Dietary guidelines encourage consumers to “make half their grains whole,” yet debates continue about refined grains and grain-based foods (GBFs). This article counters misconceptions, advocating for a balanced intake of whole-grain foods (WGFs) and refined-grain foods (RGFs).
Grain Foods in US Infants Are Associated with Greater Nutrient Intakes, Improved Diet Quality and Increased Consumption of Recommended Food Groups (November 2019)
Grain foods may play an essential role in the diets of U.S. infants, according to an analysis of infant data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study examined relationships between grain consumption, nutrient intake, diet quality, and food group consumption among infants aged 6 to 23 months.
Association between Grain Intake, Nutrient Intake, and Diet Quality of Canadians: Evidence from the Canadian Community Health Survey–Nutrition 2015 (August 2019)
Canada’s Food Guide emphasizes whole grains as the primary choice of grain products, but does higher whole-grain consumption always improve diet quality? This study analyzed nationally representative data from the Canadian Community Health Survey–Nutrition 2015 to explore the relationship between grain consumption, nutrient intake, diet quality, and obesity rates in Canadians.
Nutrients in the US Diet: Naturally Occurring or Enriched/Fortified Food and Beverage Sources, Plus Dietary Supplements: NHANES 2009–2012 (August 2019)
Nutrient intake in the U.S. diet comes from naturally occurring sources, fortification/enrichment, and dietary supplements (DSs). This study analyzed data from NHANES 2009–2012 to assess how these sources contribute to meeting Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for 15 micronutrients across various population groups.
Perspective: Refined Grains and Health: Genuine Risk, or Guilt by Association? (May 2019)
Refined grains are often implicated in adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and obesity, largely based on dietary pattern studies. This perspective challenges the assumption that refined grains are inherently harmful, emphasizing the need to distinguish refined grains from other elements of the Western dietary pattern.
Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (February 2019)
This report analyzed data from 185 prospective studies and 58 clinical trials, representing nearly 135 million person-years, to evaluate the relationship between carbohydrate quality and health outcomes. It examined dietary fiber, whole grains, and glycemic measures in relation to non-communicable diseases.
