Whole Grain: Healthy or a Whole Lot of BS….?
I love bread, pasta, and really the full litany of grain-based carbohydrates. I don’t, however, often enjoy the taste of “whole wheat” versions of these foods over the refined versions. I used to gaslight myself into eating them, often scarfing down the sandpaper texture for the sake of supposed “health benefits.” I didn’t really understand what this meant beyond what the highly marketed packages told me. However, more recently I’ve often chosen the refined versions, eating them at specific times for taste purposes and a source of carbohydrate energy to support my health and fitness goals.
But is that a mistake? Are the health benefits of whole grain all they are cracked up to be or a result of a highly marketized scam?
I’ve been under the pessimistic impression that whole grains are a scam, so this week I’m diving into the topic. Let’s separate out fact from fiction.
First, what is “whole grain”?
Whole grain is the grain containing all three parts; the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. You can think of the bran as the protective outer layer. The germ is the seed sitting inside the structure while the endosperm surrounds the germ and contains the starch. The bran and germ are the nutrient-dense parts of the grain that contain vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber. Starch from the endosperm gets digested into glucose, the body’s energy fuel source. Therefore, the “whole grain” is all three of these parts. Contrarily, refined grains are those that are heated during the refining process, removing the germ and bran and leaving behind only the endosperm.¹
Why eat whole grains?
As described above, when consumed in their whole biological structure, whole grains have vitamins, minerals, and fiber along with the carbohydrate energy source of the endosperm that support a more holistic diet. Fiber is one of the most overlooked and important nutrients. It aids with the body's synthesis of glucose from starch, keeping blood sugar steady and avoiding sharp spikes that lead to energy crashes. Considering that fiber is not broken down by the body, it cruises through your digestive tract, helping the other foods you ate to do the same. (That's why there is a strong association with eating fiber and needing to use the restroom regularly.) Fiber is also thought to aid in preventing blood clots and heart attacks as well as lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, minerals in the whole grain such as magnesium, selenium, and copper have been linked to cancer prevention.² Overall, whole grains are a source of carbohydrates (for energy), vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
While fortification is the process of adding some of these vitamins and minerals back to refined grains after they are processed, it can’t replace the lost phytochemicals and many of those associated health benefits that are linked to prevention of chronic illness and diseases. Food is fuel, but it is also medicine to proactively fight against sickness. Whole grains exemplify this.
So what’s the catch?
Grains and legumes can strain your digestive system
The consumption of grains is linked to leaky gut, or the wearing down of your gut lining due to strain from eating foods that are harder for your body to digest. To break down food, your body produces enzymes. When you eat whole grains, chemicals within the seed of the grain inhibit these enzymes. Your body responds by producing even more enzymes to try to break down the food. This overabundance of enzymes then wears on your gut lining. Further, it takes nutrients from your body to produce these enzymes. Therefore, in order to get nutrients from whole grains, you have to use your body’s nutrients. This results in a lower net nutrient level than is often claimed.³
2. Marketing has exploited whole grain products
Companies love to throw on the “whole grain” label considering that they can leverage the healthy association to slap on a higher price tag and sell more products under the guise of “health”. Food companies and their business majors are the ones in charge of telling people what's good for them and what's not. Yes, that sounds like a great idea! Let’s let finance-bro chad from undergrad tell the general public that some foods are “heart healthy.” He's out here still breaking hearts, just on a more chronic-disease related level. I’m not trying to bash the business majors, but their agenda isn’t health-oriented, it's financially oriented. The FDA has attempted to set guidelines and regulations for what can be considered “whole grain” and “healthy.” And while they have recently updated the “healthy” label standards, the requirements for the “whole grain” label are taken advantage of by companies trying to sell their products. For example, the FDA guidelines state that a product must have “at least 51 percent of whole grains by weight.” Due to how whole grains are often separated by part and ground together before being included into foods, they meet these percentages but often lose nutrient and fiber levels.⁴ (This differs from refrained grain due to how all three parts of the grain are in the final food, not just the endosperm.) Therefore, while companies can legally state that their products are “whole grain,” many processes utilized to increase shelf-life or improve the taste degrade antioxidants, reduce nutrients, and remove fiber. Overall, this reduces the healthy benefits that are associated with whole grain consumption.
Big Takeaway
Don’t fall victim to buzzwords. “Whole grains” are great on their own, but not all products are equally made. Check the nutrition labels to be sure that the “whole grain” products you are choosing have low levels of sugar, sodium, and trans fat as these products are oftentimes the ones with the most fiber (and therefore, higher quality nutrient value).⁵ Keep eating your whole grains, but be mindful to do so in moderation and with discernment. And if you’re like me, refined grains can also have a place in your diet so long as everything stays holistic and balanced.
Lockwood, K., & Felman, A. (2024, August 6). Is whole wheat pasta really healthier than regular pasta? Greatist. https://greatist.com/health/whole-wheat-pasta-healthier
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Whole grains. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/whole-grains/
Myers, A. (n.d.). The problem with grains and legumes. Amy Myers MD. https://www.amymyersmd.com/blogs/articles/problem-grains-legumes
Maron, D. F. (2013, December 19). Whole-grain foods not always healthful. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whole-grain-foods-not-always-healthful/
Maron, D. F. (2013, December 19). Whole-grain foods not always healthful. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whole-grain-foods-not-always-healthful/
