Whole wheat, Whole Grain whats the deal

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Grimmerick
Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
in Food and Nutrition
On somethings I see whole wheat, others whole grain, and on some I see whole wheat and whole grain. Which should I be eating? what is the difference between them. This always confuses me when I buy bread. I eat Natures own 100% whole wheat with 14 whole grains or something like that. Please clarify this for me.

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  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Whole Wheat contains only wheat. Whole Grains could be Wheat, Rye, Oats...... Just make sure it doesn't say enriched Wheat, it should say Whole Wheat or Grain. I think enriched means it's more processed? I think. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.:flowerforyou:
  • pstaub70
    pstaub70 Posts: 10
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    You really shouldn't be eating either...

    Try sprouted grain breads from the organic section of the grocery store or a whole foods store. Much better for you. Kind of expensive though...
  • donbet69
    donbet69 Posts: 133
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    You want to eat Whole grains as opposed to whole wheat because the grains make the body work harder to break them down. Thus, processing the sugars at a slower rate than the whole wheat flour.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    Whole grain products are made from100% whole grain, whether it's all wheat or a mixture of different grains. Whole wheat products that are not labeled as whole grain have at least some whole wheat flour in them, but are often little more than whole wheat flavored. Read the ingredients panel and reconsider the purchase if enriched flour is high on the list.
  • livnlite
    livnlite Posts: 520
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    I think it's easily explained by saying .. Wheat is a grain much the same as Oats, barley, rye ..etc. When they use the term WHOLE grains (emphasis on the plural) or Multi Grain (refers to a few types of grains).
  • jafurrer
    jafurrer Posts: 1
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    I am with you here. Sprouted wheat and live grain is the only way to get nutritional value from wheat products. Try Ezekiel Bread. They even make tortillas.
  • gdengler
    gdengler Posts: 18 Member
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    You should always try to eat carbohydrates that are "whole", not refined like "enriched bleached wheat flour". To see what's in what you are eating, read the nutrition label and the first item on the list should be a whole grain. Basically, any grain can be whole - wheat is just one of them. There is rice, wheat, barley, corn, oats, etc.

    Here are some good websites to help explain the difference:

    1) The Whole Truth about Whole Grains: http://www.montana.edu/wellness/UMforms/Whole_grains.pdf

    2) Whole grain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_grain

    3) Identifying Whole Grain Products - Whole Grains Council: http://www.wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/identifying-whole-grain-products

    4) Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet - MayoClinic.com: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204

    5) Carbohydrates - What Should You Eat? - The Nutrition Source: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates/

    6) Nutrition Basics: Understanding Grains: http://weightloss.about.com/od/nutrition/a/basicgrains.htm

    Happy Reading!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Whole Wheat contains only wheat. Whole Grains could be Wheat, Rye, Oats...... Just make sure it doesn't say enriched Wheat, it should say Whole Wheat or Grain. I think enriched means it's more processed? I think. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.:flowerforyou:

    This. Popcorn is 100% whole grain.

    But if it just says "Whole grain" or "whole wheat", it's not 100% (I don't know what percentage it has to be to make that claim though). I always look for the 100% when buying bread, or buns.
  • RangerSteve
    RangerSteve Posts: 437
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    You really shouldn't be eating either...


    Oh really? Why is that?
  • pstaub70
    pstaub70 Posts: 10
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    [/quote]

    Oh really? Why is that?
    [/quote]

    Explanation is very long. This blogger explains it well. There are links to the studies referenced as well.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/


    The problem that I have with "studies" that show whole grains are healthy are always comparing whole grains to refined grains. They never do one that compares whole grains to grain-free.
  • RangerSteve
    RangerSteve Posts: 437
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    Explanation is very long. This blogger explains it well. There are links to the studies referenced as well.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/


    The problem that I have with "studies" that show whole grains are healthy are always comparing whole grains to refined grains. They never do one that compares whole grains to grain-free.

    Alright, didn't have time to respond to this until now so I'll try to make it fast:

    First of all, that article from Mark's Daily Apple is terrible. I'm trying not to bash the guy too much because I don't know him and maybe he's a smart/nice guy but what the hell.

    Let me give a stupid example:
    Apples are unhealthy because oranges have more vitamin C

    Another example:
    Milk is unhealthy because spinach has calcium

    He could have written one paragraph to summarize his points at the end (which are the only ones that matter) but instead went on and on about grains not being healthy because we don't NEED them. We don't NEED any carbohydrates. We don't NEED much but that doesn't make something inherently unhealthy.

    Yes, vegetables have more fiber than grains. So? How does that make a grain unhealthy?

    Yes, vegetables have more vitamins and minerals. How does that make a grain unhealthy?

    Yes, the food pyramid sucks. Who pays attention to what the food pyramid says anyway? Who pays attention to just about anything the FDA/government says in the first place? This doesn't make a grain unhealthy either. Corn and wheat lobbyists infiltrated Washington DC? Say it aint so!!!!!

    Ok, now on to the part that actually matters:

    Lectins
    Glutens
    Phytates

    First a disclaimer. I did not major in bio-chem so my understanding of all the chemical related properties is not my expertise. I majored in exercise science. Still, that being said, I look at scientific studies that point me in the right direction. Here is what we have:

    Oregon State University showing the disease prevention benefits of whole grains:
    http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/index.html

    List of foods that contain Lectins:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/305368-list-of-foods-that-contain-lectin/

    ^----Notice the amount of veggies on there (tomatoes, potatoes, string beans, zucchini, green peas, asparagus, radish, sweet peppers, cucumber seeds and mushrooms) So, do lectins in vegetables behave differently than lectins in grains? I don't know but both foods contain lectins and Mark's Daily Apple sure didn't seem to make a distinction.

    Another review on foods containing lectins:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7001881

    Lectins in uncooked vegetables leading to GI distress: (seems uncooked veggies are worse than grains)
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=17668065

    Even more on lectins and the issues from them:
    http://www.docsdrive.com/pdfs/ansinet/pjn/2009/293-303.pdf

    Gluten intolerances:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12507163

    ^----What studies are looking at now is that is affects 1/250 people. (Celiacs disease) Obviously, if you're in this category, grains are indeed unhealthy for you. If you're not in this category then you're not going to hospitalize yourself if you eat them.

    An interesting read on gluten free diets on gut microbiota:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3023594/pdf/gmic0103_0135.pdf


    Is Celiacs more common than previously thought? Yes, it would seem so. Are people "sensitive" to gluten in large amounts? Some study that didn't show the control group (linked in Mark's Daily Apple) isn't enough to prove conclusive on that. What SHOULD happen, (let me repeat), what SHOULD happen is that people should be tested the next time they go to the doctor to see if they're sensitive to gluten/grains. If they're not then grains are indeed healthy as long as you don't overeat in general. This is the take home message here.

    IF YOU DO NOT OVEREAT AND YOU EXERCISE, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH EATING GRAINS AND THEY HAVE NUMEROUS BENEFITS THAT ARE SHOWN IN STUDIES. THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR GRAINS UNLESS YOU HAVE ISSUES DIGESTING THEM WHICH WOULD BE TESTED WITH YOUR DOCTOR.

    ^
    Please now, no more fear mongering about grains being unhealthy.
  • pstaub70
    pstaub70 Posts: 10
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    You are taking the first part of the blog out of context... He is not claiming that grains are unhealthy because other foods have more nutrients. He is claiming that Grains are not essential foods that you can't live without.

    He was responding to people that were telling him that he NEEDS grains to function properly.

    Your stupid example (your words) is not analogous to the context of the post.

    This would have been a better way to word your examples to match with the point Mark was trying to make:

    You NEED to eat apples or you won't get vitamin C despite being able to get it from oranges.
    You NEED milk or you wont get enough calcium despite being able to get it from spinach.


    Thank you for posting the Oregon State research... This illustrates exactly what my problem is with the "whole grains cure everything" argument.

    These studies always compare whole grain intake to refined grain intake. Never whole grain to grain-free.

    The results of these studies could likely be duplicated by removing refined grains and replacing them with nothing or protein/fat.

    Whole grains being a better choice does not make the healthy.

    Now its my turn for a stupid example:

    People smoking filtered cigarettes develop less cancer than those smoking unfiltered cigarettes therefore filtered cigarettes prevent disease.

    There is a huge confounding variable in these studies too. Eating whole grains for health is the conventional wisdom therefore people who care about their health make the switch. These people likely have many other behaviors that produce positive outcomes such as sleep, exercise, no smoking/drinking etc.

    Lectins - Gluten - Phytate

    If lectins are bad from most sources wouldn't it make sense to eat the them from veggies and lesson the impact on your other metabolic hormones? Especially those who are already insulin resistant?

    If lectins are bad from most sources wouldn't it make sense to eat them from veggie source where you are getting more vitamins and minerals per lectin eaten?

    Celiacs is not just slightly more present than previously thought. Its much more present. 5 times more according to the mayo clinic. http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health/wellness/mayo-clinic.htm#r_src=ramp. All I have to do is look at the shelves at a grocery store and see all the gluten free products that weren't there years ago. I don't need a well controlled study to make that observation.

    People on gluten free diets. A study of 10 people over 1 month? Not much mention of what was eaten other than no gluten? Yet definitive conclusions were made about gut microbiata?


    I am not somebody who eats no grains at all. I just don't think they are a wonderful cure all disease superfood as they are often billed.

    I think we will both agree that more research is needed.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    Denise Minger, China-Study-Reanalyzer Extraordinaire, has a rather interesting look at wheat in the China Study data. Correlation, not causation and all that, of course, but I find it intriguing, nonetheless. http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/09/02/the-china-study-wheat-and-heart-disease-oh-my/

    I predict we'll be hearing a lot more about wheat in the next few years, unless the grain industry gets their way.

    Edit: Sorry, is this fear mongering, too, RangerSteve? :happy:

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