Eating Whole Wheat And Loving It!

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world. Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, characterizes a host of important nutrients. So better include whole-wheat-made products in your daily diet to enjoy its benefits. These are just some of the many health benefits we can get from whole wheat.

Women Who Consumed Whole Wheat Gain Less.

A study whether eating whole wheat or refined wheat would help in maintaining healthy body weight was done at American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They found out that women from 38-63 years old who consumed whole wheat are less likely to gain 49% of their weight compared to those eating foods from refined grains..

Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

First we were told, "Don't eat fat, and you'll stay trim." After following this advice only to see obesity expand to never before seen proportions, we're told by the food gurus, "Eating fat is fine. Shun carbohydrates to stay slim."

There is a latest research that consuming more refined grains and the foods that are made of them, such as white bread, cookies, pasta and rice are now being linked to increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes and metabolic syndrome. And while eating whole grain foods can protect us from all these diseases. .

Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.

The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. (van Dam RM, Hu FB, Diabetes Care).

Helps Prevent Gallstones

A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology shows that eating foods high in insoluble fiber, such as cereals and breads made from whole wheat, can help women avoid gallstones by 17% and a 5-gram increase in insoluble fiber intake dropped risk to additional 10%. Insoluble fiber reduces secretion of bile acid, increases insulin sensitivity and lower triglycerides (blood fats).

It Gets You Going

Wheat bran is a popular bulk laxative. A third of a cup per day is all that is needed. Research studies support this popular practice. A fiber-rich diet, primarily composed of whole wheat breads, cereals high in bran and supplemental "millers bran" was shown to alleviate the symptoms of diverticular disease (pain, nausea, flatulence, distension, constipation, etc.) in 89 percent of patients enrolled in a study which examined the effects of fiber on bowel regularity. Diverticular disease, a condition often marked by inflammation and lower abdominal pains in which chronic constipation and excessive straining results in a sac or pouch in the wall of the colon, is typically treated with dietary roughage such as cereal fiber (i.e., wheat bran), fruit and vegetable fiber, and plenty of fluids.

Promotes Women's Health and Gastrointestinal Health

Wheat bran is also been said as an anti-cancer agent. It is thought to accelerate the metabolism of estrogen, which is a known link in developing breast cancer.

Interestingly, whole grains such as wheat also contain lignans, which are phytonutrients that act as weak hormone-like substances. Lignans occupy the hormone receptors in the body, thus actively protecting the breast against high circulating levels of hormones such as estrogen. By accelerating the metabolism of estrogen and occupying estrogen receptors in the body, the components of wheat appear to have a dual function in protecting women against one of the leading causes of cancer death.

Abundant in all whole grains, insoluble fiber is also found in nuts and the edible skin of fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, many squash, apples, berries, and pears. In addition, beans provide insoluble as well as soluble fiber.