A new study recently published Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine reveals that consuming high intakes of refined grain foods does not increase one’s risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. The study also calls for reflection on the Western dietary pattern and its consideration in future dietary recommendations. Although refined grains are included as a component of the Western dietary pattern, the results of the meta-analyses suggest that refined grains do not contribute to the higher CVD risk associated with this unhealthy dietary pattern.

Watch Dr. Gaesser’s insights or read the full release here. 

A commentary just published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings presents data suggests that, with few exceptions, the consumption of refined grains is not associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). 

Written by Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., the commentary includes data from all published observational cohort studies that looked at the associations between refined grain intake and risk of T2D. Based on findings from 11 different populations of adults, totaling nearly 400,000 men and women, results revealed no relation between consumption of refined grains and risk of T2D. 

Watch Dr. Gaesser’s commentary insights or read the full release here. 

Greater whole grain (WG) consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, few prospective studies have examined WG or refined grain (RG) intake and intermediate cardiometabolic risk factors.

August 2021 / Advances in Nutrition
Glenn A Gaesser, Julie Miller Jones, Siddhartha A Angadi
While carbohydrate quality, including GI, impacts many health outcomes, GI as a measure of carbohydrate quality appears to be relatively unimportant as a determinant of BMI or diet-induced weight loss.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and there is evidence that dietary factors contribute significantly to cancer risk. Whole grain foods are associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases, including cancer, and are recommended as part of a healthy diet.

Although dietary guidance recommends increasing consumption of whole grains and concurrently limiting consumption of refined and/or enriched grain foods, emerging research suggests that certain refined grains may be part of a healthy dietary pattern.

A recently published study highlights the importance of grains as part of a healthy infant diet – and the potential risks of excluding them.

Review indicates positive health impacts from diverse diets that include not more than 50% carbohydrates and the right mix of grain-based foods.

Grain-based foods — both whole-grain and refined, from which the bran has been removed — are a key part of healthy diets, according to a study published in the science journal Advances in Nutrition.

This study examined whether higher shares of whole-grain consumption, beyond the recommended levels (i.e., above half) of the daily grain intake, are linked with optimal diet quality and intakes of some key nutrients, for both children and adolescents and adults in Canada.

New study concludes fortification / enrichment constitutes a meaningful contribution to reducing the percentage of individuals with less than the EAR for their demographic. These data underscore the need to encourage better dietary patterns to improve the intake of nutrients at risk of low intake.

Extensive analyses of the existing body of published studies show that refined grain consumption is not associated with any of the chronic diseases to which it usually is attributed. This study illustrates that current dietary recommendations to reduce refined grain consumption conflict with the substantial body of published scientific evidence.

This study more precisely quantifies the predictive potential of several markers, to determine which markers are most useful, and to establish an evidence base for quantitative recommendations for intakes of dietary fibre.

Previous data demonstrate grain foods contribute shortfall nutrients to the diet of U.S. adults. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have identified several shortfall nutrients in the U.S. population, including fiber, folate, and iron (women only).

Folic acid fortification significantly reduced the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the United States. The popularity of “low carb” diets raises concern that women who intentionally avoid carbohydrates, thereby consuming fewer fortified foods, may not have adequate dietary intake of folic acid.

In this study, researchers looked closely at what American adults are eating – or not – to contribute to the growing issue of shortfall nutrients. Shortfall nutrients are very important nutrients – defined by the 2015 DGA Committee – that, when under-consumed, cause public health concerns.

The current analyses showed that certain grain foods, in particular breads, rolls and tortillas, ready-to-eat cereals and quick breads and bread products, are meaningful contributors of folate, iron, thiamin, niacin and dietary fiber, a nutrient of public health concern as outlined by the 2015–2020 DGA.

The study identified the most commonly consumed grain food patterns in US children and adolescents (2–18 years-old; N = 8,367) relative to those not consuming grains and compared diet quality and nutrient intakes, with focus on 2015–2020 DGA shortfall nutrients.

This long-term observational cohort study aimed to investigate the potential impact of dietary patterns on death. The study population, comprised of 960 men, found that consumption of certain food groups, including bread, was independently predictive of lower risk of death.

An extensive study by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found no substantiated evidence of a difference in risks to human health between current commercially available genetically engineered (GE) crops and conventionally bred crops, nor did it find conclusive cause-and-effect evidence of environmental problems from the GE crops.

In part three of the series, the authors take a closer look at how different carbohydrates affect insulin levels, inflammation, the gut microbiome, and gut-related diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. This report also covers celiac disease and food allergies.

In part two of this series, the authors cover topics regarding grain terminology, including definitions of milling, enrichment, whole grains and various other processing terms.

In this cohort study, researchers looked at consumption of prebiotics (fructans and GOS) over nine years. They found that the risk of becoming overweight was 15-17% lower in participants in the highest quartile of fructan and GOS consumption.

They concluded that higher prebiotic consumption was associated with lower risk of overweight in initially normal-weight, middle-aged adults.

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that the public should consume adequate amounts of dietary fiber from a variety of plant foods.

Cereal grains provide a wide variety of nutrients, dietary fibers and phytochemicals. The combination uniquely positions them as a source of nutrition to both sustain and nourish a global population.

Despite health claims for gluten-free eating from celebrities and the media, there is no evidence indicating the general population would be better off avoiding gluten for weight loss in individuals without celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy.

There is increasing evidence from both observational and intervention studies that increased intake of whole grain foods has positive health benefits, including lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Whole grain consumers may also have better digestive health and are likely to have lower BMI and gain less weight over time.

A study following a Scandinavian cohort demonstrated intake of whole grains was associated with a lower risk of mortality, indicating whole grain consumption is an important aspect of preventing early death.

In a study examining data on anemia in countries that fortify flour (and those that do not), researchers found that every year a flour fortification program was in place was associated with a 2.4% decrease in anemia prevalence among non-pregnant women.

Fibre intake is inversely related to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cereal fibre found in grain foods, such as bread, rice and pasta, was found to be the most protective. Researchers found the protective effect of fibre intake on diabetes risk may be partially explained by body weight.

Researchers compared wheat grown from wheat seeds dating from 1860 to present day. They found that wheat grown today remains similar to ancient wheat in terms of protein and carbohydrate quality and concentration. This refutes critics claims that modern wheat has “changed” and is the cause of modern-day diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

A short-term gluten-free diet had no overall effect on performance, GI symptoms, well-being, and a select indicator of intestinal injury or inflammatory markers in non-celiac endurance athletes.

The objective of the present study was to assess the cost of energy, nutrients, and related substances in the American diet and to define some of the most cost effective foods for providing these food components.

We identified the most commonly consumed grain food patterns in US adults and compared nutrient intakes, diet quality (via Healthy Eating Index), anthropometric and physiological parameters of those consuming various grain foods patterns to those not consuming grains.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) encourage increased whole grains (WG) and dietary fiber intake while limiting refined grains (RG). We identified how changes in DGA recommendations for grain intake could impact nutrient/energy intake for US adults.