Upping whole grain intake could slash healthcare costs by billions

21 Mar 2022 --- A small increase in whole grain consumption could save billions of dollars across the globe by preventing heart disease, diabetes and bowel cancer. The findings are part of a study bringing together research from Australia, the US and Finland.

“Increasing whole grain intake by as little as a slice of bread or a bowl of breakfast cereal daily has the potential to save billions of dollars annually,” the researchers note. 

“Unlike many other strategies to reduce diet-related disease, the swap to whole grain is unlikely to increase costs at the checkout for consumers,” says Dr. Sara Grafenauer, contributing researcher to the paper. 

The research was a collaboration between the Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC), the University of Eastern Finland and the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition in the US. It compared published figures for the potential healthcare cost savings in their three respective countries. 

To reap the rewards, whole grains must be prioritized in dietary guidelines worldwide and acknowledged in front-of-pack labeling schemes such as the Health Star Rating, the GLNC notes.The vast majority of deaths attributed to diets low in whole grains were the result of cardiovascular disease.

Counting the impact
In Australia, the annual healthcare costs savings were found to range from AU$37.2 million (US$27.5 million) for bowel cancer and AU$405.1 million (US$299.1 million) for total cancer.

Where cardiovascular disease is concerned, the savings to the healthcare system amounted to AU$717.4 million (US$529.6 million) and AU$750.7 million (US$554.1 million) for diabetes prevention. 

“Despite differences in the population size and the medical management of these key diseases in the US, Australia and Finland, the outcome held true that for even very small increases in whole grain consumption, we can reduce disease, and this results in significant savings,” Grafenauer notes.

In the US, cost savings were modeled at US$21.9 billion for cardiovascular disease and US$14 billion for coronary heart disease prevention with increasing whole grain intake.

Researchers from the University in Eastern Finland last year revealed that one serving of whole grain foods could reduce Type 2 diabetes cases, which could save between €300 million (US$349 million) to almost €1 billion (US$1.2 billion) over the next ten years in treatment cost savings.

Accumulating research
In 2021, GLNC research revealed that if all Australian adults consumed three servings of whole grain foods daily, the Australian economy could save AU$1.47 billion (US$1.1 billion) in combined direct and indirect healthcare and lost productivity costs for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. 

In a bid to attract consumers to whole grain food options, the GLNC spearheaded a certified trademarked whole grain logo on items containing between 25% to 100% whole grain ingredients.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five US consumers say they are eating more whole grains, and half have increased their intake in the last five years, according to a survey carried out by Oldways Whole Grains Council.

By Andria Kades