347
Does whole grain intake reduce body weight? D. R. JACOBS, Jr. (1) and M. A. Pereira (2). (1)
Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454; (2)
Division of Endocrinology, The Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Whole grain, compared to refined grain from which the bran and germ
have been removed, may increase satiety and reduce body weight. Evidence for this assertion comes from
two sources: epidemiologic studies of body mass index in relation whole grain intake and feeding studies.
Epidemiologic studies: in CARDIA, a study of approximately 5000 young adults, those who report eating
the most whole grain foods have body mass index approximately 1 kg/m2 less than those who report eating
the least amount of whole grain. The Iowa Women's Health Study, of nearly 42,000 women aged 55-69, has
a similar finding. Feeding study: A cross-over feeding study of 11 obese, hyperinsulinemic, nondiabetic
adult men and women, was done, using a low fat diet containing either whole grain or refined grain. Each
diet was eaten for 6 weeks, with a 6-9 week cross-over. There was no weight loss eating the refined grain
diet. Even though the energy intake was the same eating the whole grain and refined grain diets, satiety was
increased, and subjects lost 1 pound over 6 weeks. Conclusion: Although the relationship between whole
grain intake and body weight is not significant in the feeding study, it is consistent with the epidemiologic
data. A tendency is seen in both settings towards reduced body fatness among whole grain eaters. There has
been very little study of this topic, which is a promising area for further research.
|
