A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm.
Consumption of whole grains is associated with lower risk of several diseases.
Whole grains are a source of multiple nutrients and dietary fiber.
They are recommended for children and adults in several daily servings containing a variety of foods that meet whole grain-rich criteria.
Whole grains are a source of carbohydrates, multiple nutrients and dietary fiber.
Whole grain sources include:
Cereals
Wheat
Rice
Barley
Maize
Rye
Oats
Millets
Sorghum
Teff
Triticale
Canary grass
Job’s tears
Fonio, black fonio, Asian millet
Wild rice
Pseudocereals
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Whole grains associated with lower risk of several diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and type 2 diabetes, with lower all-cause mortality.
Regular whole-grain consumption lowers LDL and triglyceride levels, which contributes to an overall 26% reduction in coronary heart disease-risk factors.
Whole-grain consumption is inversely related to hypertension, diabetes, and obesity when compared to refined grains, all of which are negative indicators in total cardiovascular health.
Whole grains are associated with improved micronutrient intake and lower risk of several diseases.
Eating grains as close to their original form as possible slows or prevents the digestion of starch.
A slower digestion of starches is responsible for preventing spikes in blood sugar.
Cereals proteins are low quality, due to deficiencies in essential amino acids, mainly lysine.
The supplementation of cereals with proteins from other food sources is commonly used to compensate this deficiency.
The limitation of a single essential amino acid causes the others to break down and become excreted, which is especially important during the period of growth.
The proteins of the pseudocereals have a high nutritional value, close to those of casein, which is the main protein in milk.
Quinoa and amaranth are the most nutritious grains: high content and quality of proteins, with high levels of lysine and other essential amino acids.
Minor cereals and pseudocereals are alternative to replace gluten-containing cereals.
Whole grains are not indicative of fiber.
The amount of fiber varies from grain to grain.
Some products may have things like bran, peas, or other foods added to boost the fiber content.
When wheat is milled to make flour, parts of the grain are separated and then are recombined to make specific types of flour, such as whole wheat, whole grain, white cake and pastry flour, and all-purpose white flour: if all parts of the kernel are used in the same relative proportions as they exist in the original kernel, then the flour is considered whole grain.