Sanitarium - Nutrition Articles and Information

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Australia is facing a health crisis with record numbers of overweight adults and children. 3.7 million Australians have heart disease with over 51% of adults having high blood cholesterol levels. We are also experiencing an increase in the rate of Type 2 Diabetes. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help prevent and manage these conditions. Including more whole plant foods, such as wholegrain cereals and less refined and processed foods can play an important part in improving our health and well-being.

Studies have shown that whole grains provide some important health benefits including:

Protect against heart disease and stroke ^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}

Research shows a 20-40% reduction in heart disease risk for people eating the most whole grains

Assist with weight control ^6,8,10

Whole grain foods not only provide volume, but are high in fibre, making you feel full longer and less likely to snack.

Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes ^{1,2,4,5,6,8,9}

People consuming the most whole grains have been found to have a 20%-30% reduction in risk of diabetes

Improve bowel health and regularity ^{1,2,4,5,7,8,11}

Lower cholesterol and blood pressure ^4,5,6,8,9

Protect against certain cancers ^{1,2,4,7,8,9,11}

Regularly consuming whole grains can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer by 30-40%

Offer benefits of low glycaemic index, including slow-release energy ^1,5

Provide essential nutrients such as fibre, folate, Vitamin E, magnesium, B vitamins, zinc and antioxidants ^1,2,4,8,9

Whole grain foods are a powerful combination of naturally occurring nutrients and phytochemicals that work in synergy to make whole grains foods a vital component of a healthy diet. Whole grains provide up to 70% more vitamins, minerals, nutrients and fibre than refined grains. Each part of the grain contains essential nutrients, so when you eat foods containing whole grains, you receive the most nutrients of all. They are a nutritious source of carbohydrate available to fuel our bodies. And because they are from plants, they contain low levels of fat and no cholesterol.

In addition, whole grains provide many essential nutrients, including - ^12,13

Protein:

vital for growth and maintenance of our body's cells.

Fibre:

whole grains contain both soluble and insoluble fibre, and resistant starch. These help to keep bowels healthy and protect against heart disease.

Vitamins:

vitamin E and B groups such as thiamin, riboflavin and folate

Minerals:

a wide range of minerals including calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron.

Antioxidants & Phytochemicals:

such as phytoestrogens and antioxidants which act to protect us from a number of health problems. The total antioxidant content of whole grains is similar to many fruits and vegetables.

What is a Wholegrain?

Wholegrain foods contain all three layers of the grain as it grown naturally- the outer bran layer, the inner germ and the endosperm ^1,7,8,9. When grain-based foods undergo processing or refining, one or more of these natural components is normally removed ^2,5,7,8,9. Think of white flour - both the bran and germ layer have been removed.

Studies from many countries have repeatedly shown that most people don't include enough wholegrain foods in their diet. The current dietary guidelines recommend that we should eat at least four serves of grain-based foods everyday ^12. At least half of these serves should be wholegrains ^1.

At a glance wholegrain products, in a sea of refined grain foods, can be difficult to find on supermarket shelves but identifying wholegrain foods is simple. Look for the ingredient list of your product. If a wholegrain ingredient isn't listed as the first or second ingredient, then the product is unlikely to be a good source of wholegrain.

When choosing grain-based foods, look for the following words in the ingredients list; wholegrain, whole wheat, popcorn, brown rice, barley, oats, rye, millet, sorghum or triticale ^1,5,7,11.
Some breakfast cereals declare the percentage of whole grains on the packaging, usually in the ingredients list. Look for products that have more than 51% wholegrains ^12.
Wholemeal foods, such as wholemeal breads & pasta, can also provide similar nutritional benefits, so try replacing regular pasta with wholemeal pasta or use wholemeal flours in cooking.

Words you may see on packages	What they mean
whole grain [name of grain] whole wheat whole [other grain] stoneground whole [grain] brown rice	Contains all parts of the grain, so you're getting all the nutrients of the whole grain.
unbleached flour wheat flour semolina durum wheat organic unbleached flour enriched flour degerminated (on corn meal) bran multigrain (may describe several whole grains or several refined grains, or a mix of both)	These words are accurate descriptions of the package contents, but because some parts of the grain may be missing, you are likely missing the benefits of "whole grains."


	Here are some ideas:
Breakfast Ideas	A wholegrain breakfast cereal, such as Wheat Biscuits 1 cup cooked porridge or � cup natural muesli A toasted wholegrain English muffin with baked beans
Lunch Ideas	A sandwich made with 2 slices of wholegrain or dark rye bread, filled with salad 5 medium-sized wholegrain crackers with cottage cheese and tomato Buckwheat (or bulghar wheat) salad (see below for recipe)
Dinner Ideas	Vegetable curry with brown rice (see below for recipe) A casserole made with vegetables, legumes and unpearled barley
Snack Ideas	A handful of homemade popcorn Two slices of fruit and rye bread, toasted and spread thinly with margarine

Buckwheat Tabouli (233K)	Vegetable & Lentil Curry (292K)	Wholesome Vege Pizza (291K)
Whole grain Cookies (285K)	Country Cottage Rolls (284K)

Sanitarium is committed to providing and promoting the health benefits of eating more whole plant foods, particularly made from whole grains. We will also continue to develop resources to help Australians learn about the health benefits of whole grains and tasty, easy ways of including more of theses health promoting foods each day. We believe whole grains as part of a eating plan and balanced lifestyle can help improve the health and wellbeing of our nation

Over 90% of consumer sales of Sanitarium breakfast cereals are wholegrain based.

We are proud to be the leader in breakfast nutrition for the last 107 years and the largest health food company in Australia.

References

www.cancercouncil.com.au & www.nswcc.org.au/cncrinfo/research/reports/cerealspaper/htm
McIntosh G. Cereal foods, fibres and the prevention of cancers. Aust. J Nutr & Diet 2001;58(S2):S34-S48.
Liu S, Stampfer M, Hu F, Giovannucci E, Rimm E, Manson J, Hennekens C, Willett W. Whole-grain consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: results from the Nurses' Health Study. AJCN 1999;70(3):412-419.
Anderson J, Hanna T. Whole grains and protection against coronary heart disease: what are the active components and mechanisms? AJCN 1999;70(3):307-308.
Truswell A, 2000. Cereal grains and coronary heart disease- A review of the literature. Grains Research & Development Corporation and BRI Australia Ltd.
Anderson J. Wholegrains protect against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Proc Nutr Soc 2003;62(1):135-142.
Slavin J, Jacobs D, Marquart L. Whole-grain consumption and chronic disease: protective mechanisms. Nutr Cancer 1997;27(1)14-21.
Slavin J. Wholegrains and human health. Nutr Research Reviews 2004:17(1);99-110.
Slavin J, Jacobs D, Marquart L, Wiemer K. The role of whole grains in disease prevention. JADA 2001;101(7):780-785.
Liu S, Willet W, Manson J, Hu F, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle-aged women. AJCN 2003;78:920-927.
Jacobs D, Marquart L, Slavin J, Kushi L. Whole-grain intake and cancer: an expanded review and meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer 1998;30(2):85-96.
NHMRC, 2003. Food for health- Dietary Guidelines for Australians. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Saxelby C, 2002. Nutrition for Life (4th Edition). Hardie Grant Books, South Yarra, Australia.