A nutritious guide to wholegrains

In this era of the low-carb diet, the health benefits of grains — wholegrains, that is — are sometimes overlooked. Here's what you need to know about the health benefits of wholegrains before adding them to your diet.

Since prehistoric times, grain products have been one of the basic foodstuffs of agrarian societies. Almost every culture has a staple grain around which its cuisine is centred. Today, thanks to modern agricultural techniques and efficient transportation, we can sample a huge variety of grain products.

• Despite this proliferation of grains from around the world, we still tend to make the greatest use of our native wheat, which is ground into flour and made into bread and other baked goods.
• To a lesser extent, we also consume corn, rice, oats, barley and millet, and many exotic grains.
• Whole grains are rich in complex carbohydrates, fibre and many vitamins and minerals.
• They are also very low in fat, and when eaten in combination with beans and other legumes, grains are a good source of complete protein.
• Nutritionists urge us to eat more grain products as a healthy substitute for high-fat foods, and recommend we include plenty of grain-based starches, such as breads, cereals, pasta and rice in our diets, along with dried beans, peas and other legumes.

• Many of the valuable nutrients in grains are contained in the germ and outer covering that are removed during refining. In contrast, products made from wholegrains retain most of their nutritive value; their high fibre content also adds texture and is filling.
• Refined grain products, including flours, breads and breakfast cereals, are fortified with iron, thiamine, riboflavin, folate and niacin. Despite the additions, refined products still have less vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber than wholegrain products.
• Wholegrains contain B vitamins, vitamin E and an assortment of phytochemicals including lignans, saponins and plant sterols.

There is a growing awareness of the importance of the quality, as much as the quantity, of grains in the diet.

• An increased consumption of whole grains reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• A recent study in which more than 86,000 male physicians ­participated, showed a significant reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and death from all causes in the men eating the greatest quantity of wholegrain cereals, compared with those of the men eating the fewest servings of wholegrain cereals.
• A separate study followed almost 35,000 women aged 55 to 69 and found that the more whole grains eaten, the lower the risk of dying from heart disease.
• Another study found that adults with the highest intake of wholegrains were 35 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with the lowest intake.
• There is also growing evidence that eating wholegrains instead of refined varieties can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

When shopping for whole grain breads and cereals, read labels carefully.

• Look for the words "wholewheat flour" as the first ingredient. A product simply labelled "wheat flour" is actually white flour.

Beware: gluten in some grain products provokes malabsorption symptoms in people who have celiac disease. If you have celiac disease, consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet.