Experts agree: Refined grains help combat nutrient deficiency

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Experts agree: Refined grains help combat nutrient deficiency

16 Apr 2021

Jordan Winter

Jordan Winter is a journalist who wants to learn more and teach others about the world through storytelling. Dedicated to positive social change, her reporting is informed by years of experience writing, designing, and producing multimedia content for mission-driven publications and nonprofits.

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WASHINGTON, DC — A new study recently published in Current Developments in Nutrition, a peer-reviewed medical journal of nutritional science, highlights the importance of including refined grains as part of a healthy diet, and more importantly, the risks of excluding this dietary staple that Americans may not fully understand.

The study, “Do Refined Grains Have a Place in a Healthy Dietary Pattern: Perspectives from an Expert Panel Consensus Meeting,” was conducted to broaden understanding of the contributions of whole and refined grains to the American diet.

Refined grains are enriched to replace the nutrients that are lost when the bran and germ of the grain are removed during the milling process. These enriched refined grains are often also fortified with several critical nutrients — such as vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium and potassium — that many Americans under-consume.

By reviewing scientific data published since the release of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) on nutrient intakes, diet quality, enrichment and fortification, and associations with weight-related outcomes, panel experts unanimously concluded that not including sufficient refined grain foods in the diet can have unintended consequences.

“This study provides clear support to the message of the 2015-2020 DGAs and that of the recently-released 2020-2025 DGAs: whole and enriched grain foods play an essential role in a healthy diet,” said Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, an award-winning child nutrition expert and study co-author. “Moreover, it reminds us of the nutrition-related health risks of eliminating or reducing grain foods from diets, at any age, and the need to better convey this message to the public.”

“This study provides clear support to the message of the 2015-2020 DGAs and that of the recently-released 2020-2025 DGAs: whole and enriched grain foods play an essential role in a healthy diet,” said Dayle Hayes, MS, RD, an award-winning child nutrition expert and study co-author.

The expert panel issued 11 individual consensus statements related to the benefits of including — and risks of excluding — grain foods from the diet, as well as areas for future research. In summary, the conclusions included:

Grain foods’ contributions to nutrient intake: Whole and refined grain foods such as ready-to-eat cereals, breads, rolls and tortillas contribute shortfall nutrients and meaningful nutrient density and adequacy to the diets of both children and adults.
Risks of eliminating grain foods: Removing either whole or refined grain foods from the diet can exacerbate nutrient inadequacies and result in more children and adults falling below recommended nutrient intakes.
Health outcomes: Available scientific evidence from observational studies does not support the notion that refined grain consumption is linked to an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese.
Dietary guidance: Evolving dietary guidance should evaluate emerging grains research and offer clarity to help consumers choose and include refined grain foods. Many enriched grain foods can serve as “staples” in several healthy dietary patterns and form the basis of nutritious meals.
Future research: Future dietary pattern-focused research should further distinguish between different types of grains by going beyond just “whole” and “refined,” potentially creating an additional classification that separates refined grains — like breads and cereals from cakes, cookies and pies — when assessing nutrient intake, diet quality and health-related outcomes between “staple” and “indulgent” choices.

This area of research has been in the spotlight since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grain food sales skyrocketed during lockdowns, as Americans returned to staples such as sandwiches while cooking at home. But grain foods had more than a moment in 2020. Bread is often villainized as an unhealthy carb, but media coverage showing sparse grocery store shelves illustrated its necessity.

For Christine Cochran, executive director of the Grain Foods Foundation, this pandemic media coverage highlighted three key things: a shift in tone surrounding grain and comfort foods, an emphasis on personal storytelling and a return to discussing food on a fundamental level.

The Grain Foods Foundation provided funding support for this research. For more information about the research findings and to learn more about grain foods’ role in a healthful diet, please visit GrainFacts.com.

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