Wholesome Truths

Pick atta, not maida. Roll a chappati, don8217;t go for the bowl of cornflakes. Bring the whole grains back to the dinner table

In any food pyramid, whole grains occupy the base, thereby implying that most of the day8217;s calories must come from this group. Whole grains include wheat roti, parantha, whole wheat bread, dalia, brown rice, oats porridge, oatflakes, oatmeal, barley sattu, ragi, buckwheat, millets etc. Indians need no introduction to whole grains. But with more and more people adopting Western and urban lifestyles, refined grains have displaced the healthier whole grain.

Not too many people have the time these days to roll out chapattis or prepare porridge; breads, rusks and cornflakes have taken over. But first, let us have a look at the anatomy of a whole grain. It consists of three parts:

i The outer covering, called bran, which is rich in fibre.

ii The inner part, called the germ, which is attached to the bran and contains most of the nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

iii The endosperm, which is carbohydrate-rich as it is made of starch.

When a whole grain is refined, its nutrition profile changes. During the refining process, the outer bran is removed. Since the germ is attached to the bran, even the germ is

ripped off, leaving mainly the endosperm or the starch, minus the fibre and most of the nutrients.

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Examples of such refined grains include maida, polished rice, white bread, cornflakes and even sooji. These foods are devoid of the goodness of the whole grains and provide mainly carbohydrates.

In contrast, whole grains contain no cholesterol, are low in fat, high on dietary fibre, complex carbohydrates, provide plant proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. A diet rich in whole grains is associated with several health benefits. Complex carbohydrates help meet energy requirements while proteins are essential for growth and development. The key vitamins and minerals in whole grains are vitamin E a powerful antioxidant, iron needed for haemoglobin formation, selenium, zinc, B vitamins, including vitamin B6 and folic acid. Vitamin E, B6, Folic acid, zinc and selenium are powerful antioxidants that help in prevention of several diseases, including heart disease.

Their benefits come from numerous non-nutrient components like lignans, tocotrienols, phenolic compounds, phytic acid, tannins and enzyme inhibitors, all of which are lost during the refining process.

Due to their slow digestibility, these elements also help maintain blood sugar levels. Whole grains are, therefore, a good choice for weight watchers. The fibre in whole grains also promotes growth of friendly bacteria or probiotics, currently a huge area of medical research. With an upsurge of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, a diet rich in whole grain is more important than ever. Children too must be encouraged to eat whole grain-based products like brown rice, whole wheat breads, whole grain breakfast cereals like mueslis or granolas, whole wheat pastas and pizzas and not those made from refined flour maida or polished rice.

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Whole foods must be introduced to them early in life as taste preferences are largely established in the first decade of life.

Current dietary recommendations in India also stress on an increased consumption of whole grains.
The writer is is a former senior nutritionist at Escorts. She heads the Centre of Dietary Counselling and also runs a health food store. She feels that for complete well-being, one should integrate physical, mental and spiritual health. According to her: 8220;To be healthy should be the ultimate goal for all.8221;