Wholegrains for Whole Health

Grain foods a day wholegrain can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, plus it can also help with weight management.

01/10/08 Making half of your 4+ serves of grain foods a day wholegrain can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, plus it can also help with weight management.  This is the compelling evidence for the role of wholegrains that was heard in Sydney at the Go Grains Health & Nutrition first annual conference, – Harvesting the Science, Refining the Facts.

Keynote speaker at the Conference, Professor Chris Seal from Newcastle University, UK says, “The consensus view of scientists worldwide is that the evidence clearly shows the link between wholegrain consumption and reduced disease risk. ‘Make half of them ( grains consumed ) whole’ is the key message.

The strongest relationship between wholegrains and health has been found for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ), where the risk of developing CVD can be reduced by 20-40% with adequate daily consumption of wholegrains.  Reductions in risk for some cancers are of a similar magnitude.  This evidence is a wake-up call for countries to develop dietary recommendations for wholegrain–intake”.

Australian dietary guidelines specifically recommend ‘we eat plenty of cereals ( including breads, rice, pasta and noodles ), preferably wholegrain, but experts say many Australians are not eating the recommended 4 or more daily serves of the core grain-based foods and risk missing out on the essential nutrients and health benefits they provide.

The Go Grains ‘4+ serves a day’ program promotes the health benefits of eating a balanced diet containing at least 4+ servings of grain foods every day, and encourages at least two of these to be wholegrain.

Addressing the Conference, Professor Peter Williams, School of Health Science, University of Wollongong, delivered strong evidence that a diet high in wholegrains is associated with a lower body mass index ( BMI ) and waist circumference and that a balanced diet including carbohydrates from grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Professor Linda Tapsell, Director of the Smart Foods Centre, University of Wollongong presented facts about wholegrains and diabetes. There is strong evidence that wholegrains and cereal fibre are beneficial in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and this is now being confirmed through intervention studies.

The one-day conference addressed topical issues including the relationship between grains, climate change and health equity and presented data on trends in consumption of grain foods and legumes over the past decade.

The Future of Grains and tailoring grains for extra health benefits is another exciting area.  Dr David Topping from CSIRO Human Nutrition & Preventative Health / Food Future Flagships enlightened delegates on current developments of new cereals that can improve human health, that have low glycemic and insulin responses and yet are also high in total dietary fibre.

As climate change is taking place at a time of increasing demand for food, feed, fibre and fuel the issue of sustainability could not be left off the agenda.  The challenges for the grain sector were explored, highlighting its potential contribution towards environmental sustainability, food security and an enjoyable dietary experience for all.

The ‘4+ serves a day’ program that is being promoted by Go Grains Health & Nutrition aims to make it easier for people to identify and enjoy healthy grain-based foods. The program promotes the health benefits of eating a balanced diet containing the recommended 4+ servings of grain-based foods every day.

The ‘4+ serves a day’ logo is available to food manufacturers for use on food labels to highlight healthy grain-based foods. All food products that display the ‘4+ serves a day’ logo on their pack will meet strict criteria to ensure foods carrying the logo are nutritionally sound and consistent with established healthy dietary principles.