For overall health benefits, nutritionists suggest eating three or more servings of whole grains a day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a whole grain serving as any food containing 16 grams of whole grain.
According to the council's Web site, here are some benefits research has shown from whole grains:
• They reduce the risks of diabetes. Researchers at Tufts University found that people who eat three or more servings of whole grains a day, especially from cereals, are less likely to develop insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, common precursors of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Diabetes Care.
• They cut the risk of heart disease. According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that for each 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, there was a 14% reduction in heart disease risk and a 25% reduction in risk of dying from heart disease. In short, the cereal fiber in whole grains appears to make heart disease much less likely-and less serious if it does occur.
• Whole grains cut the risk of rectal cancer. University of Utah nutritionists found that high intakes of vegetables, fruits and whole grains reduced the risk of rectal cancer by 28%, 27% and 31% respectively. A high-fiber diet-more than 34 grams of fiber per day-reduced rectal cancer by 66%, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Whole grains lower the risk of obesity. After tracking the eating patterns of more than 74,000 women from 1984 to 1996, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than women who consumed fewer whole grains, they reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
• Whole grains slow the buildup of plaque. In the American Heart Journal, researchers at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging found that eating six servings or more per week of whole grains was associated with slower buildup of artery-narrowing plaque.
• They are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Cornell University researchers found that whole grains contain protective antioxidants in quantities rivaling or exceeding those in fruits and vegetables. Apples are no match for corn in antioxidants, while wheat and oats almost equal broccoli and spinach in antioxidant activity.
The Whole Grains Council's list will help with determining whole grain servings. Each food provides about 16 grams of whole grains.
Cheerios--2/3 cup
Wheat Chex--2/3 cup
Hot, cooked oatmeal-1/2 cup
Quaker Oatmeal Squares or Toasted Oatmeal Cereal--1/2 cup
Grape Nuts--1/5 cup
Frosted Mini-Wheats, bite size-9 mini-biscuits
100% whole grain bread-1 slice
100% whole grain English muffin-1 half
Popped popcorn--2 cups
Sun Chips or baked Tortilla Chips-1 ounce, about 15 chips
100% whole-grain crackers-4 crackers
Whole wheat pasta--1/3 cup cooked
Brown rice, bulgur, sorghum, or barley--1/3 cup cooked
The Whole Grains Council says that people can't go wrong eating whole grains in everything from cereal in the morning to brown rice in their battle to ward off a list of killer ailments.
