Continuing with the series on heart-healthy plants, this week we turn to one of the more controversial plant groups: Grains. In recent years, these have been praised and villainized in the media.
Some popular diets claim that eating grains can cause a whole host of health issues and they recommend removing grains entirely. They argue that humans did not evolve eating grains and, therefore, these carbohydrates “have negative health effects.” ( bit.ly/4gBINZ2 )
These diets use catchy phrases like “grain brain” and “grain belly.” While individuals who have celiac disease, food allergies or an intolerance to fructans (a type of carbohydrate) may have to eliminate some or all grains, whole grains “have not been shown to have inflammatory effects in people who do not have these conditions,” according to Dr. John Leung, of Tufts Medical Center.
Research shows that eating whole grains is associated with a lower risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and cardiovascular disease when compared to individuals who eat little or no whole grains. This would place grains in the heart-healthy group.
The keyword in the research I read was “whole” grains, as opposed to processed ones. Each grain has three parts: bran, germ and endosperm. The bran is the outer layer that has fiber and often contains B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and other phytochemicals. In the core of the seed is the germ. It is loaded with healthy fats, vitamin E and antioxidants. The endosperm is the interior layer that contains mainly carbohydrates and protein. ( bit.ly/41QLjWB )
The fiber in grains helps maintain blood sugar at steady levels because it slows down the conversion of starch into glucose. Fiber also helps lower cholesterol and may prevent the formation of blood clots.
When whole grains are processed into refined ones, the fiber and most of the nutritional value ends up being removed. Refined grains are used to make crackers, cookies, cereals, breads, etc. In addition, these food items containing refined grains typically include a lot of added salt and sugar.
Circling back to the anti-grain folks, there are several functional medicine practitioners that I respect and follow who do not […]
People and Plants: Heart healthy plants – grains, part three
