Whole grains

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.)

Eating whole grains or legumes at one meal not only reduces surges in glucose after that meal, but also after the next meal eaten. Eating whole grains or legumes at breakfast helps control blood sugar after lunch, for example, and eating either or both at dinner can reduce the blood sugar rise of the next morning’s breakfast. Since this effect may explain why eating whole grains and legumes can reduce diabetes risk, this paper describes the possible mechanisms of the subsequent meal effect.
Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2012; 2012:829238. [Epub Oct. 30 2011] (Higgins)

A study from Sweden shows that older women eating diets high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tea and chocolate reduce their risk of stroke, even if they have a history of heart disease. Researchers followed 31,000 women aged 49 to 83 without heart disease and almost 5,700 women with heart problems for ten years or more, noting their diets and any incidence of stroke. They found that healthy women with the highest “total antioxidant capacity” (TAC) reduced their risk of all strokes 17%, while women with existing heart disease reduced their risk of hemorrhagic stroke 57% by having the highest TAC. Study authors attributed fifty percent of TAC benefits to eating fruits and vegetables, eighteen percent to eating more whole grains, sixteen percent to tea, and five percent to chocolate.
Stroke, December 1, 2011. [Epub ahead of print] (Rautiainen et al.)