- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
Women who eat whole grains and shun highly-processed refined grains gain less weight as they age, according to a 12-year Harvard University study of 74,000 middle-aged women who were between the ages of 38 and 63 when the research began, reports Reuters.
Those with the highest fiber intake, especially from such foods as oatmeal and whole-grain breakfast cereals, were half as likely as those with the lowest intake to become obese over the 12-year study period. But the women whose diets were heavily laden with refined grains, such as pasta and white bread, gained more weight over time. The results included the effects of alcohol intake and exercise.
The big takeaway from this study is that not all carbohydrates are alike, study leader Simin Liu explained to Reuters. Carbs containing whole grains are much more filling than highly-processed carbohydrate products, so people who choose brown rice over white rice or oatmeal over a doughnut are more likely to eat less--and gain less weight in the process. In addition, whole grains create a slow, sustained release of sugar into the blood, unlike starchy grains that trigger a rapid increase in blood sugar. This slower release is thought to be beneficial for metabolism and fat storage.
Liu explained to Reuters that whole grains contain enzyme inhibitors that may get in the way of metabolic efficiency. That means the body is forced to burn extra calories just to digest and absorb whole-grain foods.
Here's the tough part: Most of the grain products Americans eat are highly processed, low in fiber, and packed with calories. That means we have to learn how to distinguish fiber-containing whole grains from refined ones.
The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/cp/fte/eatwholegrains/i/eatwholegrains135.jpg
Those with the highest fiber intake, especially from such foods as oatmeal and whole-grain breakfast cereals, were half as likely as those with the lowest intake to become obese over the 12-year study period. But the women whose diets were heavily laden with refined grains, such as pasta and white bread, gained more weight over time. The results included the effects of alcohol intake and exercise.
The big takeaway from this study is that not all carbohydrates are alike, study leader Simin Liu explained to Reuters. Carbs containing whole grains are much more filling than highly-processed carbohydrate products, so people who choose brown rice over white rice or oatmeal over a doughnut are more likely to eat less--and gain less weight in the process. In addition, whole grains create a slow, sustained release of sugar into the blood, unlike starchy grains that trigger a rapid increase in blood sugar. This slower release is thought to be beneficial for metabolism and fat storage.
Liu explained to Reuters that whole grains contain enzyme inhibitors that may get in the way of metabolic efficiency. That means the body is forced to burn extra calories just to digest and absorb whole-grain foods.
Here's the tough part: Most of the grain products Americans eat are highly processed, low in fiber, and packed with calories. That means we have to learn how to distinguish fiber-containing whole grains from refined ones.
The study findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
http://cdn-channels.netscape.com/cp/fte/eatwholegrains/i/eatwholegrains135.jpg