Fiber is a health-giving, life-saving nutrient. Research shows eating a high fiber diet decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and colorectal cancer. It also extends life expectancy.
The problem is, not all sources of fiber deliver the same benefits — even if they’re whole grain. That’s right. Some whole grain sources of fiber are healthier than others — the ones that aren’t ultra-processed.
I know ultra-processed “whole” grains sounds like an oxymoron. But they’re everywhere. They’re in the bread aisle, the cereal aisle, the organic foods aisle. They’re often marketed as healthy alternatives to refined grains.
But this may be misleading. Processed food is processed food… even if it includes some whole grains among a long list of other ingredients.
In fact, a new study shows that choosing processed whole grains over unprocessed whole grains could take away the benefits you’d typically get from this fiber-filled food.
Say goodbye to blood sugar- and weight-lowering benefits
A recent study from researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that ultra-processing whole grains reduces some of their health benefits.
In the study, participants with type 2 diabetes ate minimally processed whole grains for two weeks and then switched to ultra-processed whole grains for another two weeks. During both two-week periods, researchers tracked participants’ blood sugar levels.
When they were eating minimally processed whole grains, participants experienced improved blood sugar levels after meals and more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. They also lost weight, which wasn’t a goal of the study, but was a welcome result anyway.
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Unfortunately, when they switched over to the ultra-processed whole grains, they didn’t experience the same blood sugar benefits… and they gained weight rather than lost it. All of this goes to show that not all whole grains are as healthy as advertised.
“Wholegrain foods are now widely perceived to be beneficial, but, increasingly, products available on the supermarket shelves are ultra-processed,” says senior author of the study Professor Jim Mann.
How to know if your whole grains are healthy
How do you know whether a whole grain product is “ultra-processed” or not?
Taking a look at the ingredient list is a good first step. The fewer ingredients, typically, the less processed. As you look more closely at labels, you’ll also uncover a lot of products masquerading as whole grains when they’re not.
For bread to be whole grain, it needs to contain 100 percent whole-wheat flour. If you read the labels on certain breads that look brown or are labeled “multigrain” or “seven grain,” you’ll find they don’t meet this requirement… which means they’re not whole grain.
During the whole grain period in the study, participants ate things like whole-grain oats and chunky grainy bread rather than instant oats and wholemeal bread. But there are plenty of whole grains you can turn to. If you can buy the grain in its whole, natural form it’s a safer bet you’re getting the benefits. Here are a few whole grains (beyond whole-grain bread) for you to try out:
- Bulgur
- Steel-cut oats
- Buckwheat
- Amaranth
- Quinoa
- Millet
- Wheat berries
- Barley
- Wild rice
Sources:
- Higher fiber saves lives, but food processing may remove benefits — MedicalXpress.
- Whole-Grain Processing and Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Crossover Trial — Diabetes Care.
- The 7 Healthiest Types of Bread — Healthline.
