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NutrInsight • Whole grain and health: new evidence
The HEALTHGRAIN definition is therefore based on modern industrial practices which have produced foods in which the benefits of whole grain have been demonstrated. The first part of the definition is very similar to the definition used in the USA [American Association of Cereal Chemists, 1999; Food and Drug Administration, 2006].
HEALTHGRAIN definition of whole grains (2010)
“Whole grains shall consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked kernel after the removal of inedible parts such as the hull and husk. The principal anatomical components (the starchy endosperm, germ and bran) are present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact kernel. Small losses of components (i.e. less than 2% of the grain and 10% of the bran) that occur through processing methods consistent with safety and quality are allowed.”
See www.healthgrain.org/webfm_send/44 for the extended definition which includes the list of cereal grains included and milling and processing aspects.
The HEALTHGRAIN definition means that the following are therefore recognised as “whole grain”:
• Cereal flakes,
• Stone-ground wholemeal flour,
• Recombined wholemeal flour i.e. recombination of the separated milling streams of flour, germ and bran to the same composition as the original grain.
In fact more than 90% of wholemeal flour is now produced by recombination because this “modern milling” process ensures a longer shelf life and constant flour quality in terms of composition and processability than with the traditional stone-ground process.
1.2 Nutritional advantages of whole grain
Eating whole grains means that all the nutrients in the grain are consumed, in particular those contained in the bran and the germ. This leads to increased intake of fibre, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients (physiologically active plant components which have positive functional effects), as well as increased intake of other bioactive nutrients.
Figure 1 shows the anatomy of wheat grain with the location of specific beneficial nutrients and other bioactive compounds highlighted [Surget and Barron, 2005; van der Kamp, 2010]:
- The endosperm is mainly made up of starch (60% to 70%) and reserve proteins (10% to 15%), but also to a lesser extent, fibres, vitamins and minerals.
- The germ is rich in lipids (28.5%) [Delcour and Hoseney, 2010], notably unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acid). The germ also contains certain minerals, B vitamins, vitamin E (antioxidant), and phytosterols, compounds responsible for a cholesterol-lowering effect [Slavin, 2003].
- The bran is rich in fibres, and in insoluble fibres in particular, which have a beneficial effect on intestinal transit. The bran also contains proteins, vitamins from the B group (thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid) and minerals (magnesium, iron, zinc and manganese).
Whole grain products, made with flours containing virtually 100% of the grain are important sources of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and other components that play an important role in human health. Levels of these substances in whole wheat flour are 2.5 to more than 5 times higher than those in refined white flour.
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