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Lower Abdominal Fat with Higher Whole Grain Intake

Nicola McKeown and a team of Tufts researchers studied 434 older (age 60 to 80) adults, comparing their diet to their body fat and abdominal fat composition. No significant association was found between body composition and intake of total fiber or vegetable and fruit fiber. Whole grain intake and cereal fiber intake, however, correlated strongly with lower BMI, lower total percent body fat and lower abdominal (“trunk fat”) mass in older adults.
Journal of Nutrition, October 2009; 139(10);1950-1955. DOI:10.3945/jn.108.103762

Rye Lowers Insulin Response, Improves Blood Glucose Profile

In the fight against diabetes and obesity, foods that produce a low insulin response and suppress hunger can be extremely useful. Scientists at Lund University in Sweden examined the effects on 12 healthy subjects of breakfasts made from different rye flours (endosperm, whole grain rye, or rye bran) produced with different methods (baking, simulated sour-dough baking, and boiling). This cross-over study showed that the endosperm rye bread and the whole grain rye bread (especially the “sourdough” one with lactic acid) best controlled blood sugar and regulated appetite.
Nutrition Journal. September 25, 2009; 8:42

"Prudent" Diet May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Increasing attention is being paid to overall dietary patterns and their relationship to health, rather than single nutrients or foods. In one such study of more than 50,000 African-American women, researchers led by Tanya Agurs-Collins of the U.S. National Cancer Institute found that eating a “prudent diet” (high in fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains) rather than a “Western diet” (more refined grains, processed meats, sweets) cut the risk of breast cancer. The findings were especially strong for thinner, younger women and for certain types of breast cancer.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2009; vol 90, No. 3, 621-628. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27666

Feel Fuller Longer With Rye

In a new study published by the Nutrition Journal, Swedish researchers report that eating rye at breakfast suppresses appetite over the next few hours much better than wheat. Attributing this to the power of rye fiber, particularly in rye bran, the researchers fed sixteen volunteers breakfasts including bread containing varying levels of rye, but all with the same caloric value. Those who ate the bread with the highest levels of rye fiber reported a lowered desire to eat in the hours between breakfast and lunch, while those who ate bread made with wheat flour felt hungrier earlier. Researchers concluded that the consumption of rye, whether through pure rye bran or sifted rye flour, created a feeling of satiety unmatched by wheat.
Nutrition Journal, August 26, 2009; 8:39. DOI:10.1186/1475-2891-8-39

Rye Bread Satisfies Longer than Wheat

At the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, researchers fed rye bread (with three varying levels of rye bran) and wheat bread to 16 people, then asked them to rate their appetite (hunger, satiety and desire to eat) for 8 hours afterward. [It’s not known if the wheat bread was whole wheat or refined wheat.] All through the morning and into the afternoon, the three rye bread breakfasts all decreased hunger and desire to eat, compared to the wheat bread control, with the rye bread containing the highest level of bran providing the strongest effect on satiety.
Nutrition Journal. August 26, 2009; 8:39

Barley Lowers Glucose Levels

White rice, the staple food in Japan, is a high glycemic index food. Researchers at the University of Tokushima found that glucose levels were lower after meals when subjects switched from white rice to barley.
Rinsho Byori. August 2009; 57(8):797-805

More Protein, Minerals, Fiber in Quinoa

Anne Lee and colleagues at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center found that the nutritional profile of gluten-free diets was improved by adding oats or quinoa to meals and snacks. Most notable increases were protein (20.6g vs 11g) iron (18.4mg vs 1.4mg, calcium (182mg vs 0mg) and fiber (12.7g vs 5g
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, August 2009; 22(4):359-63. Epub 2009 Jun 10.

Antidiabetes and Antihypertension potential of corn

Scientists in São Paulo, Brazil, studied ten traditional foods native to the Peruvean Andes, to measure healthy compounds in the foods that are thought to manage early stages of diabetes and high blood pressure. Purple corn scored highest in free-radical-scavenging antioxidant activity, and also had the highest total phenolic content and highest alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The researchers concluded that these native foods, including purple corn, could be useful in designing health-management programs for diabetes and hypertension.
Journal of Medicinal Food. August 2009; 12(4): 704-13.

Quinoa Possible Dietary Aid Against Diabetes

Scientists at the Universidade de São Paulo in Brazil studied ten traditional Peruvian grains and legumes for their potential in managing the early stages of Type 2 diabetes. They found that quinoa was especially rich in an antioxidant called quercetin and that quinoa had the highest overall antioxidant activity (86%) of all ten foods studied. Coming in a close second in antioxidant activity was quinoa’s cousin, kañiwa. This in vitro study led the researchers to conclude that quinoa, kañiwa, and other traditional crops from the Peruvian Andes have potential in developing effective dietary strategies for managing type 2 diabetes and associated hypertension.
Journal of Medicinal Food, August 2009; 12 (4):704-13.

Barley Beta-Glucan Lowers Glycemic Index

Scientists at the Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University in England fed 8 healthy human subjects chapatis (unleavened Indian flatbreads) made with either 0g, 2g, 4g, 6g or 8g of barley beta-glucan fiber. They found that all amounts of barley beta-glucan lowered the glycemic index of the breads, with 4g or more making a significant difference.
Nutrition Research, July 2009; 29(7):4806

Lignans Associated with Weight Control

In Quebec, a University of Laval team led by André Tchernof, studied 115 post-menopausal women and found that those with markers showing more consumption of plant lignans had, on average, a BMI 4 points lower than women with the lowest levels of the markers. They also had better blood sugar control and lower blood pressure. Lignans are found in whole grains, as well as in fruits and vegetables.
British Journal of Nutrition, July 2009; 102(2):195-200. Online First View February 2009, DOI:10.1017/S0007114508162092

More Whole Grains, Less Hypertension

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Medical School followed 31,784 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for 18 years, and found that about one-third developed hypertension, or high blood pressure. The researchers found that men who ate the most whole grains had a 19% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure. Those with higher bran consumption had a 15% reduced risk of hypertension, leading researchers to conclude that bran may play an important role in the prevention of hypertension.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2009. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27460

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