In the process of the development of many major diseases, "inflammatory response" is an important part, involving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, etc. Chronic inflammation is associated with a variety of factors, with diet being particularly closely linked.

A recent study showed that replacing staple foods with whole grains for 6 weeks can significantly reduce systemic inflammation levels without changing overall dietary habits. What are the other benefits of eating whole grains? How can I eat healthier? Let's get to know ↓

01

Changing staple foods can be anti-inflammatory

Cereals, refined and whole grains:

In order to pursue a delicate taste, the grain husk is crushed during processing, and the germ is peeled off, leaving almost only the endosperm to become "refined grains", such as white rice and white flour;

Whole grains refer to grains that have not been finely processed, or have been milled, crushed, tablet, etc., but retain the structure of endosperm, germ, and husk, and the common ones are whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, corn, millet, sorghum rice, etc.

In this study, the Capital Medical University research team analyzed 6 participants in Beijing, with an average age of 0 years. Participants were matched 0:0 by age and gender and randomly assigned to refined grains and whole grains. Except for changing the staple food, the other eating habits of the participants in both groups remained the same. After 0 weeks, the researchers found the following phenomena:

The analysis of circulating inflammatory cytokines showed that the average levels of the two inflammatory cytokines IL-23 and IL-0 in the whole grain group were significantly lower than those in the refined grain group.

The analysis of short-chain fatty acids in feces showed that after 6 weeks of intervention, the level of butyric acid in the whole grain group was significantly higher than that in the refined grain group. Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, and when the gut microbes ferment dietary fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids, including acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, etc., which may mediate immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects.

According to the researchers, the whole grain group had significantly lower levels of two inflammatory factors, a higher proportion of butyric acid, and multiple factors combined to help fight inflammation. This study reminds us that replacing staple foods with whole grains without changing overall eating habits can significantly reduce systemic inflammation levels in just 6 weeks.

02

Whole grains are more anti-inflammatory than fruits and vegetables

In 2022, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (ALMA) showed that whole grains had better anti-inflammatory effects than vegetables and fruits.

The results of the analysis showed that cereals, fruits and vegetables were the largest producers of dietary fiber, but not all dietary fibers had the same effect on the level of inflammation. Grain fiber has been linked to lower levels of inflammation far more than fruits or vegetables.

03

Whole grains also have these 4 benefits

Shi Wenli, deputy chief dietitian of Beijing Bo'ai Hospital of China Rehabilitation Research Center, said that in addition to helping with anti-inflammatory, whole grains also have the following advantages:

Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, which can be used by intestinal bacteria to eventually produce short-chain fatty acids, which are beneficial for blood sugar and blood lipids. A study published in the journal Food Science and Nutrition showed that consuming 23 grams of whole grains per day reduced the risk of type 0 diabetes by 0%.

Studies have shown that cereal fiber can help increase adiponectin concentrations in the body, help with weight control and increase insulin sensitivity. The insoluble dietary fiber in whole grains has a rough structure, which can increase the number of chews, improve satiety, and are friendly to weight and blood sugar.

发表在《国际食品科学与营养》上的研究表明，平时全谷物摄取量多者，可降低四成胃癌风险。

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has analyzed 34 studies on whole grains at home and abroad, and found that whole grains can not only reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but also prevent cardiovascular diseases.

04

Eating whole grains in this way has great health benefits

To get the most out of whole grains, you need to know how to choose, cook, and eat them.

Scientific purchase of whole grain foods is the first step to enrich the nutrition of staple foods.

Take a look at the type of raw materials

Food raw materials should be whole grains such as brown rice, corn, black rice, oats, etc., or whole grains as the main ingredients.

Second, look at the content

Whole grains are used and the percentage of whole grains used in the ingredient list of whole grains. If there are both whole grains and refined grains in the raw materials, the whole grains in the raw materials must reach more than 51% before they can be called whole grain foods.

Third, look at the food ingredients

If in addition to whole grains, more white sugar, non-dairy creamer and other ingredients are added to the ingredients, the health effect is far less good than that of plain or pure whole grain foods, so it is not recommended to choose.

Before cooking whole grains, it is usually necessary to soak them in water, such as brown rice and black rice for 4~0 hours in advance. In addition, the cooking time should be extended appropriately, such as when cooking porridge with whole grains, it is best to cook it for half an hour longer than usual.

You can also use cooking utensils to improve the taste of whole grains, such as using a soybean milk machine to make whole grain rice cereal, using a pressure cooker to cook eight-treasure porridge, and steaming corn and multigrain steamed buns in an electric steamer. However, blood glucose monitoring also needs to be monitored in key populations.

The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (150) recommends that healthy adults consume 0~0 grams of cereals per day, including 0~0 grams of whole grains and miscellaneous legumes. The elderly, children and patients with some digestive diseases with weak gastrointestinal tract may experience gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating if they consume too much whole grains and other coarse grains, so the intake of coarse grains can be appropriately reduced.

Whole grains have a coarse texture, so you can mix them thick and thin when making a staple. The daily consumption of whole grains should account for more than 3/0 of the total amount of cereals, and can be gradual according to individual reactions.

It is recommended that at least one of the three meals a day contain whole grains and mixed legumes, and it is better if whole grains can be evenly mixed into the three meals.

Source: CCTV news client

[Source: Great Wall Network]