New study backs infant grain consumption ahead of US Dietary Guidelines

23 Jan 2020 --- The Grain Foods Foundation hopes to inform the development of the first-ever Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) to include specific recommendations for infants and toddlers with its new study. Published in Nutrients, the research found that grain consumption was generally associated with higher nutrient intakes, better diet quality scores and broader food group intake. These findings come as the US holds its fourth and final meeting of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee over the course of today and tomorrow. 

“Collectively, the nutrient contribution of grain foods play an important role in healthy growth and development. For example, dietary fiber plays a valuable role in the maintenance and development of a healthy digestive system, while vitamin and minerals in grains contribute to growth and development. One particular nutrient to highlight is choline – an essential nutrient identified by the National Academy of Medicine only within the last two decades,” Yanni Papanikolaou of Nutritional Strategies Inc and study author tells NutritionInsight. 

He continues that most of the US population does not meet recommendations for the consumption of choline. However, the new study shows that the younger infant grain consumers had higher choline intake compared to non-grain consumers. Papanikolaou further notes that choline plays a vital role in healthy brain development and is involved in numerous biological mechanisms in the human body.

“This study clearly provides evidence for what organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC, have been suggesting for decades: grains support the backbone of a healthy infant diet. In addition, the study highlights the many potential long-term nutrition-related health risks of eliminating or reducing grain foods from diets during one of the most crucial stages of growth and development,” he adds.

Bolstering nutrients, diet and food group intake
The study analyzed infant data from the 2001-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to assess grain food relationships with nutrient and energy intakes, diet quality and food group consumption in infant grain consumers relative to non-consumers. It took both whole grains and refined grains into account.

The study took both whole grains and refined grains into account.In terms of energy and nutrients, six to 12-month-old infants who ate grains had significantly higher dietary fiber, calcium, folate, potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, choline, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6 compared to non-consumers. Meanwhile, 13 to 23-month-olds who ate grains had greater daily dietary fiber, iron, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 levels relative to non-consumers.

Infant grain consumers also all had significantly higher diet quality scores, as assessed by the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI). While the HEI has been created for US consumers older than two years of age, most HEI measures are adjusted for energy and, therefore, it was determined that HEI represents an effective and appropriate tool for the study. 

The diet quality could be seen by younger grain-consuming infants typically eating more greens and beans, total fruit, whole grains, refined grains, dairy foods, total protein foods, seafood and plant protein foods, and saturated fat in comparison to non-consumers of grains. Meanwhile, older infants consuming grains typically ate more total fruit, whole fruit, whole grains and refined grains relative to non-consumers.

Contributing sugar and sodium
Grain intake was also linked with a greater daily intake of several recommended food groups in both younger and older infants. These include total fruits, total vegetables and total meat, poultry, seafood, nuts and seeds. Additionally, grain consumers aged between six to 12 months had significantly higher intakes of milk, cheese and total dairy foods than non-consumers. 

However, these grains can be contributors of sugar and sodium to children’s diets. Nonetheless, Papanikolaou argues that certain grain foods contribute to a high-value nutrient density that surpasses caloric contributions in the diet. 

Early children’s nutrition has been a hot topic in recent months as sugar reduction is increasingly placed in the spotlight. A study from last November found that nearly 61 percent of infants and 98 percent of toddlers still consume added sugars in their average daily diets – primarily in the form of flavored yogurts and fruit drinks. Separate research has also uncovered that infant and toddler foods sold in pouches have lower nutritional value than foods sold in jars and other packaging. 

By Katherine Durrell