SEARCH HEALTH STUDIES

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More Than 1/4 Global Cases of Type 2 Diabetes Attributed to Low Whole Grain Intake

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases around the world, impacting millions of people. In this study, researchers developed risk-assessment models to estimate how much various dietary habits contribute to type 2 diabetes risk in 184 countries around the world. The largest burden (26.1%) of type 2 diabetes was attributed to low whole grain intake. Other factors contributing to high type 2 diabetes burden included high intake of refined rice and wheat (24.6%) and high intake of processed meat (20.3%).
Nat Med. 2023 Apr;29(4):982-995. doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02278-8. Epub 2023 Apr 17. (O’Hearn M et al.)

Eating Whole Grains Linked with 28-36% Lower Risk of Dementia

Brain-healthy diets include a variety of healthy ingredients, and researchers wonder if whole grains specifically might be related to dementia risk. In a study of 2,958 adults in the U.S., those eating the most whole grains were 28% less likely to develop all-cause dementia and were 36% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia over the 12-year study period. The researchers note that more research is needed to better understand this relationship.
J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2023;10(1):133-136. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2022.91. (J Wang et al.)

Dietitians and Nutrition Students Are Knowledgeable About Whole Grains, Can Play Role in Encouraging Greater Whole Grain Intake Among Consumers

In this study, researchers surveyed 348 registered dietitians and 124 nutrition students about whole grain foods. Both groups had high whole grain knowledge and were able to correctly identify whole grain foods. The authors note that exposure to whole grain foods plays a critical role in behavior change, and that “the use of prominent and clear whole-grain labeling should be increased, such as the Whole Grain Stamp.”
Nutrition Today. 2022 July/Aug;57(4):200-208. (Hicks-Roof K et al.) doi: 10.1097/NT.0000000000000550

Increasing Whole Grains, Limiting Beef in School Lunches Can Reduce Environmental Impact

Meals served in the National School Lunch Program are developed with nutrition, cost, and youth preferences in mind, with little room or direction to consider environmental impact. Using data from over 2.2 million real-world lunches, researchers at Tufts quantified the environmental footprint of each lunch served to see if they could determine patterns and form recommendations for more sustainable lunches. They found that low impact school lunches had “20% more whole grains, nearly 20 times more nuts and seeds, and four times less animal protein than high impact lunches.” As a result, the authors concluded that “increasing whole grain requirements and providing serving size or frequency limits for beef” are the two most effective recommendations for reducing the environmental impacts of the National School Lunch program. 
Nature. 2022 June 23;3(138). doi: 10.1038/s43247-022-00452-3. (Stern AL et al.)

Whole Grain Public-Private Partnerships Can Increase Whole Grain Intake

Public-private partnerships include collaborations between governments, industry, and/or nonprofits to work towards a common objective, and can be a great strategy to make progress on population-wide goals, such as improving whole grain intake. In this study, researchers examined 3 of the most well-known whole grain public-private partnerships (the Oldways Whole Grains Council in the US, the Danish Whole Grain Partnership, and the Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council in Australia) to identify best practices for increasing whole grain intake globally. The study concludes that to successfully improve whole grain intakes in the long-term, public-private partnerships should address environmental sustainability, be incorporated into front-of-pack labeling schemes, and reach out those who eat the least amount of whole grain.
Journal of Cereal Science. 2022 May. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2022.103456 (Sluyter C et al.)

Eating More Whole Grains is Linked with Substantial Healthcare Cost Savings

Health economics, the practice of quantifying how much money could be saved by taking certain health promotion measures (such as eating more whole grains) is a growing area of research. In this study, researchers analyzed 4 different models for measuring the health savings of eating more whole grains to identify best practices and inform future research. They found that while results varied from one study to the next, each method identified substantial health savings if people were to make more of their grains whole. The authors recommend that future studies consider realistic behavior changes, which may vary from one country to the next.
Journal of Cereal Science. 2022 May. doi: 10.1016/j.jcs.2022.103455 (Miller KB et al.)​

Whole Grain Fiber Linked with Lower Inflammation

Not all fiber is created equal; the fiber from whole grains may offer specific health benefits that can’t be replicated with fruits or vegetables alone. In this study, researchers analyzed the eating habits of 4,125 older adults (age 65+) with a special focus on their fiber intake, and also monitored the participants for signs of inflammation and heart disease. The study found that “higher intakes of cereal fiber, but not vegetable or fruit fiber, were associated with lower levels of inflammation in older adults.” Further, the results suggested that whole grain fiber may play other roles in its relationship with lower cardiovascular disease risk in addition to its link with lower inflammation.
JAMA Network Open. 2022 Mar 1;5(3):e225012. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.5012. (Shivakoti R et al.)

Whole Grain Products Grow in US and Latin America

The Whole Grain Stamp is a third-party packaging symbol that displays the gram amount of whole grains in a  product. In this study, researchers analyzed products that carry the Whole Grain Stamp over several years. Whole Grain Stamp usage increased from 250 products in 2005 to more than 13,000 products in 2020. The average amount of whole grain per product increased from 19 grams to 25.8 grams in the US and from 18.1 grams to 31.9 grams in Latin America. The researchers concluded that “manufacturers are increasing the percentage of the grain that is whole in their products and developing more whole-grain products for consumers, thus providing an opportunity for consumers to meet national-level whole-grain recommendations.”
Nutrients. 2022 Feb 8;14(3). doi: 10.3390/nu14030713 (Sluyter C et al.)

Plant-Based Diets Tend to Be More Affordable and Sustainable

As stress on our food system increases, certain dietary patterns may increase harmful environmental impacts. Diets that are nutritious and sustainable, such as those low in animal products and higher in plant-based foods, have been proposed as a solution to this issue which still meets dietary needs. In this study, researchers analyzed 150 different dietary patterns from varying countries and regions by pairing an estimate of food demand with an estimate of commodity prices in different years, with consideration of any food-system and socioeconomic changes. Across the dietary patterns sampled, the most affordable and sustainable were vegan/vegetarian diets that replaced meat with legumes or whole grains. The least affordable were pescetarian diets that centered around fish, fruits, and vegetables. Staple crops, such as cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and wheat, tend to be the most affordable aspect of these dietary patterns. Household food waste accounted for 29% of all food costs, so helping people to reduce food waste could improve both affordability and environmental sustainability.
Lancet Planetary Health. 2021 Dec;5(12):e861. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00316-8. Epub 2021 Nov 24. (Springmann M et al.)

Including Whole Grains in Nutri-Score Could Improve Diet Quality

Whole grains are a food group, not an individual nutrient, which can create a challenge for nutrient-based front-of-pack scoring systems. Incorporating whole foods, like whole grains, into these scoring systems can help account for the complex benefits that whole grains bring to the table and may also prevent food manufacturers from “gaming the system” with fortified junk foods. In this study, researchers restructured the Nutri-Score algorithm (a traffic-light-colored, front-of-pack labeling program used in many European countries) to include whole grain content as part of the scoring algorithm. With this change, the researchers found that diet quality scores slightly improved, “suggesting that the modified score better aligns with national dietary guidelines.”
European Journal of Nutrition. 2021 Nov 24. doi: 10.1007/s00394-021-02718-6. Online ahead of print. (Kissock KR et al.)

Whole Grains Are an Underutilized Source of Plant Protein

Although grains are a large source of plant protein in many African, Central American, Asian, and European nations, grains are not considered an important source of protein in any dietary guidelines around the world. In this review, scientists analyze the unused potential of whole grains as animal protein alternatives. Although research suggests that consuming grains as the sole source of protein could result in deficiency, and although grains have a lower protein content than beans and other pulses, shifting grains away from animal feed and toward direct human consumption could be an important strategy to improve both human and environmental health. The review notes that both high whole grain intake and high plant-protein intake have been associated with lower risks of chronic diseases, while high animal protein intake has been associated with higher risks of disease. The authors also highlight processing strategies, such as mixed culture fermentation, that can help improve consumer acceptance of whole grain meat and dairy replacement products.
Nutrition Reviews. 2021 Nov 6;nuab084. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab084. (Poutanen KS et al.)

Eating More Whole Grains Could Save Millions in Diabetes Related Healthcare Costs

Eating more whole grains could lead to substantial savings in healthcare costs, even in countries where whole grains are already a regular part of the diet. In this study, researchers created models to analyze how eating more whole grains relates to type 2 diabetes for people in Finland, and then quantified the resulting healthcare costs as well as costs related to work absences. They found that increasing the number of Finnish people who eat whole grains daily and/or increasing the number of servings of whole grains eaten by habitual whole grain consumers in Finland could lead to a savings of 286-989 million Euros over a 10-year period. Additionally, the researchers estimate that these modest increases in whole grain consumption could substantially reduce disease burden (as measured by saving 1,323-154,094 quality adjusted life years). 
Nutrients. 2021 Oct 13;13(10):3583. doi: 10.3390/nu13103583. (Martikainen J et al.)

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