Explore the rich history and role of refined grain enrichment and fortification in improving public health.
Fortification/enrichment
Do Refined Grains Have a Place in a Healthy Dietary Pattern? Perspectives from an Expert Panel Consensus Meeting (October 2020)
Emerging research suggests that certain refined grains can be part of a healthy diet. A scientific expert panel reviewed studies since the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, focusing on nutrient intake, diet quality, grain enrichment/fortification, and links to weight outcomes.
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.
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.
Grains Contribute Shortfall Nutrients and Nutrient Density to Older US Adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011–2014 (April 2018)
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have identified several shortfall nutrients in the U.S. population, including fiber, folate, and iron (women only). Intake of some shortfall nutrients can be even lower in older adults. The present analyses determined the contribution of grain foods for energy and nutrients in older U.S. adults and ranked to all other food sources in the American diet.
Low carbohydrate diets may increase risk of neural tube defects (January 2018)
Folic acid fortification has significantly reduced neural tube defects (NTDs) in the U.S., but the rise of low-carbohydrate diets raises concerns about adequate folic acid intake among women avoiding fortified foods.
