The Whole Truth About Whole Grains

Jan. 9, 2007 — -- Today it seems that everything is touted as "whole" this or that. Whole grains, whole wheat, a whole lot of health: it's the latest in food marketing.

Why? Because food manufacturers know that whole grains are one of the healthiest ingredients you can eat. More and more foods are made with them, but that doesn't mean all are created equal.

Why? Because those marketing words don't always present an accurate picture of what's inside the food.

To decipher the whole mess, you first need to understand what exactly whole grains are and how they work.

"Whole grain" means the grain still has all three of its original elements: the outer shell or bran, which contains fiber and B vitamins; the germ, which contains phytochemicals and B vitamins; and the endosperm (what a name), which contains carbohydrates and protein.

The key is that they're "whole" and not "refined," by stripping away the bran and germ, which leaves you eating only the endosperm.

The whole grain should be left intact -- meaning you get more fiber and more micronutrients that help protect against disease.

These whole grains are also healthy for you because they're absorbed more slowly than enriched or bleached flour and thus raise glucose and insulin levels less -- keeping you fuller longer and slowing your digestion.

But not all foods that tout whole grains or whole wheat are the healthiest form. Some fake-out words you should watch out for:

For more information on reading food labels, click here.

Excerpted from "You: On a Diet" by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. Copyright c 2006 by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Oz Works, LLC. Reprinted by permission from Free Press, a Division of Simon & Schuster.