Why should you eat whole grains?

For a more balanced lifestyle, start with increasing pulses, giving preference to home-cooked food, eating oily fish, seasonal and organic foods, reducing alcohol, sweet foods, cold meat… French Public Health 2023, launched in September 2019 and published on mangebouger.fr.

One of the goals of the PNNS was to encourage French adults to adopt health-promoting behaviors and gradually adopt new eating habits without depriving themselves. Two of the recommendations have already been highlighted: increase consumption of dried vegetables and whole-starch foods. So why are whole grains so important to a healthy diet?

Fiber, antioxidants and vitamins

If whole grains, such as oats, rice, rye, barley and buckwheat, should be prioritized on our plate, it is simply because they are much more interesting for the body than the so-called “refined” grains, stripped bare. two extremely nutritious parts of the seed: the bran and the germ.

Whole grains actually consist of three parts. First, bran, which is rich in fiber, which promotes satiety and transit, and is rich in antioxidants, which fight free radicals in the body and are responsible for aging our cells. It also contains B vitamins and a number of minerals, such as zinc, iron, copper and magnesium, which protect against fatigue and stress.

Then, the germ inside the grain contains vitamin E, which protects the nervous system. It also contains B vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients that the body needs to maintain its nutritional intake from other foods ingested. Finally, the endosperm, which contains proteins, vitamins, and complex carbohydrates. These are expensive, they don’t cause the spike in blood sugar that is responsible for the dangerous cravings that make us eat more.

Although whole grains protect against cardiovascular diseases, they do not cure them in any way. Regular physical activity and other eating habits help optimize your health.