Whole gains - Quick Studies - whole grains

Nutrition Action Healthletter, July-August, 2002

Why bother eating whole-wheat instead of white bread or shredded wheat instead of corn flakes? Because switching from refined to whole grains can lower high insulin levels. And lower insulin levels cut the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Researchers fed 11 overweight people with high insulin levels a diet with six to ten servings a day of breakfast cereal, bread, rice, pasta, muffins, cookies, and snacks. During the six weeks that those foods were made with whole grains, the volunteers' insulin levels were lower than during the six weeks that the foods were made with refined flour. (And most of the people preferred the whole grains.) It's too early to say whether the extra fiber, magnesium, or assorted phytochemicals in the whole grains made the difference.

What to do: Start with whole-grain breads and breakfast cereals, which are easy to find. Then you can move on to whole-grain pasta, pizza dough, muffins, etc. And don't forget: The best way to keep insulin levels in check is to lose excess weight and stay (or get) active.

Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 75: 848, 2002.