Arizona Republic on Whole Grains

The whole truth about whole grains

Mary Beth Faller
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 8, 2005 12:00 AM
The government's new dietary guidelines, released last month, emphasize that Americans need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. More specifically, the food we eat should be more nutritious.
One way to do that is to substitute whole-grain foods, such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread, for refined-grain foods, such as white bread and bagels. It isn't that hard to do, says Kelli Morgan, a registered dietitian at Paradise Valley Hospital.

How's this for why to look for whole grain products:
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Q: Why is whole grain better?
A: Whole grains have more fiber, double the calcium, six times more magnesium and four times more potassium.
Some people probably don't know that the antioxidants found in grains are not present in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are important for fighting cancer. Studies have shown that people who eat whole grains have lower body- mass index, lower total cholesterol and a lower waist-to-hip ratio. Epidemiological studies on a variety of different populations noted that people who eat three daily servings of whole grains reduced their risk of heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and digestive-system cancers.
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