Whole-grain consumption

K. Salisbury, Grains for the Health of It Increasing Grains and Whole Grains Consumption as a Strategy for Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2001. 

Slav in, J., Jacobs, D and Marquart, L. (1997). Whole-grain consumption and chronic disease Protective mechanisms. Nufr. Cancer 27,14-21. 

The first hint about the role of polyphenols in cancer was obtained through analysis of epidemiologic data. Several studies showed that tea, soy, olive oil, and whole grains consumption significantly reduces the risk of certain types of cancer. A study by Sun et al. conducted in eight countries showed that tea consumption reduces the risk of breast cancer (Sun et al. 2005). In addition, a prospective study by Severson and coworkers (1989) demonstrated a positive relationship between soy consumption (as tofu) and a decreased risk of prostate cancer. A much broader epidemiologic study on men in 59 countries demonstrated that a diet... 

Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, et al. Whole-grain consumption and risk of coronary heart disease results from the Nurses Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 70 412-419. 

Avraage whole-grain consumption for this study was 0.5 servings per day. A study of U.S. children and te is reported consumption of whole grains was less than one SCTving per day." ... 

It is well accepted that glucose and insulin are linked to chronic diseases, especially diabetes. Whole-grain consumption is part of a healthy diet described as the prudent diet. Epidemiologic studies consistently show that risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus is decreased with consumption of whole grains.Whole grains are now recommended by the American Diabetes Association for diabetes prevention. ... 

However, within populations the consumption of whole grains is influenced by a number of social and demographic factors. Most surveys have found an increase in whole grain consumption with age. For example, in the UK, there was a median of 1 serving per week in the 16-24-year-olds rising to 3 servings per week in the 35-64-year-olds (1986-87 survey). 

Table 1 Effect of whole-grain consumption on aii cause mortaiity...

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. 

Table 2 Summary of the evidence relating a reduced risk of CVD to increased whole-grain consumption ...

IHD Iowa Women s Health Study Lower RR for increasing whole grain consumption Jacobs et ai. (1998a) Whole grain intake may reduce the risk of ischaemic heart disease in postmenopausal women The Iowa Women s Health Study. American Joumai of Ciinicai Nutrition 68 248-257. 

Ischemic Nurse s Health Lower RR for Liu et ai. (2000) Whole grain consumption and risk of ischemic... 

As a proxy measure of whole-grain consumption, the relationship between the intake of total and... 

The epidemiological data suggest that health benefits can be obtained at relatively low levels of whole-grain consumption, typically 1-3 servings per day. In most studies, there was no clear dose-response relationship and a suggestion of a threshold effect as benefits were seen at the third quintile of whole-grain intakes with no further reduction in risk as intakes increased. However, assessment of intakes in different countries show that this threshold level of intake is not being achieved. 

Liu S, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Rexrode KM, Hu FB, Rimm EB, and Willett WC (2000a) Whole grain consumption and risk of ischaemic stroke in women a prospective study. Journal of the American Medical Association 284 1534-1540. 

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