Dr. Kracker

My health detective brother-in-law recently forwarded the following article to me:

Whole Grain Diets Lower Risk Of Chronic Disease, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Feb. 11, 2008) — Diets with high amounts of whole grains may help achieve significant weight loss, and also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a team of Penn State researchers at University Park and the College of Medicine.

“Consumption of whole grains has been associated with a lower body weight and lower blood pressure,” said co-author Penny Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. “We thought that incorporating whole grains into a heart-healthy weight loss diet may provide the same benefits to people at risk from chronic diseases.”

The researchers recruited 50 obese adults — 25 male and 25 female — between ages 20 to 65 and known to have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

They were randomly assigned to either a group that received instructions to have all of their grain servings from whole grains or all of their grain servings from refined grains.

“We asked participants in the whole grain group to focus on foods that had whole grains as the first ingredient,” said lead author Heather Katcher, a Penn State Ph.D. recipient and currently a dietetic intern at Tulane University.

Over the 12-week study period, all participants received the same dietary advice on weight loss, and encouragement to participate in moderate physical activity. Researchers also asked participants to consume five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy products, and two servings of lean meat, fish or poultry.

Results from the study showed that waist circumference and body weight decreased significantly in both groups — between 8-11 pounds on average — but weight loss in the abdominal region was significantly greater in the whole grain group.

According to Katcher, the whole grain group experienced a 38 percent decrease in C-reactive protein levels in their blood. A high level of this inflammatory marker is thought to place patients at a higher risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

“Typically you would expect weight loss to be associated with a decrease in C-reactive protein, but the refined grain group showed no decrease in this marker of inflammation even though they lost weight,” said Kris-Etherton.

The Penn State researcher suggests that the finding is because the consumption of refined grains has been linked to increased levels of the protein. So even though people in the refined grain group lost weight, the fact that they ate so many refined grains probably negated the beneficial effect of weight loss on C-reactive protein levels.

While it is not fully clear how exactly the protein is decreased in the whole grain group, Richard Legro, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and a co-investigator, says the scale of reduction is similar to that seen with the use of statin drugs, highlighting the potential of diet to prevent serious medical complications.

Participants in the whole grain group also showed an increased intake of fiber and magnesium, both of which may prevent or delay the potential onset of diabetes.

Researchers say the study is timely as it addresses the wide choice of whole grains in the market.

“There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain,” said Kris-Etherton. She recommends whole grain foods where at least 51 percent of the grain comes from whole grain. These include oatmeal, whole grain cereal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and snacks such as granola bars, popcorn and whole-wheat crackers.
“This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases,” added Kris-Etherton.

The study’s findings are published in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Other researchers on the paper representing a unique multi-disciplinary team of clinical scientists that are actively studying the role of diet and disease include Allen R. Kunselman, senior instructor; Laurence M. Demers, distinguished professor of pathology and medicine; Deborah M. Bagshaw, clinical coordinator, all at Penn State, and Peter J. Gillies, director, Health Science Strategy, DuPont Haskell Laboratory for Health and Environmental Sciences.

The General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Human Nutrition and the NIH supported this study.

Adapted from materials provided by Penn State.

What great motivation to rethink what we eat! The correlation between whole grains and weight loss is especially strong; simple, easy advice for anyone who struggles with dieting. On the other hand, the relationship between the whole grains, weight loss and the C-reactive proteins is not totally understood. C-reactive proteins are inflammation markers, and weight loss is expected to reduce them, and with them, the risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. But the evidence suggests that a diet high in refined grains can reduce weight, and at the same time, elevate the C-reactive proteins, which negates the positive health benefits of the weight loss. There will certainly be further studies looking at this link between a diet high in refined grains and inflammation. You definitely want to reduce these C-reactive proteins!

The results also suggest that whole grains provide some of the same protection as statin drugs in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease—all for the low, low price of sliced whole grain bread or Dr. Kracker flatbreads! With their high fiber and magnesium content, whole grains in the diet can prevent the onset of diabetes. And for all of us with the bulging middle, it would appear that more daily servings of whole grains help deflate that spare tire! This is one awesome study that really clearly links a diet rich in whole grains to reductions in weight and the risk of life threatening diseases.

On another note: Recently, my favorite newsletter, University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter (Volume 26, Issue 6, March 2008), stated that “adults living with children tend to eat the fewest servings (of whole grain), since most kids prefer refined grains such as white bread. People consume 40% of their whole grains at breakfast. They get very little whole grains in restaurant meals, which supply more than one-third of Americans’ daily calories.” This really got me thinking.

One of my favorite conversations with customers is how to get more whole grains into the diets of their children. My wife and I struggled with our own son’s (now 13) diet, and we are both well aware that you can’t make a child eat what a child doesn’t want to eat. But first of all, having a child who won’t eat whole grains is no excuse for keeping the rest of the family hostage to his dietary preferences. And secondly: when I once voiced my frustrations about my son’s finicky tastes to my mother, she heard me out, then admonished me: “Remember, you are the parent.” And she was right.

I firmly believe that our role as parents is to always set a good example. In the case of sound nutrition and good diet management, this means being careful in the selection of snacks that come into the house, being dedicated to the preparation of nutritious food at home so as to avoid restaurants’ empty calories, and being ever-willing to try new and exciting foods that do offer whole grains. Another way to successfully influence the eating patterns of children is to sit down together for family dinners. Under ideal circumstances, food is enjoyed rather than just consumed, conversation is fun and enlightening, and parents have the opportunity to positively influence both the emotional and dietary maturity of their children. (Of course, there will be plenty of not very fun dinners, too, where the tension is as thick as the mashed potatoes. But even so, family dinners win on every count.)

With rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related crises among kids today, I know that concerned parents, chefs and nutritionists are looking for ways to turn the trend around. Those of us whose careers and interests involve whole grains know that they are a delicious part of the solution. We’ve read the volumes of incontrovertible evidence that shows it.
So, in summary, to parents who ask me how to get more whole grains in their kids’ diets, my advice is this:

1. Make whole grains available. When kids are hungry, they’ll reach for what’s there. Make sure what’s there is something healthy by keeping your pantry filled with snacks and treats that contain whole grains, and minimize the processed alternatives.
2. Make a plate. Even the fussiest “white bread only” type kids will succumb to the temptations of colorful presentation. Try spreading individual Krispy Grahams with peanut butter and jelly, or simple fruit preserves, and arrange them on a plate with sliced apples. Make that available at snack time and you’ll be surprised how quickly it disappears. Or, arrange our Snack Chips or Flatbreads around sliced cheese or a dish of dip. The trick is to not ask if they want it, but just have it available. Believe me, it works!
3. “Sneak” them in. Break Dr. Kracker flatbreads onto soups, salads, and on top of mac & cheese. Use crushed flatbreads in meatballs, or as breading for fried fish sticks or chicken. Make ice cream sandwiches with tempered ice cream between two Krispy Graham crackers. Your kids will never know what exactly is making their favorite foods so healthy—or delicious!

Hopefully, if the whole grains message is heard often enough, it will sink in and consumers (and their children!) will join the “health careful” and change the way they eat. At Dr. Kracker, we work to make all of this easier and more delicious for everyone with the artisan-baked meal-sized flatbreads, Krispy Grahams, Snack Chips and Snack crackers we make every day—every one rich in both whole grains and Uber Crunch.

Here’s to your continued great health!