6 Myths About Whole Grains, Busted

It’s surprising that more myths continue to emerge as we learn more about nutrition. Whole grains are one of the food groups surrounded by myths. Many people don’t know what to believe about whole grains since, some sources say they are unhealthy while others say they can improve your health.

Well, today we’re going to end the confusion. I will share common myths about whole grains that you should stop believing. Busting these myths will allow you to make healthier diet choices in the future.

MYTH #1: WHOLE GRAINS TRIGGER WEIGHT GAIN.

Most low-carb diets advise against eating whole grains. The argument is that whole grains spike your blood sugar and cause weight gain.

However, most whole grains have a low glycemic index (GI), which means your body slowly converts them into glucose, and for that reason, they don’t spike blood sugar.

This study found that eating more whole grains and fewer refined grains helped reduce belly fat. Additionally, whole grains are low in calories and high in fiber, making them ideal for weight loss.

MYTH #2: WHOLE GRAINS CAUSE INFLAMMATION.

Everybody agrees that inflammation is detrimental to our health. However, there are differing opinions on the foods that cause inflammation.

Some have linked whole grains to inflammation, but science seems to disagree. This studyfound that eating whole grains helped lower inflammation markers.

MYTH #3: WHOLE GRAINS ARE NOT IDEAL FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

You’ve probably heard the argument that humans have only been eating grains for the last 10,000 years, which means our bodies can’t process them properly. Instead, we should eat veggies, tubers, fruits and wild animals, like our ancestors did.

However, research shows that Mozambique natives ate whole grains as far back as 100,000 years ago. There’s also evidence that Europeans were eating grains 30,000 years ago.

MYTH #4: WHOLE GRAINS MAY CAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

Diet gurus say whole grains may cause high blood pressure, because processed foods that contain grains have been linked to the condition. They forget that processed foods contain harmful ingredients, such as sugar, salt and preservatives that are the true culprits.

The opposite is actually true. In this study, researchers concluded that eating three portions of whole grains a day reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases by up to 25 percent by lowering blood pressure.

MYTH #5: THERE’S NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHITE AND WHOLE WHEAT BREAD.

Many say there’s no difference between whole wheat bread and white bread, because they have almost the same amount calories. A slice of whole wheat bread has 69 calories, while a white bread slice has 74 calories.

However, whole wheat bread has a wider range of nutrients. It contains fiber, protein, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium and vitamin E.

MYTH #6: CUTTING BACK ON WHEAT WILL CURE DIABETES.

Avoiding wheat is the healthy choice if you have celiac disease, but it won’t help treat diabetes. Now, this doesn’t mean you should eat foods that contain refined wheat, since most of them are unhealthy.

While processed wheat products may worsen diabetes, an analysis of different studiesshows that increasing the intake of whole grains can lower the risk of diabetes.