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Whole grain and health: new evidence• NutrInsight
Whole grain bread has antioxidant activity comparable to that of fruit and vegetables. Such activity is not only related to the presence, in the germ, of vitamin E and its isomers (tocopherols and tocotrienols), but also to minerals such as selenium or to phytochemical compounds such as phytins, alkylresorcinols, and phenolic acids (lignans and ferulic acid) [Jones, 2007].
1.3 How much whole grain should we be eating?
Recommended consumption level for whole grains for healthy diet
Nutritional recommendations increasingly stress the importance of choosing whole grain products for cereal intake. Table 1 shows that recommendations range from 3 to 7 servings/day if we define a serving as ~16-18 g of whole grain (dry matter), provided for example in a 30 g slice of whole grain bread.
Whole grain intake - National recommendations
Approximate range: 3 - 7 servings (serving~slice of bread)
Countries
National recommendations for
the “bread, cereals, starchy food” category
National recommendations for whole grains and whole grain foods
France [www.mangerbouger.fr/]
3 portions/day (one at each meal)
Prefer cereals in whole grain form
United Kingdom [www.eatwell.gov.uk]
3 portions/day (one at each meal)
Prefer cereals in whole grain form
Switzerland [www.sge-ssn.ch]
3 portions/day (one at each meal)
When possible 2 of which in whole grain form
The Netherlands [www.voedingscentrum.nl]
For bread: 5-7 slices
Preferably whole grain
Denmark, Sweden [www.food.dtu.dk] [www.slv.se]
The equivalent of 75 g whole grains per 10 MJ (2400 kcal) equivalent to 62 g for a reference 2000 kcal diet
The United States [www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/] [www.mypyramid.gov]
6 ounce-equivalent serving of cereals for a 2000 kcal diet per day
At least half of cereal intake to be consumed in whole grain form, equivalent to at least 3 ounce-equivalent 2 servings of whole grain foods for individuals over 9 years: “Make at least half your grains whole grains”.
Australia [www.nhmrc.gov.au]
“Eat plenty of cereals”; For women 4-9 servings For men 6-12 servings
Prefer cereals in whole grain form
Canada [www.hc-sc.gc.ca]
6 to 8 servings per day
Of which half in whole grain form
2 1 ounce equivalent is the same as about 16 g whole grain ingredients.
Table 1: National recommendations for cereals and whole grain consumption
Recommendations in countries without a whole grain tradition, e.g. USA, UK and France, are at the bottom end of this range and make more general comments such as: “make at least half your grains whole grain” or “prefer cereals in whole grain form”.
Recommendations in countries with a whole grain tradition go further and are found at the top end of the range. Denmark recently agreed on the equivalent of 4 servings of whole grain ingredients (75 g per 10 MJ equivalent to 62 g per 2000 kcal) and, in the Netherlands, the daily recommendation of ~6 slices of bread should be preferably consumed in their whole grain form, delivering about 120 g of whole grain.
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