Whole grains may curb belly fat, inflammation

saluki

Whole grains may curb belly fat, inflammation

saluki

Whole grains may curb belly fat, inflammation

Wed Feb 20, 11:29 AM ET

Cutting calories helps people lose weight, but doing so by filling up on whole grains may be particularly heart-healthy, new research suggests.

In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C- reactive protein or CRP.

CRP is a marker of chronic, low-level inflammation in the blood vessels, and both abdominal fat and CRP, in excess, are linked to heart attack and stroke.

In contrast, dieters in the study who mainly ate refined grains, like white bread, were able to lose weight, but they trimmed less fat from the middle and showed no change in CRP.

The findings offer yet more incentive for Americans to opt for whole grains over highly processed versions, according to the researchers.

"This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases," Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the senior researcher on the study, said in a statement.

She and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University report the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In general, experts recommend eating whole grains -- such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley -- rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain.

This fact might explain why dieters in the current study showed added benefits when they ate whole grains, according to the researchers. For example, fiber-rich foods may have kept participants' blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day, and this, in turn, may have lowered their CRP levels.

Alternatively, CRP might have dropped because of the antioxidant nutrients that are present in whole grains but depleted in refined ones.

The study included 50 obese men and women who had metabolic syndrome, a collection of several risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke -- such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

All of the study participants cut calories for 12 weeks, but half were instructed to strive for whole grains, while the rest were told to choose refined grains. The whole-grain group was told to look for products with "whole grain" listed as the first ingredient on the label.

In the end, the average weight loss was about 8 to 11 pounds in both groups. However, the average CRP level dropped by 38 percent in the whole-grain group, while remaining unchanged in the refined-grain group. In addition, while both groups showed a similar change in waistline size, the whole-grain dieters showed a greater reduction in the percentage of fat around the middle.

The researchers recommend that consumers look at labels and be careful to choose products that are good sources of whole grain.

"There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain," Kris-Etherton said. She suggested looking for foods like oatmeal, breakfast cereals made from whole grains, whole-wheat pastas, granola and popcorn.

As a general rule, she said, consumers should buy grain products that are at least 51 percent whole grain. Products that put health claims about whole grains on their labels are required to contain at least that much whole grain.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2008.

roseg

I think the whole grain thing is subject to some tom-foolery. Many items are marketed as "whole grain" but have amazingly little fiber. Fiber is an important part of the whole grain equation. It's helping to shepard toxins OUT of our bodies.

So I advise reading labels and looking for how much fiber something has. 

Anonymous

I agree....fiber is key. I try to follow the maxim that high-fiber, whole grains, in addition to loads of fruit and veggies is absolutely the most naturally healthy way to avoid body fat and unnecessary irritation/inflammation. And then there's exercise......

~Marin

abbadoodles

Ah, just gimme a pill, will ya?

Tina

Maire67

I.

roseg

I am not the world's most enthusiastic cook, but I will say that making your own bread (with a bread machine please!) is worth it.

You can skip the sugars and highly refined elements and come out with breads that you'd pay $5-6 dollars a loaf for.

There is some start-up cost to get initial ingredients but in the end it work out to much less. Someone gave me a bread machine for Christmas one year so I didn't have to buy that, but I'd bet if you shop yard sales/ebay you could get one for less.  

Annie62

I highly recommend reading - You on a Diet by Drs. Oz and Rozien. Explains how whole grains, Omega 3's, controlling blood sugar etc works in the body. 

abbadoodles

King Arthur Flour has a newish cookbook on baking with wholegrains and I think it's pretty good.  Also am a firm believer in using the bread machine to mix and knead the bread, then letting it rise and bake in a real pan.

GREAT PRODUCT alert! if you like hearty breads like rye or whole grains:  those stonewear covered bakers.  They really do seal in the moisture and bake like a commercial oven and turn out breads with FABULOUS crispy crusts.  KA Flour website has them, too, in both loaf shape and cloche (circular). 

I may have to bake some bread later today.  This is making my mouth water.

Tina