hypothesis that the association between whole grain consumption and the incidence of T2DM is modified by weight loss and smoking. 
Annals of Epidemiology. 2013; 23: 321-327. [Epub April 22, 2013] (Parker et al.)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect 20-46% of the population in Westernized countries, and 90% of obese people. With obesity rising, it’s essential to provide dietary guidelines for those at risk for, or diagnosed with, NAFLD. Because research shows that diets rich in whole grains reduce many of the risk factors for NAFLD, scientists working with the Nestlé Research Center recommend that “people with or at risk of NAFLD should choose whole grains over refined grains in their diet.”
International Journal of Endocrinology. 2013; 2013: article ID 585876 (Ross et al.)

A group of researchers from the University of Illinois set out to evaluate the impact of the changes to the WIC food packages in participants of the Chicago Family Food Survey. A natural experiment was conducted to assess if the changes made to WIC food packages had immediate impact (in 6 months) on dietary intake, food availability and other various life-style measures. Six months after the new rules were implemented modest changes were observed including increased fruit intake among Hispanic mothers and increased low-fat dairy intake among Hispanic mothers, Hispanic children and African American children. Availability of low-fat dairy and whole grain foods in homes increased yet changes in food availability were not correlated with changes in dietary intake. Dietary changes varied by racial/ethnic group in this sample that was comprised of Hispanic and African American mother-child dyads. 
Public Health Nutrition. [Epub April 2, 2013] (Odoms-Young et al.)

Scientists in Kuopio, Finland, reviewed four-day food records of 1261 older adults (age 58-78) to see which dietary factors might correlate with impaired glucose regulation. They found that those eating more saturated fat were more likely to show measures of impaired blood-sugar management, while those eating more whole grain bread and more dietary fiber were less likely to have glucose management problems.

A group of scientists in Northern Ireland conducted a series of focus groups to explore the attitudes to and awareness of whole grains, perceived barriers and facilitators of whole grains consumption and feelings about how best to promote consumption. The focus groups were composed of those responsible for purchasing food in their household. They found that participants were generally aware of the term “whole grain” yet many barriers to consumption remained despite the increase in availability and promotion in the UK. Despite this it is noteworthy that after reading about health benefits, mothers of young children discussed introducing whole grains to their children in order to establish lifelong habits. 
Public Health Nutrition. 2012; 16(4): 743-751. [Epub July 4, 2012] (McMackin et al.) 

Danish researchers at the University of Copenhagen followed 79 overweight or obese women for 12 weeks as they ate calorie-restricted comparable diets with either refined wheat or whole wheat. Throughout the study, body weight and composition, blood pressure and several risk markers were measured. Though both groups lost weight, the whole wheat eaters showed a greater reduction in body fat mass, while total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol increased with the refined wheat group, “which may suggest a cardioprotective role for whole grain.”

At the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, researchers performed a cross-sectional study on 2,198 men and women in the larger EPIC study, searching for biological predictors of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They found that higher consumption of whole grain bread was significantly associated with lower levels of several biomarkers of obesity, inflammation and glucose metabolism, while higher consumption of red meat was associated with higher levels of GGT (gamma-glutamyl transferase, which can be indicative of congestive heart failure) and hs-CRP (a measure of inflammation also associated with heart disease).

Switching to whole grains may reduce body fat and aid heart health, according to scientists at the University of Copenhagen. In a twelve-week, randomized clinical trial, they asked 79 overweight or obese postmenopausal women to eat a calorie-restricted diet incorporating either 480 calories of refined grain foods or the same amount of whole grain foods. Those eating the diet with whole grains lost more weight (3.6kg vs 2.7kg) and saw a more significant decrease in body fat (3% reduction vs 2.1%) compared to those eating refined grains. Cholesterol levels increased 5% in the refined group, highlighting the heart benefits of choosing whole grains instead of refined.
Journal of Nutrition, Feb 22, 2012. [Epub ahead of print] (Kristensen et al.)