Nutrition Info:

Science & Studies: Latest Studies

Nutrition Reviews January 2012

A literature review on the relationship between consumption of refined grains and health outcomes found no associations between the intake of refined-grain foods and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, or overall mortality. The totality of evidence shows that consumption of up to 50% of all grain foods as refined-grain foods (without high levels of added fat, sugar, or sodium) is not associated with any increased disease risk.

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics January 2012

Whole-grain intake in adolescents was related to positive nutrient profiles and chronic disease risk factors, which supports current recommendations to promote greater intake of whole grains among adolescents.

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine October 2011

Women who eat diets rich in fruits, vegetables and grains one year before pregnancy have a decreased risk of having a baby born with birth defects compared with women who do not.

Pediatrics July 2011

Adolescents who consumed a diet rich in folic acid displayed improved academic performance. Students who regularly consumed adequate amounts of folic acid in their diets did better in school than those who did not.

Gastroenterology July 2011

After examining cancer rates since the government-mandated fortification of enriched grains began in 1998, researchers found, rather than being a risk factor, eating more enriched grains to increase intake of folic acid can actually be protective against developing colorectal cancer.

The Journal of Pediatrics July 2011

Infants born in South Carolina historically have higher rates of birth defects as compared with the rest of the country but researchers found the occurrence sharply declined between 1992 and 2009, during which time the folic acid fortification of enriched grains began.

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine June 2011

Adolescent girls who closely followed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, widely known as the DASH diet, had a smaller tendency to gain extra weight by early adulthood than girls who followed it less closely.

Archives of Internal Medicine February 2011:

A diet rich in fiber, especially fiber from whole grains, can lower the risk of death in adults ages 50-71. Researchers evaluated dietary intake of individuals over a nine-year span and found that participants with the highest consumption of fiber were significantly less likely to die during the study period than those with the lowest fiber intake. Interestingly enough, the researchers also examined how the fiber from different food groups affected risk of death and found that the fiber in grains (versus the fiber from fruits, vegetables and beans) had the most significant impact on reducing the risk of overall death as well as mortality from heart disease, cancer, infectious and respiratory diseases.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition October 2010:

Consuming three servings of whole-grain foods daily significantly lowers blood pressure in middle-aged adults. Because high blood pressure is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, reducing blood pressure through diet can decrease the risk of developing heart disease later in life.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition October 2010:

A high-glycemic diet and high glycemic load are not associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese women, a population with a high intake of carbohydrates.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association October 2010:

Adults who ate the most servings of whole grains each day had better quality diets with higher intakes of almost all vitamins and minerals than people consuming fewer servings of whole grains. Unfortunately, whole grain intake in the US population remains low overall.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition August 2010:

In a study that examined the association of snacking with weight status and abdominal obesity in adolescents, researchers found that teens who ate more snacks were less likely to be overweight or have abdominal obesity. Snacking is an eating pattern that remains understudied, but researchers suggested that snack foods are lower in fat and higher in carbohydrates than foods eaten at meals, and that replacing fats with carbohydrates may be a successful weight management strategy.

Circulation May 2010:

A diet rich in whole grains and bran may lower the risk of overall death and death from heart disease in women with diabetes. Bran intake was specifically associated with a lower risk of death from heart disease, even after accounting for factors like physical activity and tobacco use.

Stroke April 2010:

Findings from a recent study conducted in Japan indicate that a diet rich in the B-vitamins folate and vitamin B-6 may reduce the risk of death from stroke and heart problems. Researchers believe these nutrients are protective because they lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that has been previously linked to heart disease.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association July 2009:

Consuming a low-carbohydrate diet is associated with greater likelihood of being overweight or obese among healthy adults. Lowest risk may be obtained by consuming 47% to 64% energy from carbohydrates.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association August 2008:

Level of acculturation affects the Latino diet, specifically intake of fruit, rice, beans, sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages. These findings suggest a differential influence of acculturation on diet, requiring greater specificity in our dietary interventions by acculturation status.

Journal of the American Dietetic Association October 2007:

A substantial body of epidemiologic evidence reveals an inverse relationship between carbohydrate intake and body mass index.

Cereal Food World May-June 2006:

Based on the available evidence, grain foods, particularly whole grains, appear to offer a variety of potential health benefits, as is demonstrated by folic acid fortification and reductions in neural tube defects.