Food and Nutrition:
What Everyone Needs to Know
Chapter 16
Whole Grains, Refined Grains, and Gluten-Free Diets
Chapter 16: Key Themes and Abstract
Whole Grains, Gluten, and Refined Grains, Explained
This chapter examines the role of whole grains and refined grains in health, longevity, and chronic disease prevention and describes the nutrient composition of grains and pseudograins—wheat, corn, oats, rice, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa—and their significance as dietary staples. It explains how food processing removes fiber and micronutrients from whole grains, and most people don’t eat enough. The chapter highlights the beneficial role of oats in lowering LDL cholesterol, in part due to beta-glucan. It discusses wheat, gluten, and gluten-related disorders like Celiac disease and wheat allergy and combats misinformation about gluten-free diets, explaining the role of FODMAPs and amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs). It discusses the benefits of whole grains over refined grains, which boost blood sugar and contribute to heart disease and diabetes when part of a Western diet filled with ultra-processed foods (UPFs). It concludes with tips for identifying whole grains, including reading food labels and ingredients.
Guiding Questions
- What cereal grains and pseudograins contribute to our diet?
- How do whole and refined grains differ nutritionally?
- What is gluten, and are gluten-free diets more nutritious?
- How do whole and refined grains impact chronic disease and weight?
- Are you consuming enough whole grains, and how can you ensure you’re getting the real thing?
Get the Whole Grain Truth
Bridge nutrition science with consumer confusion about refined grains, whole grains, and gluten, and adapt into course readings or media spotlights to aid eaters in making the healthiest choices.
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