The Whote Grain Name Game
Whole Grains provide many healthy nutrients, including fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants. A diet rich in whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and obesity. Take a stroll to the bread aisle at your local supermarket and you will probably see labels like 100% wheat, pumpernickel, multigrain, bran and stone ground. A myriad of whole grain goodness, right? Wrong.
Just because an item may be labeled with terms that sound like whole grains, it doesn't mean they actually contain whole grains. Whole grains should remain intact or should be present in their original natural proportions containing all edible parts of the grain itself-the bran, germ and endosperm.
Many people are mislead by manufacturer's labels. For example, 100% wheat bread touted on the front of a package can mean that it contains 100% wheat, but that doesn't mean it contains 100% whole wheat. Some manufacturers can remove the outer layer of bran off the whole grain kernel of wheat, then use refined wheat flour instead. Much of the health benefits of "refined" whole wheat are stripped away by the processing. 100% wheat is not 100% whole grain.
Be careful how you interpret labels on the front of packages. The best way to find out if a whole grain is whole is to read the ingredients list. The word "whole" before the grain should tell you. Whole grains should also be the first or second ingredient on the list. Another way to recognize products that contain whole grains is to look for the FDA-approved health claim stamped on whole-grain products that contain at least 51% whole grain flour by weight. This stamp states, "In a low fat diet, whole grain foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancers."
It is also important to remember that just because a product is made from whole grains do not necessarily mean it is healthy for you. Whole grain cereals that contain a lot of sugar can be counter-productive.