This one’s simple. In a study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers have found that eating more whole grains may reduce a person’s likelihood of being overweight or obese. The researchers found a reduced risk for obesity and overweight in both men and women who consumed whole grains.
In addition, it was found that those who ate the most whole grains were less likely to be overweight or obese than those who ate the least amount of whole grains.
Although the researchers do not know the mechanism of weight gain prevention, they propose that because whole grains contribute to satiety, that is they help people to be satisfied with a ‘full’ feeling. One of the suggested mechanisms is that, people may be less likely to eat fatty snacks or larger meals because of the satiety factor.
Another suggestion is that since whole grains are digested more slowly, that may be why they cause lower glucose and insulin responses–fats may be burned for energy, rather than stored in the body.
Most interesting is that, for part of their study, they used bread made with processed flour and with added bran. They did NOT see the benefits for this bread and found the glycemic response to be similar to that of white bread. This is more evidence that there is something in the whole grain (the entire grain – bran, germ and endosperm) that offers positive health benefits.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition September 26 2007;10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602895
Note: Dr. Grandma’s uses only 100% organic whole hard red spring wheat.
