Health Benefits of Eating Whole Grains
Whole grains are a great source of fiber and have positive health effects like a lowered risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Whole grains have been a part of the human diet for tens of thousands of years (1).
But proponents of many modern diets, such as the paleo diet, claim that eating grains is bad for your health.
While a high intake of refined grains is linked to health problems like obesity and inflammation, whole grains are a different story.
In fact, eating whole grains is associated with various benefits, including a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Here are the top 9 health benefits of eating whole grains.
What are whole grains?
Grains are the seeds of grass-like plants called cereals. Some of the most common varieties are corn, rice, and wheat.
Some seeds of non-grass plants, or pseudocereals, are also considered whole grains, including buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth.
Whole-grain kernels have three parts (2):
Bran. This is the hard, outer
shell. It contains fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.
Endosperm. The middle layer of the
grain is mostly made up of carbs.
Germ. This
inner layer has vitamins, minerals, protein, and plant compounds.
Grains can be rolled, crushed, or cracked. Nonetheless, as long as these three parts are present in their original proportion, they’re considered whole grains.
Refined grains have had the germ and bran removed, leaving only the endosperm.
Though enriched refined grains have had some vitamins and minerals added back, they’re still not as healthy or nutritious as the whole versions.
Common varieties of whole grains include:
oatmeal
popcorn
millet
quinoa
brown rice
whole rye
wild rice
wheat berry
bulgur
buckwheat
freekeh
barley
sorghum
Products made from these foods are considered whole grain. These include certain types of bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals.
When you purchase processed whole-grain products, read the ingredient list to make sure they’re made entirely from whole grains, not a mixture of whole and refined grains.
Also, keep an eye on the sugar content, especially in the case of breakfast cereals, which are often loaded with added sugar. Seeing “whole grain” on the packaging does not automatically mean that the product is healthy.
1. High in nutrients and fiber
Whole grains deliver many important nutrients. These include:
Fiber. The bran provides most of the fiber in whole grains.
Vitamins. Whole grains are particularly high in B vitamins, including
niacin, thiamine, and folate (3,
4).
Minerals. They also contain a good amount of minerals, such as zinc,
iron, magnesium, and manganese.
Protein. Whole grains boast
several grams of protein per serving.
Antioxidants. Many
compounds in whole grains act as antioxidants. These include phytic acid,
lignans, ferulic acid, and sulfur compounds (5Trusted Source).
Plant
compounds. Whole grains deliver many types of plant compounds that play a
role in preventing disease. These include polyphenols, stanols, and sterols (6Trusted Source).
The exact amounts of these nutrients depend on the type of grain.
Nevertheless, to give you a sense of their nutritional profile, here are the key nutrients in 1 ounce (28 grams) of dry oats (4):
Fiber: 3 grams
Manganese: 69% of the Reference
Daily Intake (RDI)
Phosphorous: 15% of the RDI
Thiamine: 14% of the RDI
Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
Copper: 9% of the RDI
Zinc
and iron: 7% of the RDI
2. Lower your risk of heart disease
One of the biggest health benefits of whole grains is that they lower your risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide (7Trusted Source).
A review of 10 studies found that three 1-ounce (28-gram) servings of whole grains daily may lower your risk of heart disease by 22% (8Trusted Source).
Similarly, a 10-year study in 17,424 adults observed that those who ate the highest proportion of whole grains in relation to their total carb intake had a 47% lower risk of heart disease (9Trusted Source).
Researchers concluded that heart-healthy diets should include more whole grains and fewer refined grains.
Most studies lump together different types of whole grains, making it hard to separate the benefits of individual foods.
Still, whole-grain breads and cereals, as well as added bran, have been specifically linked to reduced heart disease risk (8Trusted Source).
3. Lower your risk of stroke
Whole grains may also help lower your risk of stroke (10Trusted Source).
In an analysis of 6 studies in nearly 250,000 people, those eating the most whole grains had a 14% lower risk of stroke than those eating the fewest (10Trusted Source).
Furthermore, certain compounds in whole grains, such as fiber, vitamin K, and antioxidants, can reduce your risk of stroke.
Whole grains are also recommended in the DASH and Mediterranean diets, both of which may help lower your risk of stroke (11Trusted Source).
4. Reduce your risk of obesity
Eating fiber-rich foods can help fill you up and prevent overeating. This is one reason high-fiber diets are recommended for weight loss (5Trusted Source).
Whole grains and products made from them are more filling than refined grains, and research suggests that they may lower your risk of obesity.
In fact, eating 3 servings of whole grains daily was linked to lower body mass index (BMI) and less belly fat in a review of 15 studies in almost 120,000 people (12Trusted Source).
Another study reviewing research from 1965 to 2010 found that whole-grain cereal and cereal with added bran were associated with a modestly lower risk of obesity (13Trusted Source).
5. Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes
Eating whole in place of refined grains may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes (14Trusted Source).
A review of 16 studies concluded that replacing refined grains with whole varieties and eating at least 2 servings of whole grains daily could lower your risk of diabetes (15Trusted Source).
In part, this is because fiber-rich whole grains can also help with weight control and prevent obesity, a risk factor for diabetes (16Trusted Source).
Moreover, studies have linked whole grain intake to lower fasting blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity (17Trusted Source).
This could be due to magnesium, a mineral found in whole grains that helps your body metabolize carbs and is tied to insulin sensitivity (16Trusted Source).
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