SEARCH HEALTH STUDIES

Naturally Gluten-Free Grains May Be Cross-Contaminated

A Polish team from the Instytut Zywnosci in Warsaw analyzed 22 gluten-free products and 19 naturally gluten-free grains and flours, for gluten content. Gluten content in the products ranged from 5.19 to 57.16 mg/kg. In the inherently gluten-free grains and flours, no gluten was detected in rice and buckwheat samples, but was detected in rice flakes (7.05 mg/kg) in pearl millet (27.51 mg/kg) and in oats (>100 mg/kg). ?(Poland)
Rocz Panstw Zaki Hig. 2010; 61(1):51-5. ??

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant specializing in gluten-free diets, arranged for gluten-testing of 22 retail samples of inherently gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours. She found contamination of 20 to 2925 ppm in seven of 22 samples, putting them over the proposed FDA limit of 20 ppm, with lower levels in some others. Both articles point to the importance of gluten-free certification even on foods that are naturally gluten-free, such as millet.?(USA)
Journal of the American Dietetic Association. June 2010; 110(6):937-40.

Millet consumption decreases triglycerides and C-reactive protein

Scientists in Seoul, South Korea, fed a high-fat diet to rats for 8 weeks to induce hyperlipidemia, then randomly divided into four diet groups: white rice, sorghum, foxtail millet and proso millet for the next 4 weeks. At the end of the study, triglycerides were significantly lower in the two groups consuming foxtail or proso millet, and levels of C-reactive protein were lowest in the foxtail millet group. The researchers concluded that millet may be useful in preventing cardiovascular disease.
Nutrition Research. April 2010; 30(4):290-6.

Brown Rice Cuts Diabetes Risk

For several years, researchers in Boston followed 39,765 men and 157,463 women with no history of type 2 diabetes. During a cumulative 3,318,196 person-years of follow-up, 10,507 people developed type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for age and other factors, the study found that those who ate two or more servings of brown rice per week had an 11 percent lower risk of diabetes compared to those who ate brown rice less than once a month. Conversely, those eating white rice five or more times per week increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 17 percent. Researchers recommended replacing white rice in the diet with brown rice – or, even better, with a variety of whole grains.
Presented at the American Heart Association’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism conference, March 3, 2010.

Quinoa Offers Antioxidants for Gluten-Free Diets

Researchers suggest that adding quinoa or buckwheat to gluten-free products significantly increases their polyphenol content, as compared to typical gluten-free products made with rice, corn, and potato flour. Products made with quinoa or buckwheat contained more antioxidants compared with both wheat products and the control gluten-free products. Also of note: antioxidant activity increased with sprouting, and decreased with breadmaking.
Food Chemistry, March 2010; 119 (2): 770-778.

Whole Grain Corn High in Resistant Starch Satisfies Longer

An increasing body of research shows that resistant starch, a newly-recognized type of dietary fiber found in grains, cold potatoes, legumes and other foods, has many health benefits. Now researchers at the University of Toronto have found that certain whole grain varieties with naturally-high levels of resistant starch may be especially good at making us feel full longer. In the study, 17 male volunteers consumed five different test soups, at one week intervals, after which scientists recorded their glycemic response and their food intake at various intervals over the next few hours. Eating whole grain corn soup with 66% resistant starch content reduced subsequent food intake by 15% compared to eating a high-glycemic control soup.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 17, 2010 doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28443

Ready-to-eat Oat Cereal May Help Reduce Waist Circumference

Researchers investigated the impact of regularly consuming a whole grain oat cereal during the course of a dietary program in 204 overweight or obese adults. In the study, one randomized group of subjects consumed two servings per day of a ready-to-eat oat cereal in place of a low-fiber food of equivalent calories (control, which was given to the second group of subjects). LDL cholesterol and waist circumference were reduced significantly more among those receiving the whole grain ready-to-eat oat cereal. Body weight, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol were not significantly different between the two groups.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Feb 2010;110(2):205-14

INTAKE OF WHOLE GRAINS LOWER THAN RECOMMENDED AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Project EAT (Eating Among Teens)-II revealed that intake of whole grains among adolescents was lower than recommended amounts. The study of 792 adolescents and 1,668 young adults also discovered a correlation between certain factors and whole grain intake. Home availability of whole-grain bread, self-efficacy to consume at least 3 daily servings of whole grains, and preference for the taste of whole-grain bread were associated with eating more whole grains during adolescence and young adulthood, while fast food intake was associated with eating fewer whole grains.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Feb 2010;110(2):230-7.

Rye Reduces Body Weight Compared to Wheat

In this study conducted at Lund University in Sweden, mice were fed whole grain diets based on either wheat or rye, for 22 weeks. Body weight, glucose tolerance, and several other parameters were measured during the study. The researchers concluded that whole grain rye “evokes a different metabolic profile compared with whole grain wheat.” Specifically, mice consuming the whole grain rye had reduced body weight, slightly improved insulin sensitivity, and lower total cholesterol.
Nutrition. February 2010; 26(2): 230-9. Epub 2009 Jul 31.

Barley Controls Blood Sugar Better

Dutch researchers used a crossover study with 10 healthy men to compare the effects of cooked barley kernels and refined wheat bread on blood sugar control. The men ate one or the other of these grains at dinner, then were given a high glycemic index breakfast (50g of glucose) the next morning for breakfast. When they had eaten the barley dinner, the men had 30% better insulin sensitivity the next morning after breakfast.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2010; 91(1):90-7. Epub 2009 Nov 4.

Oats May Reduce Asthma Risk in Children

While there is widespread belief that introducing solid foods to children too early may cause later health problems, a Finnish prospective study of 1293 children found that those introduced earlier to oats were in fact less likely to develop persistent asthma.
British Journal of Nutrition, January 2010; 103(2):266-73

Oats May Boost Nutrition Profile of Gluten-free Diets

Two recent studies out of Scandinavia show that adding oats to a gluten-free diet may enhance the nutritional values of the diets, particularly for vitamins and minerals, as well as increasing antioxidant levels.  Researchers asked 13 men and 18 women with Celiac disease to follow a gluten-free diet with the addition of kilned (stabilized) or unkilned oats.  After six months, the addition of stabilized oats resulted in an increased intake of vitamin B1 and magnesium, while the unkilned oats increased intakes of magnesium and zinc.  In the second study from Scandinavia, the addition of gluten-free oats allowed people on gluten-free diets to achieve their recommended daily intakes of fiber, as well as increasing levels of a particular antioxidant called bilirubin, which helps the body eliminate free radicals as well as protect the brain from oxidative damage.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2010; 64:62-67, DOI:10.1038/ejcn.2009.113 and
The European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, December 2009; e315-e320

Rye Bread Replaces Laxatives

In a recent Finnish study, rye bread proved more effective than laxatives in reducing mild constipation and improving colonic metabolism, without causing adverse gastrointestinal effects. Researchers at the University of Helsinki randomly assigned 51 constipated adults to five groups that consumed: rye bread, cultured buttermilk, rye bread + buttermilk, white wheat bread, and laxatives (as usual for participant). The rye bread proved most effective, cutting transit time 41% compared to laxatives.
Journal of Nutrition, January 2010; epub ahead of print

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