Humans have considered whole grain and legumes to be dietary staples throughout recorded history. Current research is rediscovering the many health benefits of whole grains and legumes, including the reduced risk of obesity and diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diverticluar disease. Other research has focused on the protective effects of phytochemicals in whole grains and legumes. All of these health benefits are found in whole grain and legumes. This means that they have not been processed or refined.
Kernels of whole grains such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn and rice consist of these major parts: the bran or outer layer that contains B vitamins and minerals, the endosperm or inner starch and the germ where the grain oil and fat soluble vitamins and minerals are contained.
The bran and germ are also rich sources of antioxidants that include vitamin E and selenium as well as phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic compounds, phytoestrogens and phytosterols. When grains are processed or refined, both the bran and germ are removed. In enriched breads and cereals, some of the B vitamins and iron are added back, but the protective effects of the whole grain are lost.
Many of the health benefits from whole grains and legumes are contained in the dietary fibers of the bran. Dietary fiber refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested by humans. It is found in all plants that are eaten for food including grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Dietary fiber in these foods is a mix of two kinds of fiber. Soluble fiber is found abundantly in oatmeal, nuts, seeds, legumes — beans, peas and lentils — and many fruits. Insoluble fiber is found mostly in the bran of whole grains, seeds and many vegetables. Soluble and insoluble fibers contain powerful phytochemicals that protect against heart disease and breast, prostate and colon cancers.
Since the protective effects come from whole foods, this is even more reason to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible.
Another source of carbohydrates that acts like dietary fiber in the digestive system is resistant starch. Resistant starches are abundant in legumes such as beans and peas.
Dietary fiber and resistant starches play a very important role in preventing obesity and decreasing the risk for diseases that develop from obesity.
Metabolic syndrome
Research in the last few years has found a correlation among the relationships of carbohydrate absorption, obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Some have called this relationship the metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a group of conditions that include:
Central obesity (fatty tissue in and around the abdomen)
High blood cholesterol levels
Increased blood pressure
Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (blood cannot regulate blood sugar properly).
Researchers now know that in the majority of these conditions, symptoms begin with obesity that impairs insulin’s ability to process blood sugar. As a result, the body stores excess sugar calories as fat in the abdominal region. This excess fat increases risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. This phenomenon is called glycemic response and is a measure of food’s ability to elevate blood sugar. All food is digested into the simple sugar glucose.
After a meal, the faster that glucose is absorbed into the blood, the more insulin is secreted from the pancreas to take the glucose from the blood into the organs. Too much insulin in the blood makes the blood sugar drop too far, signaling more hunger. Elevated secretion of insulin in response to high blood glucose can eventually lead to obesity which may lead to insulin resistance, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
Men in general tend to gain weight in their midsections and, after the hormonal changes of menopause, so do women. In the last 20 years obesity and Type 2 diabetes have doubled in the United States.
In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than one in five Americans has metabolic syndrome.
Another recent report by the CDC said that by next year, obesity will probably overtake heart disease as the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
At this time, Alabama has the highest rate of diabetes of any state in the United States.
So what is the answer? In addition to increasing activity and exercise, one key is to slow down carbohydrate digestion and break the cycle of insulin spikes, hunger and weight gain. This is done by choosing high fiber whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits as the bulk of our food and avoiding refined carbohydrates such as sugar and highly processed grains and cereals.
Choose:
Whole grain breads, cereals, pasta and rice for dietary fiber
Pasta from durum (high protein) wheat
Among the wide variety of beans and peas for dietary fiber and resistant starch
To add dietary fiber (like All Bran) to recipes
Good fats like olive and peanut oils to slow digestion
Moderate amounts of lean protein at meals to slow digestion
Acids like lemon juice and vinegar to slow digestion.
These combinations of foods can slow down glycemic response. This will gradually even out insulin spikes and carbohydrate cravings that accompany eating refined foods. The same dietary principals apply to people who just want to lower refined carbohydrates, those with insulin resistance or pre-diabetes and those who are already diagnosed with diabetes.
If you already have diabetes, it is important to work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to regulate your meal pattern with any diabetic medication you are taking.
Reading labels is a must. Look for the word “whole” grain or stone ground first in the ingredient list. Otherwise, refined carbohydrates may constitute the bulk of the food with only some whole grain added. Look for whole grain breads, cereals and baked goods that contain at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
Remember, counting all the dietary fiber from whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits should add up to about 25–30 grams per day.
Additional resources on this topic:
“Jane Brody’s Good Food Book” by Jane Brody
“The New Book of Whole Grains” by Marlene Bumgarner
“The Whole Foods Diabetic Cookbook” by Patricia Bertren
“The New Diabetic Cookbook” by Mabel Cavaiani
“Good Carb Cookbook” by Sandra Woodruff
“The Ultimate Diabetes Cookbook” by Carol Gelles
“Betty Crocker’s Diabetes Cookbook” by Maureen Doran
“One Pot Meals for People with Diabetes” by Ruth Glick
www.diabetes.org
www.eatright.org
www.glycemicindex.com
www.glycemicfoodlist.com.
Editor’s Note — Pat Hart Terry, Ph.D., is chairman of the department of nutrition and dietetics at Samford University in Birmingham and a registered dietitian.
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