WHOLE GRAINS AND YOUR HEALTH

Whole grains have immense health benefits but is one of the least talked about food groups in our part of the world because it forms most staple foods. Yet some forms of food processing and cooking methods adversely affect their nutritional value. All grains, from the familiar (corn, rice sorghum, wheat, oats, millet) to the less well-known (barley, rye,) start out as kernels. The kernel, also known as the seed, is made up of three key parts: the outer fiber-rich bran layer, the middle energy-packed endosperm, and the inner nutrient-rich germ layer and they are consumed with all the three naturally occurring components still intact. A whole grain can be a single food, such as oatmeal, brown rice, barley, or popcorn, or an ingredient in another food such as bread.

The bran (the outermost layer of the kernel) contains fiber, protein, and some B vitamins and it also holds up to 80 percent of all the minerals found in the kernel. The germ (the kernel's center) is where most of the vitamins (vitamins E and B), minerals (iron, magnesium, selenium, and potassium), fiber, and phytosterols (plant hormones that lower cholesterol)

and fatty acids reside. In between lies the endosperm, which is packed with complex carbohydrates, some protein, iron, and some amount of B vitamins.

Servings per day
The recommended daily intake of whole grains is three servings.

Food companies know that consumers are interested in whole-grain products because it can improve health in a myriad of ways. As such they make it more difficult than it should be to spot a whole-grain food or make foods sound like they're whole grain and healthy when they aren't.

You must therefore read food labels carefully. Genuine whole-grain products list as the main ingredient whole wheat, whole oats, whole rice, or some other whole grain cereal. However if the label says “made with corn flour” it may be an intact grain product or it may just be an advertising gimmick.

Common Whole Grains and Uses
Corn can be eaten both fresh and dried. Local whole grain foods from corn include 'banku' and kenkey. Refined corn products like 'abolo', 'agidi', maize porridge (sieved) and 'tuo- zaafi' are not whole grain and may lack in the nutrients of the portions of the kernel that are removed during processing. Millet and sorghum may be used in making 'hausa koko' which is not a whole grain product because the final product is sieved. Oats which is usually eaten as breakfast is unique among commonly eaten whole grains because oats have substantial amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps lower blood cholesterol and insoluble fiber promotes digestive regularity. Whole grain rice is gradually becoming a thing of the past due to influx of polished foreign rice; however, the refining process destroys 67% of vitamin B3, 80% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Local rice is usually whole grains and as such their consumption should be encouraged. Wheat, the chief ingredient in making bread has served as the staff of life in many cultures because it contains a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately common local breads-tea, sugar, brown and butter bread are made from refined grains making them nutrient deficient. However whole wheat bread (from whole grains) is darker and chewier than refined grain products because all three layers of the kernel are ground together to make whole grain flour. Usually, there's an alternative whole grain you can tolerate, with some exceptions for persons with various sensitivities or those with celiac disease who must eat gluten-free foods like sorghum, rice, corn and millet.

Why whole grains are best
Milled or refined grains are stripped of the outer bran and germ layers resulting in the lost of many naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and healthful fats. Processing leaves behind only the starchy endosperm. Some countries have food laws requiring iron and B vitamin enrichment of processed grains to combat vitamin deficiency as a result of eating refined products, devoid of their natural lode of vitamins and minerals. This is why when you purchase a refined grain product such as white bread or white rice (made solely from the endosperm of grains), it will by law be “enriched,” meaning a few nutrients have been added back -- often niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and folate. Unfortunately, what are lost in the processing and not required to be replaced are wholesome nutrients such as fiber, vitamin E, several B vitamins, potassium, minerals such as manganese, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Clearly, whole grains are the far superior choice over refined grains for fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients.

Whole grains contain phytic acid in the bran of the grain which combines with key minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc and prevents their absorption in the body. However soaking, fermenting, or sprouting the grain before cooking or baking neutralize the phytic acid, break down complex starches, irritating tannins and difficult-to-digest proteins releasing nutrients for absorption. Brown rice and millet are soaked for the shorter times and are more easily digested because they contain lower amounts of phytates than other grains. This process also lessens consumers' sensitivity or allergic reactions to particular grains.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains
It is not advisable to buy a lot of foods made with white flour, as found in most breads, cereals, and baked goods. White flour has been stripped of its fiber and nutrients. White flour converts too quickly to sugar, which can lead to a number of health problems, including weight gain. Consumption of whole grains benefits us in a number of ways. Intake of whole grains help regulate cholesterol levels. By making one feel full faster, it also helps in maintaining healthy weight. The fiber in whole grains also keeps the bowels moving. That obviously helps keep the bowels clean and lowers the risk of cancer of the large intestine. And common sense would tell us that, by acting as an intestinal broom and vacuuming the tract, thus keeping the body cleaner, risks of many other cancers and diseases would be markedly reduced as well. Whole grain intake also improves glucose metabolism, resulting in lower levels of blood glucose.

However expert advice by dietitians may be required in the use of whole grains in managing diseased conditions.

The writer is a dietician, [email protected]