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Grains and weight gain: Fact or fallacy?

The Sanitarium Nutrition Service
Friday, June 12, 2009
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For many Australians losing weight and maintaining weight is high on their list of priorities. And when it comes to weight, there is a lot of talk about grain foods – including bread, pasta and cereals – and the role they may play in weight gain. But do grains really contribute to weight gain? Or is it a fallacy?

Despite bad press in recent years, grain foods can play a significant role in helping people to lose weight. In fact, a recent scientific review found that diets high in wholegrain foods and legumes were associated with significantly greater weight loss than other popular diet methods.

Are all grains created equal?
In a word, no. Whole grains – where the three layers of the grain (bran, germ and endosperm) are still intact – offer protection from cancer and heart disease as well as being the grains most associated with weight loss.

How much should we eat?
While the Australian dietary guidelines suggest that we eat plenty of cereals – preferably wholegrain, until now, we haven’t had a specific recommendation for serves of wholegrain foods. Go Grains Health & Nutrition – a leading grains organisation in Australia – has reviewed the research and established a daily target for wholegrain consumption. So now we know we should be aiming for 2-3 serves or 48 grams of wholegrains per day. Meeting this target simply includes eating a serve of wholegrain wheat biscuits for breakfast and two slices of wholegrain bread at lunch.

A wide variety
Along with wholegrain wheat and brown rice, there are many other interesting varieties of wholegrain for you to try.

  • Rye. A nutrient rich grain that we are becoming more familiar with, rye contains gluten but much less than is present in wheat. Choose rye or pumpernickel breads and try alternating rye varieties with your regular bread purchase.
  • Buckwheat. Readily available in Australia, buckwheat is commonly made into porridge. You can also add buckwheat to pancakes or try Japanese buckwheat noodles in stir-fries or soups.
  • Quinoa. (keen-wah) A nutritious grain similar to buckwheat in its texture and taste, quinoa has a high protein content compared to other grains which makes it an excellent inclusion to your meals. Try using it as a substitute to couscous. It is available in health food stores and some supermarkets.
  • Barley. One of the oldest cultivated cereals, barley is often ground and can be used as an alternative to flour. Dehulled barley is the wholegrain form as it only has the inedible outer layer removed and it is a great addition to soups and stews. Pearled barley, unlike the dehulled variety, is not considered a wholegrain because it is polished and more refined.

    This information is brought to you by the Sanitarium Nutrition Service. If you would like more information email nutrition@sanitarium.com.au

    Your Say: Do you get enough grains in your diet? Do you find it helps with weight control? Tell us your thoughts below...


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User comments
Until around twelve thousand years ago, grains such as we have today did not exist. Wild grains and seeds were smaller, with more husk and only available when there was plenty of other food (Spring Summer). Humans did not eat them in significant amounts. Consequently the human digestive system did not evolve to handle seed type foods very well, unlike parrots for instance, who evolved enzymes to deal with them. All seeds contain various types of anti-nutrients such as lectins and enzyme blockers which are there to ensure the longevity of the seed and to discourage insects and animals from eating them for sustenance. Anti-nutrient means 'against nutrition'. Starchy seeds and tubers, also confound (bloat) the digestion when combined with high protein foods. The starch will digest first at the expense of the protein - and anything else combined with them at the time, leading to incomplete digestion of the protein and consequent spoilage of it further down in the gut.
Try the bodytrim diet, you only have grains for brecky the weight will fall off you or melt off you ... go for it ...
I do agree that wholegrains are a better choice than more processed grains, for me personally, i find if i eat too much pasta bread etc, i feel bloated and full all the time, i think i may be addicted to fresh white bread which i try to avoid at all costs, Usually when i cut out white processed foods for a week the bloated feeling goes and i dont feel as tired and larthargic.
In my experience, carbs and starches make me gain weight. Grains and bread convert to sugar in your body and your body will burn sugar (glucose) before it resorts to burning the fat. Same for fruit. I think the food pyramid is a disgrace. Many people have allergies to grains. Protein for breakfast and lunch keep you feeling full. It must be profitable for the industry to keep so many guessing as what to do to lose weight as they promote the stuff you shouldn't do. Have you seen how many people are walking around with a spare tyre on their gut? Look in the shops and trolleys and see what kind of food they're buying. The best food to lose weight is unprocessed as possible. There are whole aisles devoted to sweets, biscuits, loaded sugars in cereals. ...as a mother I have to negotiate around foods with added flavourings (even natural flavours are not natural - check it out), genetically modified, sugary and empty foods. Staying away from grains keep me healthy, fit and trim.
I agree, there isn't one type of diet that suits everyone. Wholegrains are better than refined but still should not be eaten in excess. I eat a small amount of grains - particularly rice as it tends to be less allergenic. I generally don't eat wheat but sour dough is better than commercial types of bread. I am 46yo, 165cm and weigh 52kg - the only time I have ever gained weight was when I was eating a lot of grains and dairy. And yes, it's hard to take the daily recommended intake seriously when there is such a blatant vested interest. Similar to the dairy industry vigorously promoting dairy foods. And in defense of nutritionists - we're not all bad!
Gee, another convincingly unbiased article there from Sanitarium. You tell us to eat "wholegrain wheat biscuits", (I wonder what brand you're talking about there?), and that apparently they will do wonders for weight loss. Ha.
Grains have only been a regular part of the human diet since we settled down and began storing it for constant use about 10,000 years ago. For hundreds of thousands of years prior to this, the only time grain was available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors was when it was ripe, generally late in the summer. Huge gatherings of nomads have been recorded at this time, where they shared the bounty of readily available cereal food, held ceremonies, arranged marriages etc. Then they separated and moved back to their own hunting grounds, preparing for the oncoming winter and its scarcity of food. I believe the human body has become attuned by millenia of storing fat from grain cereals to help get through the long winters, only these days of course, that winter never comes. I reduced my weight by cutting out breakfast cereals and toast, substituting them with eggs and protein, and reducing my overall carb intake. It's called a 'Paleo' diet, and it does work.
I will read this page every day until I lose 15 kg, I'm trying to lose for a very long time
I started the Eat Right for your Blood Type eating plan a few months ago and bingo - since I stopped eating wheat I lost the puffiness and bloated feeling plus a few kilos just fell off. You need to find what suits you. I can't have lentils either, and only basmati style rice. I do however, eat wheat-free bread (made from rye), and a great selection of fresh foods like fruit, vegies, meat, (no pork) fish, chicken etc. And not to forget to wash it down with wine!
I like grains.

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