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© Copyright 2009 AACC International.
Published August 2009.
Whole grains and health observational and intervention evidence
C. Seal. Newcastle University
Seal, C. 2009. Whole grains and health observational and intervention evidence. Online. AACC International Cereal Science Knowledge Database
'Consume more whole grains’ is a mantra transmitted by nutritionists, dietitians and food manufacturers. Government agencies across the developed countries also advocate increased intake of wholegrain foods, with several countries developing guidelines which include setting recommended daily amounts. The bulk of the evidence to support these messages has come from observational studies, in some cases including cohort studies with follow-up. The data from these studies are a powerful indicator of the relationship between whole grain-intake and improved health, however, such relationships do not demonstrate causality. Nevertheless the strength of this evidence cannot be disputed, particularly for the benefit of whole grains in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Repeated meta-analyses show that CVD risk is reduced by approximately 30% when comparing the lowest whole grain consumers with the highest whole grain consumers. To help explain the benefits of whole grain, and in particular to confirm and develop health claims for wholegrain foods, intervention studies are needed to link observational data with mechanistic explanations. Until recently the number of intervention studies with wholegrain foods has been small; most have included subjects at high risk (e.g. obese subjects, hypercholesterolaemic subjects), and most are of short duration. However, data from larger and longer-lasting interventions are gradually appearing. In some cases the results of these studies support the observational data, but in others they do not. This paper will compare and contrast the observational data with that from intervention studies to try and reconcile these differences and make recommendations for future research.
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