The age-old line, the best thing since sliced bread"" has been liberally attached to anything from microwaves to Roseanne.
While these both have tremendous upsides, nutritionally speaking, the best thing since sliced bread is sliced whole-grain bread, although it seems many people are still not aware of this. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on average, Americans consume less than one-third of the daily recommended amount of whole grains and as many as 40 percent are eating no whole grains at all.
What is a whole grain?
The Whole Grains Council defines whole grain products as containing ""all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed."" Therefore, products labeled wheat or white do not contain the entire grain or the nutritional benefits of containing the entire grain.
""Specifically, the outer layer, the bran and the germ, or living part of the seed, have been removed,"" UW-Madison nutritional science professor Pete Anderson said.
Dr. Sherry Tanumihardjo, UW- Madison associate professor in nutritional science, agrees and added that without these parts of the grain you also lose important vitamin B.
Refined products lose some of their natural components like nutrients or minerals during processing but add them back in a process called enriching.
Fortification is also used to add more nutrients to the product than it originally had.
Generally, people assume something unnatural must also be less healthy. However, UW-Madison nutritional sciences professor Dave Schoeller disagrees.
""Nutrients are chemicals,"" Schoeller said. ""They are adding them back in the same form, and they're handled by the body in the same way. [It] doesn't make much difference.""
Improving the American diet
Anderson says there is one way fortified products cannot make up for lost nutrients.
""Enriched or fortified products will have some, but not all, of the nutrients removed in processing,"" Anderson said. ""They will not have the fiber that has been lost.""
The fiber lost is called dietary fiber. It is the naturally occurring form of fiber in plants and is probably the most important nutritional loss in the processing of non-whole grain products.
Why is it so important?
Schoeller said dietary fiber in whole grains allows them to be more filling than partial grains. This can improve the American diet, which commonly has the problem of over-eating. Fiber makes the consumer feel full quicker for a longer period of time, lowering the overall caloric intake.
Another upside to dietary fiber is ""the bulk that fiber adds to the diet, keeping the digestive system running smoothly,"" Tanumihardjo said. A digestive system that runs smoothly will not be bothered by constipation. In the long run, studies show, it may also prevent colon cancer.
Functional fiber is a form of fiber that can be added back in the refinement processes. The Nutrition Action Health Letter defines it as a non-digestible carbohydrate lacking the evidence of providing the same health benefits as dietary fibers. Buyers should beware - products labeled high in fiber may not contain much of the dietary fiber that has proven beneficial.
Myths about the low-carb diet
A general misconception formed during the low-carb diet's rise in popularity saying it is OK to avoid carbohydrates, especially of the grain and bread varieties. In actuality, the benefit of a low-carb diet does not come from avoiding all carbohydrates in general. That would cut out the minerals and nutrients, notably dietary fiber, carbs supply.
The point of cutting carbs is to lower your intake of simple carbohydrates.
""A simple carb is a sugar, and less is better for most people,"" Anderson said. ""Complex carbs are whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, and actually more would be better for most people. Without complex carbs in your diet, weight loss will be more likely to be lean [muscle] tissue loss and will lower your metabolism.""
For the physically active, this type of diet generally means less fat burning and a lower metabolism rate that will make it easier to gain weight back, commonly referred to as ""backsliding.""
Schoeller says the public's attitudes toward low-carb dieting and whole grains are characteristic of ""the natural human propensity to think of it as a solution. But it's an aid, it's not a silver bullet.""
The verdict on whole grains
Tanumihardjo and Anderson agree the best diet for college students is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
With Spring Break just around the corner and the final attempt for the perfect swimsuit body, small changes in diet can lead to a much healthier individual.
""The difference between a loaf of whole wheat and refined bread is less than a tap beer,"" Tanimuhardjo said. ""Priorities need to be made when we consider our health.""
