Are You REALLY Getting Enough Whole Grains?

By Dr. Reginald B. Cherry, M.D., Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Most people believe they consume enough whole grain – but only five percent of Americans actually get the recommended three servings per day. Are you falling short?

Whole grains are an important part of any healthy diet – and a staple of the Mediterranean Diet, often referred to as The Ideal Diet . In addition to fiber, whole grains also provide antioxidants, B vitamins, iron, selenium, and magnesium.

Eating adequate whole grains may significantly reduce cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol, and aid in digestion, as well as weight and blood sugar management. To get these benefits, the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that everyone over the age of nine should consume at least three servings of whole grains every day.

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Unfortunately, 95 percent of Americans do not reach the guideline amounts, according to figures from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. But most of those people don't even realize they aren't getting the recommended amounts.

A recent study conducted by General Mills' Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition found that that 61 percent of those surveyed think that they consume enough whole grain in their diet, meaning there is quite a gap between what people believe they are getting in their daily diet and what they actually are getting.

It could be confusion over ingredients and terms, such as "enriched flour", "100 percent wheat" and "multigrain" – none of which necessarily mean that that a product contains whole grain – as well as over what an actual serving is (16 grams of whole grains).

Some examples of whole grains are steel cut and rolled oats, rye, barley, popcorn, quinoa, spelt, millet and wheat (cracked, bulgar, buckwheat). When reading labels, look for products that say "100 percent whole grain." The "Whole Grain" stamp can be used for foods that provide at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving.