Whole grain cereals benefits

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by abundant use of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, other forms of cereals, beans, nuts, and seeds), fresh fruit as the typical main-meal side dish and daily dessert, olive oil as the principal source of fat on salads and breads, low amounts of dairy products (principally cheese and yogurt), and fish or poultry as meats used in low to moderate frequency. Water is the usual beverage, but also red wine—for which there is ample research indicating cardiovascular health benefits—is consumed in low to moderate amounts, normally with the evening meal. 

FIG. 11 A food guide pyramid to promote health—cereal grains. This food group consists of whole, enriched, and nonenriched cereal grains. Only whole grain foods have high nutrient/nutraceutical content and related health benefits. 

There is no question that whole grains exert health benefits, but the American intake is about 20-30% of the cereal grain category. There is a long history of cardiovascular health benefits associated with the routine consumption of whole-grain products (Jacobs et al., 1998, 1999 Liu et al., 1999). Evidence of benefits of whole grains in diabetes has emerged (Liu et al., 2000). 

The term nutraceutical, coined in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, arises from combination of two words, nutrition and pharmaceutical, and defines food or food products that can provide medical and health benefits, including prevention and treatment of disease. Whole grains, beans, and herbs are known to include natural products with therapeutic potential, but fruits and vegetables are their main natural source. Edible mushrooms have also been reported to have medicinal properties [8,9]. Fortified foods, dietary supplements, herbal products, genetically engineered foods, and processed products such as cereals, soups, and beverages are considered nutraceuticals, even when in most cases bioactive components have not been scientifically standardized [10]. 

The use of bread and cereal intakes as a measure of total whole-grain consumption is of some concern, as the extent to which they correlate with overall whole-grain consumption is uncertain. Indeed, such studies also fail to distinguish whether it is in fact something within the whole-grain package that is of benefit, or something else entirely. 

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