9 Health Benefits of Eating Whole Grains-the firt

Whole grains have been a part of the human diet for tens of thousands of years (1Trusted Source).

But proponents of many modern diets, such as the paleo diet, claim that eating grains is bad for your health.

While a high intake of refined grains is linked to health problems like obesity and inflammation, whole grains are a different story.

In fact, eating whole grains is associated with various benefits, including a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Here are the top 9 health benefits of eating whole grains.

What are whole grains?

Grains are the seeds of grass-like plants called cereals. Some of the most common varieties are corn, rice, and wheat.

Some seeds of non-grass plants, or pseudocereals, are also considered whole grains, including buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth.

Whole-grain kernels have three parts (2Trusted Source):

Bran. This is the hard, outer
shell. It contains fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

Endosperm. The middle layer of the
grain is mostly made up of carbs.

Germ. This
inner layer has vitamins, minerals, protein, and plant compounds.

Grains can be rolled, crushed, or cracked. Nonetheless, as long as these three parts are present in their original proportion, they’re considered whole grains.

Refined grains have had the germ and bran removed, leaving only the endosperm.

Though enriched refined grains have had some vitamins and minerals added back, they’re still not as healthy or nutritious as the whole versions.

Common varieties of whole grains include:

oatmeal

popcorn

millet

quinoa

brown rice

whole rye

wild rice

wheat berry

bulgur

buckwheat

freekeh

barley

sorghum

Products made from these foods are considered whole grain. These include certain types of bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals.

When you purchase processed whole-grain products, read the ingredient list to make sure they’re made entirely from whole grains, not a mixture of whole and refined grains.

Also, keep an eye on the sugar content, especially in the case of breakfast cereals, which are often loaded with added sugar. Seeing “whole grain” on the packaging does not automatically mean that the product is healthy.

SUMMARYWhole grains contain all three parts of the grain. There are many different kinds, including whole wheat and whole corn, oats, brown rice, and quinoa.

1. High in nutrients and fiber

Whole grains deliver many important nutrients. These include:

Fiber. The bran provides most of the fiber in whole grains.

Vitamins. Whole grains are particularly high in B vitamins, including
niacin, thiamine, and folate (3,
4).

Minerals. They also contain a good amount of minerals, such as zinc,
iron, magnesium, and manganese.

Protein. Whole grains boast
several grams of protein per serving.

Antioxidants. Many
compounds in whole grains act as antioxidants. These include phytic acid,
lignans, ferulic acid, and sulfur compounds (5Trusted Source).

Plant
compounds. Whole grains deliver many types of plant compounds that play a
role in preventing disease. These include polyphenols, stanols, and sterols (6Trusted Source).

The exact amounts of these nutrients depend on the type of grain.

Nevertheless, to give you a sense of their nutritional profile, here are the key nutrients in 1 ounce (28 grams) of dry oats (4):

Fiber: 3 grams

Manganese: 69% of the Reference
Daily Intake (RDI)

Phosphorous: 15% of the RDI

Thiamine: 14% of the RDI

Magnesium: 12% of the RDI

Copper: 9% of the RDI

Zinc
and iron: 7% of the RDI

Whole grains deliver a variety of important nutrients, including vitamins,minerals, protein, fiber, and other healthy plant compounds.