1. Wholegrains: Further scientific support
Eating a diet rich in wholegrains - a rich source of bran, fibre, minerals and vitamins - could reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease claims a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence on the subject.
2. Low carbs: High cholesterol
A recent study claims that a low-carbohydrate diet results in more weight loss after six months than a low-fat diet, but in the long term it could raise blood cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.
3. Fibre: Colorectal cancer debate
Men who have diets high in fibre are 29 percent more likely to be protected from colorectal cancer than women, a result that may explain the disagreement between other studies, claims new research.
4. CSIRO: New wheat variety
CSIRO has developed a new experimental wheat variety with the potential to provide benefits in the areas of bowel health, diabetes and obesity.
5. Oats: New variety lowers cholesterol
A new oat variety containing high levels of cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan has been developed, with claims it has the same health benefits as ordinary oats, but in smaller portions.
6. Grains in the News:
GoGrains: Resource for primary schools
The GoGrains website now offers new teaching resources for primary school ?Science and Technology' using grains and legumes as the context for learning.
GI + Antioxidants: Leading new food trend
Foods with a low glycemic index and products containing antioxidants will enjoy good growth this year as consumers continue to 'obsess over their health', according to a new study by consumer tracker AC Nielsen.
Wholegrains: FDA draft definition
The FDA has released draft guidelines on the labeling of food products containing wholegrains, to support the message of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.
Grains : New 'super' food
'Miracle grains' and 'superfruits' are among the ingredients set to enjoy increasing popularity as attention is focused on a combination of health benefits and exotic tastes, says a new report.
Eating a diet rich in whole grains - a rich source of bran, fibre, minerals and vitamins - could reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease claims a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence on the subject.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , adds to the number of observational studies linking whole grains to lower risks of the diseases ? news that has already been grasped by cereal makers as the number of wholegrain products look set to rise.
Sales of wholegrain products in the US have increased following recommendations of the health benefits in the USDA's new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
In Europe, the Healthgrain Integrated Project was recently launched to identify new sources of nutritionally enhanced grain, as well as to develop methods to make cereal products more appealing to consumers.
The joint Danish-American cross-sectional study analysed diet records, assessed by a 131-item food frequency questionnaire, and took blood analyses of 468 men and 473 women.
The researchers measured intake of whole grains, bran and germ to markers of glycemic control, blood lipids, cholesterol, and inflammation.
?Compared with participants in the lowest intake group, participants in the highest intake group had 15 per cent lower concentrations of homocysteine, insulin, C-peptide, and leptin, respectively,? wrote lead author Majken Jensen from Aarhus University Hospital and Harvard School of Public Health.
?Inverse associations were also observed with total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and LDL (bad) cholesterol,? reported Jensen.
No link was observed between the intake of wholegrains and markers of inflammation.
Although, the limitations of using food frequency questionnaires have been well noted, the researchers are confident with their conclusions: ?The results suggest a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in persons who consume diets high in wholegrains?.
A low-carbohydrate diet results in more weight loss after six months than a low-fat diet, but long term could raise bad cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease, according to a new meta-analysis of existing research.
A recent European study reported that about 26 percent of people are trying to lose weight, while in the US it is estimated that at any given time 45 percent of women and 30 percent of men are actively trying to trim their waistlines.
Low-carbohydrate dieters get most of their energy from protein and fat, with the Atkins diet being amongst the best known. Concerns have been raised in the past about the effect of low-carb diets on blood lipid levels and the risk of heart disease.
The international team of researchers from Switzerland and the US looked at five trials comparing low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets published since 2003, with a total of 447 people and analysed weight loss, blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
?Low-carbohydrate, non-energy restricted diets appear to be at least as effective as low-fat, energy-restricted diets in inducing weight loss for up to one year,? wrote lead author Alain Nordmann in the Archives of Internal Medicine .
After six months, people on the low-carb diet lost, on average, 3.3 kg more than those on the low-fat diets. However, after 12 months there was no significant difference in terms of weight loss between the two types of diet.
The volunteers on the low-carbohydrate diet had higher levels of both total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol.
?The unfavourable changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels caution against the conclusion that low-carbohydrate diets can be generally recommended to promote weight loss,? wrote Nordmann.
The study supports previous nutritional concerns about low-carbohydrate, high-fat/protein diets, with many experts warning against long-term complications. While it also confirms claims that short-term adherence to the same-diet does result in weight loss.
Researchers from the University of Oxford presented a study at the last American Heart Association conference (November 2005) reporting that following the low-carb diet decreased the heart's energy stores by about 16 per cent.
?In contrast, trials of reduced-fat diets, in conjunction with other lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity, have demonstrated long-term maintenance of weight reduction and delayed on-set of diabetes,? concluded the researchers.
Men who have diets high in fibre are 29 percent more likely to be protected from colorectal cancer than women, a result that may explain the disagreement between other studies, claims new research.
The link between colorectal cancer and dietary fibre was first proposed in 1971 by Denis Burkitt (Cancer Vol. 28, pp. 3-13). The field has been presented with conflicting views ever since.
A new study from the Arizona Cancer Centre pools together two studies ? the Wheat Bran Fibre Trial and the Polyp Prevention Trial . When considered separately, neither study reported a link between dietary fibre and the risk of colon cancer. When taken together, however, and in relation to the sex of the participants, a significant benefit of fibre was noted for men, but not women.
?The results of the current analyses indicate that men may experience more benefit from dietary fibre than do women and may help explain some of the discrepant results reported in the literature,? wrote lead author Elizabeth Jacobs in the February issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .
The Wheat Bran Fibre Trial assessed the effect of a high wheat bran fibre supplement (13.5 grams of fibre in two to three cups of cereal per day) against a low wheat bran fibre supplement (two grams of fibre in two to three cups of cereal per day) for 1,429 men and women, randomly assigned to the supplements.
The Polyp Prevention Trial studied the effect of a low-fat, high fibre diet, rich in fruit and vegetables on the recurrence of pre-cancerous polyps in the colon and rectum. Over 2,000 men and women were randomly assigned to either the ?healthy' diet, or a normal diet.
Both studies reported that the high-fibre diets had no effect of the recurrence of colorectal polyps, growths on the inner wall of the colon or rectum. Most colorectal cancers are reported to start in polyps, and the polyps are therefore seen as a marker for the cancer.
When the Arizona researchers re-evaluated the data, they found that the odds ratio (a measure of risk, compared to a reference of 1.00) was 0.91 for all the intervention groups from both studies. This 9 percent reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer was not statistically significant, thus supporting the view that fibre had no effect on the cancer.
The conflicting results from other studies can be explained by the difference in benefits between the sexes, the researchers suggested.
There are limitations with the new study. The two studies pooled together - Wheat Bran Fiber Trial and the Polyp Prevention Trial ? had very short follow-up periods of only two to four years. The latency period of the cancer is between 10 and 20 years, suggesting that a follow-up of two to fours years was insufficient to measure any relationship.
Another limitation with this new-pooled analysis is the use of polyps, also called colorectal adenomas, as a marker for actual cancer. In light of studies showing highly different ratios of adenoma and carcinoma formation? this is a particularly unsafe assumption.?
The picture is further blurred by conflicting reports from two big studies in 2005. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a pooled study of 13 cohort studies, which concluded: ?High dietary fibre intake was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer?.
On the other hand, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, found a very strong association between a high fibre intake and a reduction in the instance of colorectal cancer. People who ate more than 35g of fibre a day had a 40 percent reduced risk than those who consumed only 15g.
Dr Julie Sharp, science information manager at Cancer Research UK, told NutraIngredients.com that the new study did not change the state of play:
"We know that eating a healthy diet, including plenty of fibre, is important in preventing bowel cancer. While it is possible that there are sex differences in response to dietary fibre, other large studies have shown that a high fibre diet is equally important for both men and women."
Food Futures Flagship is working with CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and its French partner, Biogemma, to develop new wheat varieties that could meet emerging health needs.
"Diet-related non-infectious diseases, such as colorectal cancer, heart disease and diabetes, are some of the most serious health problems in the developed world," said Dr Bruce Lee.
"These new wheats produce significant levels of resistant starch. They can be incorporated as wholegrain into breads, cereals and other foods, giving us the opportunity to improve human health."
In a paper published recently in the international science journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers working within the Food Futures Flagship described how they used CSIRO-developed RNAi gene silencing techniques to suppress the expression of two starch-branching enzymes in an experimental wheat.
"The wheat had a significantly altered starch composition, increasing the amount of amylose from about 25 to 70 percent," said theme leader Dr Matthew Morell.
"Amylose is a form of starch that is more resistant to digestion, providing the potential for the new wheat to be an important component of foods with a low glycaemic index.
"Starch resistant to digestion is also expected to generate favourable changes in the gastro-intestinal tract that promote bowel health and would be expected to lead to a reduction in colorectal cancer risk."
Biogemmas general manager Michel Debrand said that the outcome shows how the development of a health benefit, which adds value to seed grain, can result from long-term partnerships.
"It's an example of how different aspects of biotechnology, including gene discovery and genetic transformation, can be used to uncover biodiversity in a way which delivers real benefits to the consumer," he said.
A new oat variety containing high levels of cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan has been developed, meaning that food manufacturers could soon offer whole oat products that pack the same health benefits as ordinary oats into smaller portions.
The new variety, termed HiFi, has been developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists together with colleagues at North Dakota State University (NDSU).
?HiFi is about 50 per cent higher in beta-glucan than the oats you'd buy at the supermarket, so you don't have to eat as much to get the same health benefits - or you can eat more oats to get more of the benefits from beta-glucan,? said ARS cereal chemist Doug Doehlert.
Oats, which contain a soluble dietary fiber source shown to lower cholesterol and improve glycemic control, are becoming increasingly well-known for their health benefits.
Combined with a healthy diet, beta-glucan can help lower ?bad' cholesterol levels in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease.
HiFi, which stands for ?high fibre,' is a new spring oat cultivar bred specifically for its elevated beta-glucan levels.
Doehlert and Mike McMullen of NDSU have been cooperatively breeding oats since 1993. During a routine grain analysis in 1999, Doehlert noticed that one of the lines furnished by McMullen contained more beta-glucan than the others.
The oat also had good agronomic characteristics and disease resistance, said the scientists, who made its seed available for planting.
Functional foods designed to lower cholesterol have gained significant momentum in recent years. Oats have an added advantage over many sterol-containing products as they can be labeled as GM-free. They also contain a number of other nutrients including antioxidants and fatty acids.
New to the GoGrains website is the GoGrains for Primary School site offering teaching resources for primary school Science and Technology using grains and legumes as the context for learning.
There are teaching and learning units and worksheets, fact files and fun activities for students.
For Teachers
This section provides Science and Technology teaching and learning units of work.
Growing grains (Kindergarten?Year 2)
Manufacturing grain products (Years 3?4)
Designing an information product (Years 5?6).
The units focus on the processes of designing, making and investigating scientifically to build student knowledge about growing, manufacturing and promoting grain-based products.
For Students
This section provides materials for student use including worksheets for the teaching and learning units, fact files about grains and legumes, and suitable websites for primary school age children.
Foods with a low glycemic index and products containing antioxidants will enjoy good growth this year as consumers continue to ?obsess over their health,? according to a new study by consumer tracker AC Nielsen.
The market researcher recently published its predictions for 2006, using a combination of purchase data and behaviour data to forecast the nation's new health trends.
By tracking product label health claims, AC Nielsen revealed that although an increasing number of products carry labels such as ?low fat' and ?low sodium,' it is low glycemic index (GI) foods that will be most popular this year, continuing on from the 'big jump' they experienced between 2004 and 2005.
The glycaemic index measures how quickly certain foods release carbohydrates into the body, which then raise consumers' blood glucose levels. High GI foods cause blood sugar levels to rise more rapidly.
Scientific evidence has increased to show low GI foods can help control weight and more certainly, help reduce the risk of diabetes and related conditions by raising blood sugar more steadily. Some health professionals and even food retailers have hailed the GI system as a more sensible version of the low-carb Atkins diet.
According to AC Nielsen, low GI foods are set to be most popular this year with consumers who tend to neglect their health.
The study revealed that 50 per cent of Americans are ?health neglectors,? who care little about their health and tend to be overweight. This group of consumers loves convenience foods, said the study.
?Any new food trend needs to get at least some traction among this mainstream group to truly break out,? said the report.
?Sales of GI products among the neglectors market segment demonstrated an increase of almost 150 per cent from December 2004 to December 2005, which is one of the biggest jumps among all health-related claims. While dollar sales of GI products are relatively small, this signifies the potential emergence of a blockbuster trend to keep an eye on.?
Antioxidants are also set to ?hit the mainstream in a big way,? with ?health neglectors' consuming 52 per cent more antioxidant-containing products year-over-year in the period under review.
Organic products were also popular with the ?healthy' consumer group, with sales increasing 17 per cent per year during the review period.
The US FDA has released draft guidelines on the labeling of food products containing wholegrains, to support the message of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Although subject to comments, it seems ?good' and ?excellent' sources are out, and wholegrain percentages by weight are in.
Dr Barbara Schneeman, PhD, director of the FDA's Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements said during a press briefing yesterday that the guidance is intended to be consistent with the message of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published last year. These included the advice that Americans should consume upwards of three ounce-equivalents of wholegrain products per day, although the precise recommendations vary with age, gender and lifestyle factors. At least half the grains consumed should be wholegrains.
The FDA's document, available online at the US Food and Drug Administration , gives definitions for what the agency understands to be wholegrains ? that is, cereal grains consisting of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked fruit of the grains whose starchy endosperm, germ and bran are present in the same relative proportions as in the intact grain. Soybeans and seeds are specifically excluded from the wholegrain definitions.
The definitions are intended to help manufacturers understand what the FDA considers appropriate for food labels making wholegrain statements, and for consumers to have consistent guidance on what wholegrain entails.
Schneeman declined to make a definitive comment as to whether the manufacturers of these products would have to redesign their packaging and, if so, when. Rather, she said that the FDA would have to do a case-by-case analysis of such claims.
?The goal is to help the industry give information that is truthful and not misleading,? she said. But the council points out that the recommendations released are non-binding, and do not ?establish legally enforceable responsibilities?.
Cynthia Harriman, the council's director of food and nutrition strategies, said that the main problem in getting consumers to eat foods with wholegrains is that they just cannot find them.
?Consumers know wholegrains are healthy, that they probably should eat them, and they probably would, but they go into grocery stores and can't spot them.? The FDA currently permits foods containing at least 51 per cent wholegrains by weight and are low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol to carry a health claim, which links them to a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
?Miracle grains? and ?superfruits? are among the ingredients set to enjoy increasing popularity with American consumers, as attention is focused on a combination of health benefits and exotic tastes, says a new report.
The report, by food trend tracker Centre for Culinary Development (CCD), is based on market observations by the group's Chef's Council, comprised of 80 of the nation's ?high-profile? chefs.
According to the CCD, this group of industry experts is an ?extraordinarily reliable? predictor of ?which new culinary ideas will ultimately make their way from the rarified environs of white-tablecloth establishments to the more readily accessible aisles of the mainstream grocery stores and fast-food restaurants.?
Chefs have added their voice to the growing clamor surrounding foods with health benefits.
?From fresh and raw foods packed with natural nutritional value to ?nutraceuticals' and functional foods that are quietly fortified with everything from antioxidants to minerals and fibre, demand for foods that nourish the whole body continue to grow,? says the report.
Certain nutrient-rich fruits, or ?superfruits? - such as pomegranates and blueberries- are becoming more popular with American consumers keen to eat healthful foods while trying new tastes, according to the CCD.
Other popular fruits that consumers will opt for to boost their mood and energy levels include guava, lychee, pomelo, yuzu, and tamarind as well as berries such as acai, guarana and goji.
?Miracle grains,? also expected to enjoy increasing popularity, include Quinoa, which has a high protein, iron and vitamin content, as well as amaranth, which is said to be a nutritious food for infants and to provide ?energy and strength? to soldiers.
?Health has become more than a fleeting interest - it's become a full-fledged fixation. That spells even greater opportunity in months and years ahead for manufacturers determined to make healthier fare a mainstay of modern diets,? says the report.
* Go Grains is a joint initiative of BRI Australia Ltd., an independent grains research centre, and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, which plans and invests in research and development on behalf of grain growers and the Federal Government. Privacy : Subscriber details will be used expressly for the Go Grains E-News Service and will not be provided to any other company or used for any other purpose. Each edition of the Go Grains E News Service will contain information on how to unsubscribe from future editions. Unsubscribe : If you wish to subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, this service, please email the E-News Service Coordinator at gge-news@bri.com.au . Disclaimer : The Go-Grains E-News Service is a collection of articles published by the sources identified. Go Grains and BRI Australia Ltd has collated and distributed these articles to update recipients on the latest scientific research and news concerning the nutrition and health benefits of grains and legumes. The articles may relate to products not yet approved, licensed, registered or available in Australia . Go Grains and BRI Australia Ltd accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the articles and cannot endorse the conclusions reached by researchers and/or the authors of these articles. We acknowledge NutraIngredients.com and FoodNavigator.com for providing some of the content for this edition of E-News.
