Whole grain intake has been identified as generally low in this research of UK populations. An increase in whole grain consumption may help individuals to enhance nutrient intakes and better meet dietary nutrient reference values, since it was found that the diets of whole grain consumers were more nutrient dense that of non- or low-consumers. At a minimum increasing whole grain intake would aid individuals in meeting dietary fibre intake recommendations, but would also provide other important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, iron, copper and magnesium, to their diets. Future studies investigating the impact on vitamin and mineral intake, in addition to those showing clear increases in cereal-fibre intake, could be useful particularly where refined grains are replaced with whole grain equivalents or whole grain intakes are substantially increased at the expense of other carbohydrate-rich foods.
Whole grain intake was estimated using data from two UK cohorts and this is one of a few studies assessing whole grain intake in the UK population. As a consequence a database of the whole grain contents of foods consumed in the UK has been collated and is now publically available (Jones et al., 2017). This database could be incorporated into a range of dietary intake assessment tools and compositional databases including the NDNS databank so that whole grain intake in the UK can be more routinely measured and reported.
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Despite low overall whole grain consumption in the UK population some associations were seen between higher whole grain intake and cardio-metabolic measures. Associations were small, but significant, suggesting that whole grains may have an important role in disease prevention, particularly for CVD and T2D. There are many possible mechanisms of action that have been proposed in relation to the high fibre and bioactive compound contents of whole grains. However, the exact pathways in which whole grains elicit physiological effects on humans remain unclear and no one single mechanism or component is likely to be
responsible for the cardio-metabolic health benefits of whole grain consumption. The evidence for disease and mortality risk reduction from observational studies is strong and consistent and provides support for the promotion of whole grain intake. In contrast, interventional evidences is not consistent which may be a result of differing study methodologies, dietary interventions and the health status of the participants involved. Furthermore, it is known that as we age our health and health markers in general decline. We should re-consider the pharmacological paradigm which suggests that short-term dietary intervention with whole grains should improve or reduce disease risk in favour of a longer- term model which suggests that increased whole grain intake in the longer-term reduces age- related declines in health.
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