When we hear the words whole grains, we think of multigrain breads, high-bran biscuits, whole wheat atta, bran flakes, oats or brown rice. But are we really getting the whole grain?
Whole grains have existed in human diet for over 8,000 years, serving our ancestors amply with fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein and energy. Now, health experts promote them as foods that control Type 2 diabetes by 21 to 30 per cent, lower heart diseases and stroke by 25 to 35 per cent, reduce weight and cholesterol, prevent cancer and lessen teeth and gum disease.
The edible parts
A grain is considered ‘whole grain’ when the seed (kernel) of the plant is present in its entirety. This means it should have its three edible parts — germ, bran and endosperm — intact. Even if one of them is missing after processing, it is not a whole grain anymore.Make sure it is whole: because, unless the label mentions ‘whole’ (for instance, whole wheat) as the first ingredient, it is not a whole grain product. Therefore, all breakfast cereals may not be whole grain products, brown breads or pita merely white breads with bran added, and multigrain breads or rusks not necessarily made with whole grain even if several grains are used in the products. To get the full health benefits, one has to eat whole grains and nothing less. Look for the ‘100 per cent’ stamp on instant breakfast cereal packets for whole wheat. As for oats, neither the bran nor the germ is lost during processing. So if you are reading oats or oatmeal on the packet, you are getting a whole grain product. Hulled or hulless barley is whole but not pearl barley. Choose brown rice or deep red / purple traditional rice varieties (eg. red matta ) and not polished and white rice.
Diverse choices
With India’s diverse granary, choosing whole grains should not be a humongous task if we remember other desi grains — ragi, sorghum (jowar), bajra, barley, corn, rajgira (amaranth seeds) and buckwheat — that are easily available as whole grains at a much lesser price.
PARVATHY R. KRISHNAN